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possibilities of successful defense and the
dream of eternal peace."
Mr. Fisher, who counted Mr. Rabin as a
friend, recalled Mr. Rabin telling him he "could
afford to take a risk for peace," that "Jews can't
have a Jewish state with 2 million Arabs.
"He moved forward. There was criticism, but
he had the will and the strength of mind to
move forward. He had a singleness of purpose:
peace for the Jewish people," he said.
Yigal Amir, a 25-year-old law student at Bar-
Ilan University outside Tel Aviv, has been
charged with the murder of Mr. Rabin. He re-
portedly told police he killed the prime minis-
ter to "stop the peace process."
Rabbi Weil called Saturday one of the dark-
est days in Jewish history because it was a Jew
who shot Mr. Rabin.
"If hate is greater than love, we have to re-
evaluate what we stand for," the rabbi said.
"I feel a division among the Israeli people
has been laid bare," echoed Mr. Shacham of
the Israeli Consulate. "This wakes us up to a
new reality."
The evil that has taken shape in violent
words and violent acts will not survive in the
face of peace, Mr. Shacham said. He said the
proof of Mr. Rabin's power as a leader was in
the 44 heads of state and dozens of diplomats
who attended his funeral.
"For me, the most significant sign of the
dawning of peace was interviews with the av-
erage Palestinians who expressed sadness at
Yitzhak Rabin's death and relief that the as-
sassin was not an Arab. This is part of the pro-
found legacy left by Mr. Rabin. Goodbye,
Yitzhak Rabin." 0

David Zeman contributed to this article.

Mission Connection

he crowd surged to its feet. The
air was electric. It was the last
night of Miracle Mission II,
and Prime Minister Yitzhak
Rabin took 900 metro Detroiters and

T

lifted their spirits sky-high.
Staff Writer Ruth Littmann had an
opportunity to meet Prime Minister
Yitzhak Rabin while covering Michi-
gan Miracle Mission II.

Yitzhak Rabin's Death
Will Be A Watershed

Dr. Harris does not see Israeli society falling apart,
"nor the end of the desire for peace. To use Rabin's words,
`We've passed the point of no return. The peace process
will continue.' "
He says the future of Israeli politics and the peace
process depend on Israel finding another leader like Mr.
Rabin, "someone who has that legitimacy of a warrior
making peace."
Even if Benjamin Netanyahu and the Likud party are
elected, he says, the peace process will continue. He says
Mr. Netanyahu wants peace, "but a different kind of
ALAN HITSKY ASSOCIATE EDITOR
peace. Look what happened when Begin was elected."
Likud leader Menachem Begin was strongly hawkish
an something good come out of something against the Arabs, but was instrumental in the late 1970s
as evil as the assassination of Yitzhak Ra- in negotiating peace with Egypt's Anwar Sadat.
For Israelis, Dr. Harris says the Rabin assassination
bin?
marks "a maturing process, a change, a new under-
Dr. Michael Harris believes it can.
Dr. Harris is assistant professor of po- standing of the risks of the political climate and how
litical science at Eastern Michigan Uni- democracy is vulnerable.
"If the leaders rise to the occasion, as tragic as this
versity. He was born and raised in Israel. Despite the
number of factions in Israel, he believes that Israelis see is, it won't be in vain."
Dr. Zach Levey, a visiting assistant professor of po-
themselves as an informal, small society, and that the
assassination will lead to "some healing and re-think- litical science at the University of Michigan, agrees with
Dr. Harris. Mr. Rabin warned several months ago that
ing."
"People will be much more cautious now in their po- violent political rhetoric could spill over into bloodshed.
But Dr. Harris believes Mr. Rabin's death will lead to
litical attacks. In a way, it will lead to an era of hope, of
diminishing rhetoric. "I don't think this violence will be
people taking things more seriously."

Political scientists
discuss the
i r.. 0, assassination's
place in history.

"I've known the Detroit communi-
ty for years," he told Ms. Littmann.
"It is an organized, warm communi-
ty." ■

a trend," Dr. Levey says.
"The most responsible way (for observers) to go is to
adopt a cautious, wait-and-see approach. It seems cer-
tain that Israel will carry out to the letter the Oslo II pull-
back from Palestinian towns because that's already
started." -
Dr. Melvin Small, professor of history at Wayne State
University, finds some parallels in the assassinations of
Mr. Rabin and U.S. President John F. Kennedy.
Dr. Small points out that Mr. Kennedy was younger
and more charismatic than Mr. Rabin and was backed
by a strong majority of the American people. Israel, he
says, is split 50-50 on the peace process. The major sim-
ilarity is the impact on the public.
President Lyndon Johnson used President Kennedy's
memory to push through the 1964 civil-rights legislation.
Dr. Small would not be surprised if the Labor govern-
ment in Israel uses Mr. Rabin's death in the same way
to gain support on the peace issue.
Dr. Henry Silverman sees the parallels, but says it is
too early to tell if Mr. Rabin's death will unite Israel as
Mr. Kennedy's death united Americans.
Dr. Silverman, chairman of the history department at
Michigan State University, says some assassinations
have had no effect while others have led to war. The death
of Abraham Lincoln made it more difficult for the Unit-
ed States to solve its problems after the Civil War.
Hopefully, Dr. Silverman says, "Mr. Rabin's death will
help Israel in particular to move closer to peace. But one
could also argue that without Mr. Rabin's strength the
peace process will be more difficult."
Dr. Levey does not see the Rabin assassination "rad-
icalizing" Israeli politics. "It's an isolated case and I don't
think it will be a trend."
Says Dr. Harris, "This won't be the day that things fell R5
apart. It will be the day when things continue." ❑