Professors discuss political implications of Israeli prime minister's assassination

Leonora CaparasLeonora CaparasThe Daily Pennsylvanian A supporter of the Israeli-Palestinian peace process, Rabin was assassinated earlier this month by Jewish law student at a pro-peace rally in Tel Aviv. The featured speakers were Asian and Middle Eastern Studies Professor Yael Zerubavel and Political Science Professor Ian Lustick. The event was sponsored by IsraeLink, a student group that fosters ties between the Penn community and Israel. "What I think [the forum] did was give a lot of definite information? about who Rabin was and what he stood for," IsraeLink President Steve Ebert said. "It's a chance for people to really consider and think about all that's been going on." Zerubavel's talk focused on the role patriotic sacrifice plays in Israeli culture and how this influences public opinion about Rabin's death. Lustick's lecture considered the slain prime minister's place in Israel's political history. The question-and-answer period following the lectures revealed many differing points of view held by those in the audience. Opinions on the peace process as a whole varied widely. "Neither side can survive without peace," Lustick said at the end of the forum. "And that's why I believe, in the long run, there will be peace." Others were less inclined to embrace the current process, doubting its ability to provide that stability. "I have some concerns about it," Ebert, a College senior, said. "I like the peace that Israel has with Jordan. That's very good. But the problem with [Palestinian leader Yasser] Arafat is that he makes a lot of promises and doesn't make good on them." College freshman Dave Crystal was far more critical of the process. "The labor party has continually lied about its policies," he explained, adding that the loss of the Golan Heights was particularly detrimental to Israel's security. Despite the lack of consensus on Israel's future, there was little doubt among those in attendance about the significance of Rabin's assassination for the Jewish state. "I was shocked," Crystal said, recalling the prime minister's murder. "In my heart?I never thought a Jew would kill a Jew."