No license to kill: Rabin's death shows religious political violence solves nothing - editorial

A Jerusalem Post editorial condemns Rabbi Gedalia Axelrod's invocation of din rodef against Jewish politicians forming a government with Arab parties, drawing a direct parallel to Yigal Amir's justification for assassinating Yitzhak Rabin. It calls for a police investigation into incitement and argues that religious political violence undermines democracy. The piece also addresses coalition negotiations involving Eisenkot's Yashar, Bennett's B'Yachad, and Liberman's Yisrael Beytenu, as well as the Joint List's walkout during Hatikvah at the Knesset opening.

The Jerusalem Post editorial responds to a handwritten letter by former rabbinical court judge Rabbi Gedalia Axelrod, who invoked the religious concept of din rodef against Jewish politicians who help form a government backed by Arab parties. The editorial draws a direct line to Yigal Amir's use of the same concept to justify assassinating Yitzhak Rabin in 1995, arguing that religious political violence solves nothing and deprived Israelis of the right to settle political arguments through elections. The piece calls on police and prosecutors to examine whether Axelrod's letter crosses the legal threshold for incitement, noting that former security chiefs have already requested an investigation. It also addresses the broader political context: the Joint List's walkout during the singing of Hatikvah at the opening of the 26th Knesset, and the coalition negotiations involving Eisenkot's Yashar, Bennett's B'Yachad, and Liberman's Yisrael Beytenu, all of whom campaigned against governing with Arab parties. The editorial warns that political disagreement cannot be converted into a license to attack elected officials, and urges religious authorities to explain why such threats are unacceptable.