In his address, President Rivlin said, "As long as I am President of Israel, his murderer will not be freed. Curse my hand if it should ever sign a pardon for that evil man. Never. After the murder, a well-known National Religious rabbi spoke with me, and gave expression to the notion that a political assassin is not just simply a murderer. But he is one who secretly hatched a heinous plot to commit murder against not only the leader of Israel, but the very country itself."

The President emphasized the importance of the memorial day for Rabin and said, "We must ensure, for us and the next generations, that the day upon which we remember Rabin's murder will be a day belonging to all Israel; all its camps, all its sectors, a day of self-examination for the Israeli people, a time of self-examination for Israeli democracy."

He stressed that Israel must question, two decades after the assassination, if enough had been done to internalize the potential damage of political violence, as had been done over the generations after the murder of Gedaliah who was appointed head of the Jewish people in Babylonian times. He said, "Twenty years since the murder, and we must ask ourselves - did we do enough to repair the cracks opened by the murderer? Are we doing enough to imprint into the consciousness of this nation, for generations to come, again and again, the destructive potential of political violence?"

The President added that the true measure of democracy was found its ability to establish commonality between all its different communities and groups. He said, "The criterion of democracy depends on the ability to establish a shared denominator of values and morals between all the groups within its society – to create a 'shared statehood', a 'shared Israeli identity'. And it depends on how much each group within Israeli society feels like it has a real role in democracy, and that the rules of the democracy apply to it and are binding. It depends on whether the mainstream of all groups and camps is capable of producing together, a strong and mutual core that manages to stand together, with courage, in the face of extremists and violent forces.

Israeli democracy is strong; and has not waivered - heroically standing during difficult and painful trials. I sit amongst my people, and I must say: a sober and mature nation sits here. A nation that even in a complex and brutal reality, even during difficult days as those we have been facing recently, is not tempted by violent extremists. It is a brave nation, which stands rightfully so, for its rights and duties, to protect itself, out of a deep and consistent commitment to our core values as a Jewish and democratic State, a democratic and Jewish state."

The President concluded, "Yitzhak Rabin, a Palmach fighter; a commander of the IDF and one of its founders; a Chief of the General Staff who led us to victory during the Six-Day War; an Ambassador; a Prime Minister; a Defense Minister and a Prime Minister again; he devoted his entire life to this mission: our ability to overcome the challenges laid before us, to be the best of nations. May the memory of Yitzhak and Leah be blessed."

Yonathan Ben-Arzi, grandson of the late Yitzhak Rabin said, "I want to first say to my family - it is now 20 years that we carry together his memory and his torch. We love him dearly, and miss him greatly each day. The years have made their marks upon us, though I am sure that even today, he is with us, and looks proudly upon the path we continue to take. The heinous murder was carried out on the back of vile incitement, which intentionally sought to instill through violence an extremist hateful legacy, and murder Yitzhak Rabin, taking advantage of the youthful innocence of State of Israel, sneaked in amongst the joy, and fired three bullets in the Prime Minister. He shot and halted, for the final time, Yitzhak Rabin and changed beyond recognition the place in which we live.

We remember here this evening the incitement, and the murder. The days which followed, and the wave of sorrow which engulfed the entire nation. We remember the tears of the children and adults. The memorial lights in the streets and squares. We remember a state that we had, and no longer exists - innocent and pure - in the years which preceded that terrible night.

Ninth President of Israel, Shimon Peres spoke to the audience and said, "The unbridled incitement from which you suffered and led to your murder- was a warning sign that senseless hatred from within, is just as an external enemy. Yitzhak knew that the measure of a statesman is not found in public diplomacy, but in their ability to take brave, and right decisions - even if they be difficult ones. Leadership which inspires a hope for peace, alongside those who seek peace. Just the legacy of Ben Gurion, who said that the existence of Israel as a Jewish and democratic state, is preferable to every alternative. Rabin knew that an enemy is an enemy, and one must find unwavering, against murderous terrorism. While peace - despite all the difficulties - is made with ones enemies."