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Annual Rabin memorial canceled at family’s request due to war

A separate memorial for the late Israeli Tourism Minister Rehavam Ze’evi was also dropped for the same reason.

Yitzhak Rabin
Israeli Defense Minister Yitzhak Rabin and his wife, Leah, arrive in the United States at Andrews Air Force Base in Maryland in September 1986. Photo by Sgt. Robert G. Clambus via Wikimedia Commons.

The annual state ceremony for assassinated Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin will not be held this month due to the ongoing war against Hamas, the second such cancellation in as many years.

The decision was taken at the request of family members who had appealed to Knesset Speaker Amir Ohana to nix the event.

Last year’s ceremony was also canceled due to the war.

Far-right extremist Yigal Amir assassinated Rabin on Nov. 4, 1995, following a rally in support of the Oslo Accords in Tel Aviv.

Rehavam Ze'evi
Israeli general, politician and historian Rehavam (“Gandhi”) Ze’evi on Sept. 10, 2001. Credit: Flash90.

A separate memorial for the late Israeli Tourism Minister Rehavam Ze’evi was also canceled at his family’s request.

Terrorists from the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine gunned down Ze’evi—popularly known by the nickname “Gandhi”—at the Hyatt Hotel on Mount Scopus, Jerusalem, on Oct. 17, 2001.

Describing the move as “unprecedented and highly controversial,” Israel’s Foreign Ministry said it ties “the hands of his successor” and degrades the U.N.’s “rules-based order.”
Foreign Minister Sa’ar hosted his Congolese counterpart in Jerusalem to sign two Memoranda of Understanding.
“All of the terrorists were transferred to the security forces for further investigation,” authorities added.
The incident joins a series of similar ones in recent months, posing a danger to the safety of IDF troops, according to the military.
“Our goal is to safeguard our security while also expanding the circle of peace around us,” he added.
The find will be housed in an archaeology, art and innovation wing of the Tower of David Museum slated to open in late 2028.