Rabin's death stuns world

Penn mourns loss with vigil As waves of fear and shock continue to reverberate through communities around the world, slain Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin will be buried today at the Mount Herzl cemetery in Jerusalem. Rabin was assassinated at a peace rally in Tel Aviv's King's Square Saturday night by right-wing Jewish law student Yigal Amir. The police arrested Amir on the scene. At the University, news of Rabin's assassination prompted a spontaneous gathering of more than 200 students, faculty and community members on College Green Saturday night for a candlelight vigil in honor of the man who had worked so hard to further the peace process in the Middle East. "Pray for the peace of Israel," sang the crowd in a emotional chorus. "Pray for the peace of all the Earth. The whole world shall live in peace." In the background, the Israeli flag hung from the peace sign, a symbol of hope and encouragement for the mourners. "Rabin has individually martyred himself by acting with bravery beyond what could have been expected from a Jewish leader," said College sophomore Seth Lasser, political chairperson of IsraeLink, to the crowd. "Let us not mourn his death in vain but in his spirit and blessed memory work together to the betterment of the Jewish nation." IsraeLink, the student group serving as the campus' connection to Israel, took the initiative to offer the campus a forum for its grief, according to College sophomore and Cultural Chairperson Sarah Davies. "It's a time when people need to be together with others who can share their feelings," she said. Debra Lichtenfeld, regional coordinator for the American Zionist Foundation, said she was moved by the number of people in attendance at Saturday night's vigil. "It's important and unfortunate that it takes a tragedy like this to bring people together," she added. "I hope the same happens in Israel. It's not time for Jews to be divisive against themselves." But College senior Steve Ebert, president of IsraeLink, was quick to point out that he is confident Israel will be able to recover from this loss. "Although some crisis will occur when a head of state is assassinated, I have a firm belief with Israel's strong legal and democratic tradition," he said. "It will make it and overcome this dark hour." College sophomore Yadin Shemmer said he believes the action cannot be condoned -- no matter what political stance one supports. "Anyone who knows anything about Israeli history knows that for someone who survived four wars and fought for independence, to die on the verge of completing what he wanted is the saddest thing," he said. "No matter what side of the debate one was on, Rabin's death is a tragedy." Intense reaction to Rabin's death was not limited to those in attendance at the vigil. History Professor Beshara Doumani said Rabin's death leaves the future of the Israeli peace process open to a "political vacuum" with unknown consequences. But several faculty members argued that Rabin's assassination may actually move the peace process forward. "It's likely that this will speed up the process and move it toward a more satisfying and secure implementation," said Political Science Professor Ian Lustick. "But that will have to occur after a period of uncertainty." According to Israeli law, Rabin's government is now considered resigned and Foreign Minister Shimon Peres, his temporary successor, must form a new government. If elections are held quickly, several professors said, the Labor Party will successfully form a government and move forward with the peace process. "The easy part of the peace process is what has happened, the hard part is to come," Doumani said. "The sooner the Labor government gets a new mandate to continue, the better." IsraeLink will be holding a memorial service on College Green today at 4:30 p.m. Speakers will include Eli Avidar, consulate general at the Israeli Consulate in Philadelphia and several members of the Penn Jewish community. Daily Pennsylvanian reporter Ben Hammer contributed to this story.