Rabin Memorial Attracts Crowd From Across Segment Of Political Spectrum

Diverse voices could be heard at the rally, including journalists who took the opportunity to trumpet the fact that Netanyahu and his allies are silencing them.

Tel Aviv, November 6 – Tens of thousands of Israelis gathered Saturday night to commemorate slain Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin who was assasssinated twenty-one years ago, representing a wide swath of the society ranging from the far Left to the not-as-far Left.

The unofficial ceremony-cum-political event featured speakers from across the political spectrum, including such diverse personalities as Opposition leader and Labor Party chief Isaac Herzog and HaTnuah Party leader Tzipi Livni, who sits an entire seat apart from him in the Zionist Union faction.

Despite their differences, both Livni and Herzog struck similar themes, reminding the diverse crowd of non-Likud, non-Jewish-Home, non-Shas, non-United-Torah-Judaism, and non-Yisrael-Beiteinu voters that the very soul of democracy needed their protection from the irresponsible policies of the people elected to the Knesset by a majority of the voters.

Herzog, dogged by many months of reports he has sought a unity government with Prime Minister Netanyahu’s Likud, declared in no uncertain terms that he would no longer pursue unity, thus defending the notion of overcoming differences in a civil, respectful fashion. Livni took a bold stand for diversity and inclusion, mentioning that despite her opposition to the late Rabin’s policies at the time, she has long since been committed to a broad-based approach to demonizing as fascist, Nazi, dictatorial, or totalitarian those who disagree with the Left’s ideas.

Other diverse voices could be heard at the rally, including journalists who took the opportunity to trumpet the fact that Netanyahu and his allies are silencing them. Specifically, they objected to the Coalition whip David Bitan publicizing what he found on their Facebook profiles, which they maintain in order for everyone to see what they stand for and what values they advocate. Such tactics reminded them of the East German secret police organization the Stasi, which was noted for sneaking around and listening to what people wrote and said in public forums when they wanted as many people as possible to see and hear.

Stressing the unity that the gathering was meant to express, Herzog also took the opportunity in his address to the crowd to emphasize points calculated to advance his upcoming campaign to secure reelection as the Labor Party leader next year.

The diverse audience, which held banners in support of policies as divergent as concessions to Palestinian demands and concessions to Palestinian threats, applauded the speakers and hailed their manifest concern for bringing together such variegated segments of the people as students from North Tel Aviv and artists from North Tel Aviv. Entertainer Aviv Gefen, a mainstay of previous Rabin memorials, surprised the crowd by taking the stage to demonstrate his attendance at this memorial as well.

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