Gary Cooperberg, February 15, 2005

Yitzchak Rabin clearly angered the Israeli public when he stated that a quarter of a million protesters could spin around like propellers but he would continue to do as he pleased. Indeed there were tremendous protests and certainly threats were issued by all kinds of people. No one would have predicted that a religious Jew would actually assassinate a prime minister. In fact there are those who still refuse to believe that it was a religious Jew who actually murdered Rabin. Who stood the most to gain and who stood the most to lose by this act? Hindsight makes it very clear. The entire right wing and religious factions of our country were delegitimized by this act. The protests were stopped in their tracks and Netanyahu went to the president to suggest that Shimon Peres be appointed temporary Prime Minister. On election day we all went to sleep feeling certain that Peres would win the elections. It was only a miracle that saw him lose.

Today Ariel Sharon is telling his electorate that he doesn't care what they think. In spite of the fact that he promised his electorate that he would not dismantle one more settlement, he has now declared that not one Jew will be left in the entire Gaza Strip after he unilaterally throws them all out. Today, thanks to the Rabin precedent, predictions are being made that a right wing radical is likely to try to assassinate the prime minister. These predictions are bringing calls for administrative detention to be used to shut the mouths of those who protest the proposed deportation of Jews from Jewish land and Jewish homes. What is even more worrisome is the fact that, once again, Mr. Comeback, Shimon Peres, is waiting in the wings to become the next prime minister of Israel. Should there be another assassination, by another alleged "right wing" murderer, what would happen? Clearly all of the giant protests will grind to an immediate halt. All the cat calling of go vernment ministers would stop and nothing would stand in the way of the government of Israel surrendering to the PLO.

Of course normal patriotic Jews are angry with Sharon. He was elected overwhelmingly only because the people really believed that he would destroy our enemies and stand firm on his promises not to permit any more dismantling of Jewish communities. How dare he use his victory to claim that the majority wants him to do exactly the opposite of what he promised? After defying his own party, whose majority clearly rejected his planned expulsion of Jews living in the Gaza Strip, by continuing his plans in spite of their rejection, he has consistently refused to give the people of Israel a say in whether or not our country is dismantled and handed over to the PLO. What normal people would not be outraged at such a blatant disregard for the will of the people?

Now we are witnessing the Israeli media and key political leaders mounting a high profile propaganda campaign suggesting that those who oppose uprooting Jews from their homes have created an atmosphere which might lead to the assassination of the Prime Minister. The most vocal of the protesters, despite the fact that they are merely exercising the most basic democratic right to express their opinions, are being targeted for administrative detention, (arbitrary arrest and imprisonment without charges or the right to self defense). McCarthyism is nothing compared to what the present government is prepared to do in defense of its indefensible policies.

I have no love for Sharon. But I am terribly afraid that he is a target for assassination by the same political interests which saw Rabin assassinated. No religious or truly nationalistic Jew would even consider such an option. But there are unscrupulous political powers in Israel which have a clear interest in doing so and blaming it on the right. . . just like they did last time. Let us hope that this time the real culprits get caught.

Gary Cooperberg is a resident of the Jewish community in Hebron, Israel.

Copyright © 2005 Gary Cooperberg