The Passing of Yitzhak Rabin

Peace activists within Israel, who have existed for decades, loved the move toward peace. The [Yitzhak Rabin] government convinced many more Israelis. However, a large number remained skeptical. They felt they could not trust the peace offerings from the Arabs. Then there were religious and political extremists who could not bear to part with even an inch of the occupied territory which is biblical Judea and Samaria. Israelis who had settled in the occupied territories have been the most visible part of this opposition group. To them, Rabin was a traitor to biblical teachings and prophesies, greater Israel, and the settlers. The assassin who fired the shots which killed Prime Minister Rabin was one of them. There are others who are perplexed. They are uncertain about the Israeli agenda and ambitions. They cannot forget the expulsions of Arabs, hundreds of thousands of deaths in related wars, and thousands of casualties during the intifada, including the deliberate breaking of bones while Rabin was defense minister. They know that Israel is here to stay, but they are unwilling to concede anything to "outsiders." They were surprised to see some of their leaders at the funeral in "Israeli Jerusalem." They attribute the presence of those leaders to America's power and hold over the Arab governments. Rabin, who was a military leader, could dare to initiate the peace process. Even the most security-conscious Israelis could be sure that he could be trusted to make a peace that would not imperil Israeli security interests. By all accounts his long-time rival and now successor, [Shimon Peres], truly was his partner and co-architect in the peace process. However, Peres is not a military man. In spite of his long record of service to Israel's military industry and national security, he is an outsider, a visionary, and a dove. He will not be trusted by the Israeli man in the street, however, as much as Rabin was. On the other hand, the peace process has already been started, and many of the agreements have already been signed. Until the final round of tough negotiations begins in May, the task at hand is that of simply implementing what Rabin had agreed to.