US embassy cable - 95TELAVIV17503

UNCLAS TEL AVIV 017503 
 
 
DEPARTMENT FOR SECRETARY, SMEC, AND NEA 
 
WHITE HOUSE FOR NATIONAL SECURITY ADVISOR AND PARRIS 
 
DEPARTMENT PLEASE PASS ALL DIPLOMATIC POSTS 
 
E.O.  12958:  N/A 
TAGS:  PGOV, PREL, PTER, IS 
SUBJECT:  RABIN ASSASSINATION: SITREP NO. 1 
          0800 GMT NOVEMBER 5 
 
1.  PRIME MINISTER YITZHAK RABIN WAS SHOT AND KILLED IN TEL AVIV 
YESTERDAY EVENING, NOVEMBER 4, AS HE LEFT A LARGE DOWNTOWN PEACE 
RALLY.  HE WAS ATTACKED BY A LONE GUNMAN, AN ISRAELI STUDENT, 
ALTHOUGH A GROUP CALLING ITSELF THE "JEWISH VENGEANCE 
ORGANIZATION" HAS CLAIMED CREDIT. 
 
2.  THE PRIME MINISTER HAD JUST FINISHED ADDRESSING A RALLY OF 
OVER 100,000, ORGANIZED BY THE "PEACE NOW" MOVEMENT TO SUPPORT 
THE GOVERNMENT IN THE PEACE PROCESS.  AT 2150L (1950 GMT), AS 
RABIN APPROACHED A WAITING LIMOUSINE, YIGAL AMIR, A 25-YEAR-OLD 
LAW STUDENT, RAN FORWARD AND FIRED AT LEAST THREE TIMES AT POINT- 
BLANK RANGE.  THE PRIME MINISTER WAS STRUCK IN THE BACK, ABDOMEN, 
AND CHEST, AND A SECURITY GUARD ALSO WAS WOUNDED.  RABIN WAS 
TAKEN IMMEDIATELY BY HIS BODYGUARDS TO NEARBY ICHILOV HOSPITAL. 
HE ARRIVED THERE UNCONSCIOUS, WITHOUT A PULSE OR BLOOD PRESSURE. 
THE HOSPITAL TRAUMA UNIT ATTEMPTED IN VAIN TO REVIVE HIM, AND HE 
WAS DECLARED DEAD AT 2315L (2115 GMT).  THE GUNMAN WAS SUBDUED ON 
THE SPOT.  ACCORDING TO LATEST POLICE REPORTS TO THE PRESS, AMIR 
CLAIMS HE WAS TOLD BY GOD TO KILL THE PRIME MINISTER, AND IN 
RECENT WEEKS HAD FAILED IN TWO PREVIOUS ATTEMPTS TO GET CLOSE 
ENOUGH TO RABIN TO DO SO.  HE HAS ALSO REPORTEDLY REFUSED TO 
EXPRESS ANY REMORSE FOR HIS ACT.  WHILE A HITHERTO-UNKNOWN GROUP 
CALLING ITSELF THE "JEWISH VENGEANCE ORGANIZATION" (HEBREW 
ACRONYM "AYIN") CALLED A LOCAL RADIO STATION TO CLAIM THE CREDIT, 
THE KILLER REPORTEDLY HAS SAID HE ACTED ALONE. 
 
3.  THE ISRAELI CABINET MET IN EMERGENCY SESSION AT ABOUT 1230L 
NOVEMBER 5.  FOREIGN MINISTER SHIMON PERES WAS NAMED ACTING PRIME 
MINISTER.  (SEPTEL REPORTS ON CONSTITUTIONAL ARRANGEMENTS FOR 
TRANSFER OF POWER.)  APPEARING BEFORE THE PRESS SHORTLY 
THEREAFTER, AN EMOTIONAL BUT CAREFULLY CONTAINED PERES SPOKE 
MOVINGLY OF RABIN'S SERVICE TO HIS COUNTRY, AND OF HIS OWN 
DECADES-LONG RELATIONSHIP WITH THE PRIME MINISTER.  PERES 
REAFFIRMED ISRAEL'S COMMITMENT TO CONTINUE WITH THE PEACE 
PROCESS:  "YOU CAN KILL A PERSON.  YOU CAN BRING AN END TO LIFE. 
BUT YOU CANNOT KILL AN IDEA." 
 
4.  PERES DECLARED A STATE OF NATIONAL MOURNING.  THE BORDERS TO 
GAZA AND THE WEST BANK HAVE BEEN CLOSED TO ALL BUT EMERGENCY 
CASES, AND THE TRUCKING OF PRODUCE, INDEFINITELY.  JERUSALEM 
RADIO ALSO REPORTS THAT TALKS ON REDEPLOYMENT AND IMPLEMENTATION 
OF REDEPLOYMENT STEPS IN THE WEST BANK HAVE BEEN SUSPENDED, AT 
LEAST FOR TODAY AND TOMORROW. 
 
5.  RABIN'S BODY WILL BE TAKEN TO JERUSALEM AT 1300L TODAY, WHERE 
IT WILL LIE IN STATE ON THE KNESSET PLAZA, TO ALLOW THE PUBLIC 
TO PAY ITS LAST RESPECTS.  THE FUNERAL WILL BE MONDAY AT 
1400L.  (THE RABBINATE HAS GRANTED AN EXCEPTION TO THE JEWISH 
STRICTURE REQUIRING BURIAL WITHIN 24 HOURS OF DEATH, IN ORDER TO 
ALLOW FOREIGN LEADERS TO ARRIVE FOR THE FUNERAL.) 
 
6.  THE ISRAELI PRESS HAS FEATURED PROMINENTLY PRESIDENT 
CLINTON'S ROSE GARDEN STATEMENT OF SYMPATHY AND SUPPORT, AND IS 
REPORTING HIS INTENTION TO ATTEND THE FUNERAL.  ACCORDING TO THE 
LATEST MEDIA REPORTS, THE FUNERAL ALSO WILL BE ATTENDED BY THE 
HEADS OF STATE OF EGYPT, JORDAN, ITALY, AND PORTUGAL, THE HEADS 
OF GOVERNMENT OF THE UK, GERMANY, CANADA, KOREA, MALTA, AND UNSYG 
BOUTROS. 
 
7.  JERUSALEM RADIO REPORTS THAT THE CHIEF OF THE GENERAL 
SECURITY SERVICE, OR SHIN BET, IS RETURNING FROM OVERSEAS, AS A 
GSS INQUIRY CONTINUES ON HOW THE GUNMAN WAS ABLE TO PENETRATE 
RABIN'S SECURITY. 
 
8.  SEPTEL WILL ASSESS THE LOCAL REACTION TO THE MURDER.  SITREPS 
WILL CONTINUE AS REQUIRED. 
 
 
INDYK 
 
 
NOTE: NOT PASSED TO ABOVE ADDRESSEE(S)