N12 publishes poll asking if Shin Bet encouraged Rabin's assassination

A poll published by N12 during its Friday program asked people if they believed the Shin Bet encouraged Yigal Amir to assassinate Yitzhak Rabin.

Religious Zionist party head MK Bezalel Smotrich speaks at the plenium hall during memorial ceremony marking 27 years since the assassination of former Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin, at the Knesset, Israel's parliament, in Jerusalem on November 6, 2022 (photo credit: NOAM REVKIN FENTON/FLASH90)
Religious Zionist party head MK Bezalel Smotrich speaks at the plenium hall during memorial ceremony marking 27 years since the assassination of former Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin, at the Knesset, Israel's parliament, in Jerusalem on November 6, 2022
(photo credit: NOAM REVKIN FENTON/FLASH90)

A poll published by N12 on Friday is causing an uproar online after one of the questions asked, "Do you agree with Bezalel Smotrich that the Shin Bet encouraged Yigal Amir to murder Rabin?"

59% responded in the survey that they disagreed, while 21% said they agreed. Among the Netanyahu voters, 42% disagreed with Smotrich's statement and 33% agreed.

Many web surfers were outraged by the wording of the question which could potentially give legitimacy to the claim that the Shin Bet encouraged Amir to murder Rabin.

To many, this question was also reminiscent of a skit from the Israeli comedy sketch program Hamishia Hakamerit in which a girl says that she was asked to write an essay in class on the subject of "Rabin's assassination - for and against." The Hamishia Hakamerit tweeted in response to the poll, writing "did the Shin Bet encourage Yigal Amir to carry out the murder of Rabin - for and against"

 Head of the Religious Zionist Party MK Bezalel Smotrich  gives a press statement at the Knesset, the Israeli parliament in Jerusalem, on May 26, 2021.  (credit: YONATAN SINDEL/FLASH90)
Head of the Religious Zionist Party MK Bezalel Smotrich gives a press statement at the Knesset, the Israeli parliament in Jerusalem, on May 26, 2021. (credit: YONATAN SINDEL/FLASH90)

Other users protested the question posed in the N12 survey. One wrote asked "do you agree with the claim that the editors of N12 are a bunch of irresponsible charlatans?" Another added "shame on intelligence," and another noted, "how is there no shame in the editors of N12 to put up a survey asking if the Shin Bet encouraged Rabin's assassination? How low can you go?" There were those who wrote, "what's next? Do you agree with the claim that leftists are descendants of Nazis?", "what's next? Do you agree with the claim that the Shin Bet murdered Rabin?" and "it's good that you didn't ask if Yitzhak Rabin deserved to be murdered."

What else did the survey show?

The survey further showed that 72% of voters in the anti-Netanyahu bloc believe that Lapid and Gants should agree to enter a unity government and only 9% think that Smotrich should serve in one of the ministers. As for the question of whether following the election results, the thought of leaving the country crossed your mind, 70% of the public answered no and 30% answered yes. Among the voters of the anti-Netanyahu bloc, the picture is very disturbing: 50% said that the thought went through their heads and 9% said that they intend to implement it in practice.