Distorting things
In the aftermath of Yitzhak Rabin’s murder, some right wing friends of mine were offended by the way the media, politicians and a lot of people in the street were generalizing about right-wing people’s blame. “He was our Prime Minister, too.” They said. “We may not have voted for him and we may not have liked what he was doing, but we are also shocked and horrified. We are also in mourning.”

In the years to come, Rabin’s family has seen fit to claim the way he is commemorated for their own. I suppose this can be seen as justifiable. Their loss is personal. But Rabin was the Prime Minister of all Israelis and his murder affected all of us.

Both Rabin’s children have used his reputation to build political careers for themselves. His late widow, Leah, managed to get on everyone’s nerves regularly. When Netanyahu was Prime Minister she banned him from taking part in the annual memorial rally (I know you shouldn’t say bad things about the dead, but she was a royal pain, what can I do?). Rabin’s daughter, Dalia Rabin-Philosoph, made an embarrassing speech at his grave during this year’s memorial service. She strongly attacked government policy, although she belongs to the coalition member, Labor Party. This was in the presence of Prime Minister Sharon, Defense Minister Ben Eliezer (until recently she was his deputy, but is now openly supporting his inner party opponent Haim Ramon) and other government members.

Now I read on Ariga’s mailing list that ”The annual Tel Aviv City Hall Plaza (Kikar Rabin) rally to commemorate Rabin and to stand up for a peace process will be held this year on the evening of November 2.”

Arafat likes to talk about Rabin as his friend. I doubt Rabin ever saw Arafat as his friend. The man is dead, and who knows? But he wasn’t known as “Mr. Security” for nothing. In his autobiography, written after he resigned from his first Premiership, in 1977, he has nothing nice to say about Arafat, quite the reverse.

No one knows how things would have turned out had he not been murdered, but I tend to think it could very well have come round to the same place in the end, regardless. Rabin was committed to the Oslo Accords, which he had signed, but I believe he would have changed his tune, if he had been alive when they were breached so violently by the other side.

I doubt very much if Rabin would be going to any peace rallies, singing “The Song For Peace” off tune, if he were alive today.

Yitzhak Rabin’s memory and legacy continues to be usurped from the Israeli public by his family and, with their blessing, by the Israeli far left. Thus the lessons of the murder are not being learnt.

Bish and my youngest daughter, who was four at the time, where at the moving peace rally on the 4th November 1995, following which he was murdered. They came home with shining eyes, just before the murder. We were among those wandering in shock around the square in the aftermath. It seems absurd to me that, seven years on, I should not be able to feel comfortable go to a rally in his memory, because I know views I oppose will be upheld there?

Update: Another thing I don't get is all this personality worship. Rabin himself would probably have hated it.