Masses gather in Tel Aviv for Rabin memorial ceremony

Twelve years after the murder of Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin, tens of thousands of Israelis gathered Saturday at the Rabin Square in Tel Aviv to participate in the national memorial rally for the slain leader, and voice their support for democracy and their opposition to violence.

According to police assessments, close to 100,000 people arrived at the square.

As in every year, the event brought together people of all ages and walks of life, many of them carrying signs reading, "We shall not forget, we shall not forgive," and handing out stickers supporting the peace process.

Rabin Square Saturday night 

The keynote speech at the event was delivered by President Shimon Peres, Rabin's ideological partner. Peres reminisced about Rabin's term as prime minister, and told the crowd at the square, "You have the right to speak – speak up. You have the ability to lead – use it. The torch is in your hands, you are Rabin's inheritors."

Another speaker at the event, Defense Minister Ehud Barak, said, "There are some public leaders among us who were partners to the incitement (against Rabin), and I don't know whether they had ever acknowledged their responsibility or promised this would not happen again."

'We shall not forget' (Photos: Yaron Brenner)

Barak said he did not want to refer to Rabin's killer, and only said that "his sentence will not be commuted, he will not be pardoned, and he will remain closed behind prison gates until the last day of his life."

Yitzhak Rabin's son Yuval accused in his speech the judicial system for failing to prevent the brit ceremony of Yigal Amir's son, scheduled for Sunday, November 4, the day of the murder.

"It is inconceivable that, with emotional apathy and while ignoring public opinion, the State Prosecution supports, the attorney general backs, and the High Court approves a shameful decision like the one handed down by the court two days ago," Rabin said, referring to the ruling enabling the circumcision ceremony within prison walls.

Rabin said that the murderer's release was imminent, and called on the audience not to stand by idly. "What started out with a marriage license, permission to have a child and a brit, will end up with a murderer walking among us with his children, happy and free."

Additionally, many prominent Israeli artists performed at the ceremony.

Hundreds of police officers, Border Guard officers, sappers and Civil Guard volunteers secured the event. Magen David Adom paramedic teams and firefighters have also deployed in the surrounding area, in preparation for any emergency.