Q&A: Incitement to Kill a Dictator
Incitement to Kill a Dictator
Question
I assume the Rabbi saw Ze’ev Raz’s tweet that caused a public uproar, in which he argued that if the state becomes a dictatorship, then under the law of a pursuer, the prime minister personally is considered a pursuer and is liable to death, as are all those who assist him. Of course, following the uproar, he retracted it and deleted the tweet.
But I want to understand whether there is any justification to what he said. A dictatorship is basically a less comfortable place to live, and maybe in the worst case it could even lead to the death of citizens, so perhaps one must fight such a thing with live fire. And perhaps the reactions that speak about incitement to murder stem from democratic values that are not relevant when we are dealing with a dictatorship?
Answer
Definitely plausible. I join what he said. The issue is not only convenience but rights. A person who takes over the rights of citizens must be fought. Who disagrees with that?