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Rabin Assassin Endorses Naftali Bennett

Yigal Amir will reportedly be voting for The Jewish Home leader

by
Adam Chandler
January 16, 2013
Yigal Amir(Haaretz)
Yigal Amir(Haaretz)

Yigal Amir, who shot Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin to death in 1995, has reportedly made his choice in the upcoming Israeli elections. According to Amir’s brother Hagai, he supports Naftali Bennett, the head of the Jewish Home party, who was profiled expertly by Liel Leibovitz earlier this week.

In a text exchange with Ariel Waysman, Hagai Amir–who refuses to vote in the Israeli election–is giving his vote to his imprisoned brother:

Ariel: I thought you couldn’t vote anyway.



Hagai: Unfortunately I can and my brother is using it.



Ariel: Who is Yigal asking you to vote for??????



Hagai: Bennet

Judging whether the endorsements of extremists have any real meaning or not remains a dicey exercise. This post about Amir’s release from solitary confinement last summer explains both sides of the coin well. Is this meaningful? Educate me, commenters.

Adam Chandler was previously a staff writer at Tablet. His work has appeared in the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, the Atlantic, Slate, Esquire, New York, and elsewhere. He tweets @allmychandler.