Incitement 2020

The movie Incitement delves into a pivotal year in the life of Yigal Amir, culminating in his tragic assassination of Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin. The narrative begins with Amir’s attendance at the night funeral of Baruch Goldstein in Kiryat Arba, near Hebron. He reveres Goldstein as a figure who executed what he believes to be God’s will following a devastating mosque massacre.

Set against the backdrop of the Oslo Accords signed in 1993 between Rabin and Yasser Arafat, the film portrays a landscape marred by ongoing violence and repeated terrorist attacks in both Hebron and Kiryat Arba. Influential right-wing leaders, including Ariel Sharon and Benjamin Netanyahu, label Rabin a “traitor,” while certain rabbis engage in contentious debates over whether Rabin can be deemed a rodef (persecutor). Though none explicitly call for his assassination, veiled implications, such as, > “Those who understand will understand,” resonate throughout the community, stirring Amir’s desires.

The film’s title, Incitement, highlights Amir’s visits to various religious leaders, wherein he seeks their approval for the act he is considering. As a student at Bar-Ilan University, Amir also takes initiative by organizing free tours of Israeli settlements for his fellow classmates, embodying a passionate yet misguided nationalist fervor. His father, played by Amitay Yaish Ben Ousilio, appears as a deeply sympathetic figure with humanistic ideals that fail to sway his son’s increasingly extreme views.

Amir’s interaction with Nava, an Ashkenazi student residing in the Psagot settlement, offers a glimpse into personal versus political motivations. Despite her initial interest, Nava, portrayed by Daniella Kertesz, ultimately marries Amir’s best friend, which does not solely drive Amir’s subsequent violent radicalization. Instead, his aspirations for violence bring forth his desire to establish a militia to confront Palestinians, fueled by a cocktail of political fury and toxic racism.

In a twist of dark ingenuity, Amir’s brother, Yoav Levi, proposes the use of water pressure to execute an attack on Rabin’s apartment. Yet, in a harrowing decision-making process, Amir opts for a more straightforward and chilling approach: to carry out the assassination himself.

As the narrative unfolds, Incitement powerfully examines the intersections of ideology, personal despair, and the tragic implications of radicalization, creating a compelling portrait of a man pushed to commit unspeakable acts in the name of beliefs he holds dear.