As much as I hate Oslo and what it has brought upon us, Rabin’s assessment was both spot on and chilling, for it has proven to be almost prophetic:
In late 1995, on the eve of my return home and retirement, Rabin called to say he wanted me back on his team. I met him in his Jerusalem office on Wednesday, 1 November. My first question was, “Why did you shake Yasser Arafat’s hand?”
Typically, he rose and walked over to the window, and after a moment’s thought, articulated his considerations one by one:
“Number one: Israel is surrounded by two concentric circles. The inner circle is comprised of our immediate neighbors – Egypt, Jordan, Syria, and Lebanon and, by extension, Saudi Arabia. The outer circle comprises their neighbors – Afghanistan, Iran, Iraq, Sudan, Somalia, Yemen and Libya. Virtually all of them are rogue states, and some are going nuclear.
“Number two, Iranian-inspired Islamic fundamentalism constitutes a threat to the inner circle no less than it does to Israel. Islamic fundamentalism is striving to destabilize the Gulf Emirates, has already created havoc in Syria, leaving twenty thousand dead, in Algeria, leaving one hundred thousand dead, in Egypt, leaving twenty-two thousand dead, in Jordan, leaving eight thousand dead, in the Horn of Africa – the Sudan and Somalia – leaving fourteen thousand dead, and in Yemen, leaving twelve thousand dead.
And now it is gaining influence in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip.
“Iran is the banker, pouring millions into the West Bank and Gaza in the form of social welfare and health and education programs, so that it can win the hearts of the population and feed religious fanaticism.
“Thus, a confluence of events has arisen between Israel and the inner circle, whose long-term strategic interest is the same as ours: to lessen the destabilizing consequences from the outer circle. At the end of the day, the inner circle recognizes they have less to fear from Israel than from their Muslim neighbors, not least from radicalized Islamic powers going nuclear.
“Number three: The Israel-Arab conflict was always considered to be a political one: a conflict between Arabs and Israelis. The fundamentalists are doing their level best to turn it into a religious conflict – Muslim against Jew, Islam against Judaism. And while a political conflict is possible to solve through negotiation and compromise, there are no solutions to a theological conflict. Then it is jihad – religious war: their God against our God….
“And that, essentially, is why I agreed to Oslo and shook hands, albeit reluctantly, with Yasser Arafat. He and his PLO represent the last vestige of secular Palestinian nationalism. We have nobody else to deal with. It is either the PLO or nothing. It is a long shot for a possible settlement, or the certainty of no settlement at all at a time when the radicals are going nuclear.”
Rabin was assassinated three days later.
Miriam Markowits
Brooklyn, NY
Reaching Out To Jewish GIs
Do you remember how great it felt to receive a care package from back home when you were off at camp or school? What if you’re an active-duty Jewish soldier out in the field during the High Holiday season rather than a camper or college student? Can you imagine how lonely it must feel to be away from family and friends during such a special time of year? Now imagine how a deployed Jewish soldier would appreciate receiving a care package during the High Holidays.
Harrisburg, Pennsylvania’s Kesher Israel Congregation (KI) decided to play a role in lifting the spirits of our country’s brave soldiers who are so far from a normal Yom Tov setting. After getting in touch with Lieutenant Colonel (Rabbi) Shmuel Felzenberg – a U.S. Army chaplain currently stationed in Afghanistan – I confirmed that he would be happy to distribute Shanah Tovah “pick-me-up items” to Jewish GIs on behalf of KI.