Coalition Chairman MK (Likud) David Bitan announced the assassination of Prime Minister Yitzchak Rabin in 1995 was not a political assassination. His statement was met with criticism by both members of the coalition and opposition.

Bitan made his comments during a Holon cultural event, explaining the murder was carried out by an assassin who wished to stop a process.

Lawmakers explained that the murder of Rabin was “The” political assassination, rejecting any efforts to portray it in a different light.

The remarks come at the beginning of November, within days of both the Hebrew and Gregorian calendar dates of the murder. As is the case annually, this time of year is synonymous with renewed left-wing efforts to stain the political right-wing and Likud, especially PM Netanyahu, releasing statements placing indirect blame on the right-wing for the events which “set the stage” for the murder of Rabin.

(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)