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

A former rabbinical court judge has invoked din rodef against Jewish politicians who help form a government backed by Arab parties - the same religious concept Yigal Amir cited to justify assassinating Yitzhak Rabin.In a handwritten letter issued on Thursday, Rabbi Gedalia Axelrod, the former head of the Haifa Rabbinical Court, argued that Jewish party leaders who enable a government supported by Ra'am or the Joint List fall under din rodef, a concept in Jewish law concerning someone deemed to endanger others.He subsequently told Walla that he did not regret issuing the ruling, saying he acted according to his understanding of religious duty.Rabin's murder in 1995 did not settle the argument over the Oslo Accords. It deprived Israelis of the right to settle that argument through their elected representatives and the ballot box.Thirty-one years later, religious language that can be understood as permission to kill politicians demands a response informed by that experience.Has Axelrod crossed the threshold into inciting political violence?Police and prosecutors should examine Axelrod's letter, its precise meaning, and whether it crosses the legal threshold for incitement. Former security chiefs have already requested an investigation.Determining criminal liability requires evidence and due process, but neither Axelrod's religious standing nor the contentious nature of coalition negotiations should deter the authorities from conducting that examination.Those condemning his ruling should also resist…