Tomorrow is the 20th anniversary of the assassination of Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin by Yigal Amir at a 1995 rally in Tel Aviv in support of the Oslo Accords. Israelis commemorated the anniversary last week because their calendar is different from ours.

The occasion had been seen by Israeli liberals as an opportunity for soul-searching; but they are a stark minority in Israeli public life, and the event has been marked by some rightwing outbursts: threats to Israeli President Reuven Rivlin for seeking a Palestinian state and a celebration of Amir at a soccer game.

Rivlin said at a rally honoring Rabin that hope in Israel is now “in the crosshairs.” That rally was organized by Peace Now and other left-of-center groups in Tel Aviv Saturday; more than 100,000 came. Two American presidents spoke, but not the Israeli head of government. Bill Clinton was there, Barack Obama appeared on video. Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu did not show up.