Secretary of State Marco Rubio compared the assassination of Charlie Kirk to “losing a family member” for the White House, while Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu cautioned that such political violence poses a global risk to democracy during a joint press conference on Monday.

Rubio and Netanyahu addressed the press in Jerusalem after a meeting regarding the ongoing war against Hamas in Gaza, when a question emerged about the consequences of Kirk’s assassination.

Rubio described the assassination as “horrifying” and “shocking” for those in the White House, including both President Donald Trump and Vice President JD Vance, who had a close relationship with Kirk.

“He was a personal friend to many in that White House,” Rubio said of Kirk. “From the president, to the vice president, to others. It was both a political assassination and an event akin to a family death.”

Netanyahu rhetorically asked how democracies can address those members of society who don’t believe in free speech and resort to violence.

“How do you effectively address the danger posed by those who do not uphold free speech, who force their opinions on others? They speak of democracy but aim to crush it. What measures should be taken to confront this threat?” the prime minister questioned.

Netanyahu then described democracy as “the nonviolent resolution of conflict within a society.” 

“Nonviolent resolutions and decisions are made not by bullets, but by balance,” he said. “And these people increasingly are more and more violent.”