The Rabin Legacy Everyone Tries To Forget
By Rabbi Sholom Dov Ber Volpe

We live in a time when falsehood and chutzpa reign. Every day we hear about the dead and wounded. The doctors had to amputate the feet of the girl in Kfar Darom. A bus exploded in Chadera. A soldier was killed by a Palestinian sniper. Over twenty people have been killed since Erev Rosh HaShana. Over 500 people have been killed since the cursed Oslo Accords. The lives of 200,000 Jews in Yehuda-Shomron-Azza are miserable.

Who is responsible for this? Mr. Yitzchok Rabin! He and his disciples who perpetuate his legacy. Yet the state celebrates his legacy. The babies, the kindergartens, the schools, the high schools, the universities, are completely brainwashed. Whoever dares to question will pay with his livelihood by being fired from his job.

Rabin’s legacy is his insistence on giving rifles to terrorists, despite those who protested. The teachers and innocent children who were killed and wounded by the terrorists in Gush Katif, must – in the name of democracy – cry out "kadosh, kadosh, kadosh" from the cemeteries and hospitals.

Rabin, your legacy has brought us to this point. You did not listen to our cries and you abandoned us to the terrorists. You brought us up as sacrifices on the altar of "the song of peace."

Incredibly, all those people who grandly celebrated his hilula negelected to teach his other legacy in the schools. He had stated at the time the Oslo Accords were signed that if terrorists dared to shoot at us – even one shot – with the rifles we gave them, the government would annul the entire agreement.

If Ehud Barak perpetuated this particular legacy of Rabin, soldiers and citizens wouldn’t fall today on the highways of Yesha, an officer of the Palestinian army wouldn’t enter an I.D.F. position and kill soldiers, and a Palestinian policeman wouldn’t plant explosives in the offices of cooperation and communication, etc. But Barak deliberately looks away and continues to honor the accords, despite the shooting done with "rifles of peace."

Imagine what would happen today if the prime minister wasn’t shot five years ago. Would Yitzchok Rabin have agreed to give money to Arafat to buy additional weapons? Would he have continued to keep the oil flowing for the vehicles from which terrorists shoot? Would he continue to give Arafat hundreds of tons of cement a day so that the terrorists can build fortifications in Aza, and build the seaport and airport? Would he enable Arafat to take off and land his airplane?

Ehud Barak does all of the above as he continues to honor the agreements. He gives Arafat time to arm himself, gives him 70 million dollars, and despite the terrible attacks, continues a policy of restraint and abandons Jewish boys and girls.

There’s another point that people avoid. No one remembers or teaches this aspect of Rabin’s legacy: the transfer of Arabs from many cities and villages in Eretz Yisroel during the War of Independence? No one teaches about his impressive legacy as commander-in-chief during the Six-Day War when he conquered huge parts of Eretz Yisroel, destroyed the homes of Arabs near the Kosel, and established settlements and even large cities in Yesha?

Instead of remembering and teaching this legacy, Ehud Bark is doing exactly the opposite. Rabin liberated Yerushalayim and Barak is giving it away. Rabin established settlements and Barak is destroying them and surrounding them with terrorists.

Did Rabin have a policy of restraint, which is just another way of saying: I’m afraid of the Arabs and of the world? He began the war against Egypt and Syria! He destroyed their entire air force in the first hours of the war, before the planes went up to bomb us! He wasn’t a coward like Barak.

I wasn’t able to participate in the hilula ceremony, but I wanted to travel to Yerushalayim to go to Har Hertzel cemetery alone without ceremonies, and to whisper a few words in Rabin’s ear. Not to cause him any discomfort, ch’v, but just to unburden my heart:

"Dear Yitzchok, if you heard what happened this week in the Knesset, you would get up and cry out. Do you remember the settlers you sent to settle Eretz Yisroel, the territories you liberated with G-d’s help from the hands of the enemies who came to annihilate us? Those settlers came to visit the Knesset and they met the chevra from Meretz (you remember, who dragged you into a cursed peace with the P.L.O.). Your settlers came to beg for their lives, so that the Jewish nation wouldn’t abandon them. What did Yossi and Mossi, those enlightened ones of Meretz say? ‘You Sodomites, you stole the Palestinian’s land!’

"Did you hear that, Yitzchok? You sent Jews to settle the land, and these Jews are persecuted by the terrorists with whom you waged war. The Knesset in Yerushalayim justifies the terrorists’ actions. They publicize this on the radio and television so the terrorists will be encouraged to continue killing and maiming Jews, until the Jews won’t be able to withstand the attacks anymore. I am sure that if you could only cry out now, you wouldn’t find better words for these Knesset members than ‘traitors’ and ‘collaborators with the enemy.’

"You wouldn’t believe it. This week Shalom Achshav put a big ad in the Palestinian newspapers deriding the settlers. You remember the Rebbe MH"M, whom you once visited? The Rebbe said that the false converts, who are the result of the unfortunate law of Mihu Yehudi, would be a fifth column in Eretz Yisroel. I am sure that those who have descended to such a low state stem from gentiles who were registered as Jews according to the Law of Return. This is the ‘eirav rav,’ about whom the Zohar writes that they will rule Eretz Yisroel before the coming of Moshiach.

"And the ‘Benamou,’ who Hebraicized his name and became Ben-Ami, you certainly don’t know him. (As far as Barak is concerned, somebody like this can be foreign minister and minister of the police.) He came to the Gilo neighborhood of Yerushalayim, the neighborhood that was established thanks to your bravery in the Six-Day War, Yitzchok, and he said to them, ‘Be strong and stand strong.’ He himself was afraid to leave his car and to approach Anafa [heron] Street (his house, as you know, is on Bat HaYaana [ostrich] street, and he tells them "be strong."

"You remember, Yitzchok, that when you were strong you fought the Arabs and chased them out of here. But today, thinking has changed. And the one who is strong is the one who tells Jews to be hit by stones, bullets, Molotov cocktails, and grenades – and remain quiet. Today the strong ones are those who shoot from shelters and tanks onto open fields, on empty houses, and pretend that they are fighting.

"There’s another thing I have to tell you, Yitzchok. Remember when you fell into the Oslo abyss – any time there were terrorist actions, you immediately stopped negotiating with the Arabs. Yet your successor, the one who talks so proudly of Rabin’s legacy, continues to talk to Arabs even while they shoot us. Even after Arafat openly and officially promoted the terrorist who murdered the soldier and wounded three people on Shabbos in Gush Katif, Barak still considers him a partner for peace!"

Recently, Barak announced a number of times that in order to be able to continue at Camp David (and concede most of the Old City of Yerushalayim), the Palestinians would only be required to tone down the uprisings, not stop them entirely. He spoke along these lines: "If it would only be stones, it wouldn’t be bad. Even if there would be the odd shooting with a rifle, it would not be a significant obstacle." This was the gist of his words. It would be interesting to know what he would say if that odd incident were to occur before him or a member of his family.

Let’s go back a moment to the foreign minister. At that terrible time, when the dead in Gush Katif had not yet been brought to burial, and the wounded children were still dripping blood, this heart of stone spoke on the radio. He spoke about two nations who must continue to live side by side and that the only partner he knows is the Palestinian Authority. He even had a suggestion to prevent further attacks: "We must demand that Arafat intensify his efforts he is making against terror."

There are two possible explanations. Either the prime minister and his foreign minister are spies who have penetrated our government, or they were afflicted with severe mental problems which prevents them from seeing and understanding the simplest things. This is the only limud z’chus that can be said about them. At least let them have the brains to go home and not drag the Jewish nation down with them! You know the Yiddish expression, "Meshuga, meshuga, ober seichel darf men hobben" (Insane, insane, but you’ve got to have brains.)

I had a few more things to say to Rabin there on the mountain:

"Yitzchok, remember how in Gush Katif you proudly announced that the settlements of the Gush would remain forever. Nobody remembers that legacy today. Instead, the radio broadcasters interview the mothers whose wounded children lie in the hospital, and they say to them, ‘Hasn’t the time come for you to consider evacuating the settlements?’

"You tell me! Who would say that, except for war criminals? By saying that, Israeli radio is supporting Palestinian terrorists and Hamas in the most shocking way, for they’re saying that the terrorists should continue their attacks, and they agree that this is the right way to clear the settlers out.

"You remember, Yitzchok, how much you opposed a Palestinian State, and see what they’re doing to you today. They’re murdering you again. You heard what Barak and Benamou announced recently: ‘The way towards a Palestinian State is only through negotiation.’In other words, even now, when they say that Arafat’s word is not a word, a signature is not a signature, and as they themselves say, he doesn’t even have the ability to prevent every organization from continuing their terror attacks, they are still willing and ready to proceed with the establishment of a Palestinian State, and to arrive at a permanent agreement with it.

"Even Shimon Peres, who traveled to Aza and returned triumphantly with a ceasefire agreement, only to be snubbed in his face the next day, still continues to preach the continuation of this blood-soaked path. I’m sure, Yitzchok, that if you could open your mouth now, you would scream bitterly, ‘What agreement?!’

"See, friend, what they did to you. When you valiantly fought the Arabs and liberated the Kosel, what honor we received from the nations. What joy every Jew had, wherever he was. How good it was to be a brave Israeli. How terrified the Arabs were of every Jew. How quickly all the philanthropists ran to invest in Israel. How many millions of tourists flocked here to see the entire, wonderful Eretz Yisroel with their own eyes. Remember, Yitzchok?

"But now, when everybody forgets your true legacy, and they capitulate and withdraw and restrain themselves, all the nations despise us. Heads of state break off ties with us, with Israel, because the nation is broken, sad, worried, and in despair. It’s embarrassing to be a cowardly Israeli. The Arabs raise their head and one of their youngsters with a rock stands facing our tanks and armored cars. The philanthropists turn their backs and withdraw their investments. And the tourists aren’t here. The hotels are deserted and their employees have been laid off.

"Yitzchok, remember how you established the state, how you sacrificed for it." (In a whisper so that nobody hears: Remember how you even killed Jews that you thought interfered with your goal? Yes, there at the Altalena with Ben Gurion on the beach of Tel Aviv. After the cannon blast that sunk the ship, you even shot at the survivors in the water, Jews who fought the British and wanted to continue to drive out the Arabs. No doubt in Olam HaEmes you’ve met up with those you killed. But let’s not discuss that now, so you won’t feel uncomfortable.)

"You took step after step with this State, in all the military and governmental roles you filled with pride. And now, Yitzchok, you’re gone and your state has gone with you.

"Where is the man who will get up and teach Rabin’s real legacy? Not the imaginary legacy that you regret, Yitzchok. Not the legacy that has already led to destruction and for which you turn over in your grave. The real legacy, which still speaks well of you in Heaven. The one that your ‘followers’ – like Shimon Peres, Ehud Barak, and the others who destroy the nation and the land – try to forget.