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Last update - 02:43 13/11/2008 We need a Rabin Party By Ari Shavit Tags: Yitzhak Rabin, Israel News This week was Rabin Week. The head of the Kadima government, Ehud Olmert, exploited Rabin Week to commit to two ideas to which Yitzhak Rabin was vehemently opposed: withdrawal to the 1967 borders and dividing Jerusalem. The late prime minister's son, Yuval Rabin, exploited Rabin Week to hint that he would support the man his father considered a bitter rival: Benjamin Netanyahu. A group of politicians from the Labor Party's dovish wing exploited Rabin Week to announce that it was about to desert to the party with which Rabin disagreed: Meretz. Anyone who was not aware of it in the past was well aware of it this week: Friend or not, Rabin is missed. Missed are his responsibility and seriousness. Missed are his good judgment and sobriety. Missed is Rabin's true path, which tried to combine security and peace. Rabin was not only the Rabin of the Oslo Accords. He was the Rabin of the siege of Jerusalem in 1948 and the expulsion of the Arabs from Lydda in the summer of 1948. He was the Rabin of the great fear in May 1967 and the great victory a month later. He was the Rabin of the interim agreements, of the dollar account and of breaking the Palestinians' bones. He was neither a genius nor a saint, but he was a Tel Aviv sabra who assumed responsibility for the country's fate. Advertisement As the person responsible, Rabin tried to pave a path for the country in a tempestuous and dangerous neighborhood. As the person responsible, he didn't just see a leftist or rightist reality, he saw an overall and complex reality. So he could not tolerate belligerent nationalists and bleeding-heart leftists. His core truth was adhering to reality: Rabin detested the self-righteous and simplistic; charlatans and frauds. Rabin preceded Ariel Sharon in deciphering the code of the Israeli center. Labor under Rabin received a mandate for peace because the public believed that Rabin's peace would be peace with security. Most of the public supported Labor under Rabin's leadership even with the Oslo Accords, because they believed that Rabin was entering the diplomatic process without illusions. Had Rabin heard about the Annapolis conference, we can assume he would have rolled with laughter; had he heard about Olmert's fruitless unilateral concessions he would certainly have been angry. Rabin did not believe that it was possible to reach an agreement with the Palestinians to end the conflict. Nor did he believe in hollow and inexperienced leadership. On the other hand, he dismissed out of hand the right's suggestions to sit tight and do nothing. He understood that the occupation was corrupt, corrupting and useless and sought any way possible to end it with a long-term interim agreement. Rabin disliked messianic settlers, but he did not trust the Palestinians either. As a faithful representative of the Israeli center he sought a road map that would patiently and cautiously advance the two nations toward the two-state solution. This week proved that there are almost no successors to Rabin. The Likud of Netanyahu and Benny Begin is not Rabin because it will not evacuate settlements and will not divide the country. Olmert's Kadima is not Rabin because it is a phony, and Tzipi Livni's Kadima is not Rabin because it is not decisive. Meretz is not Rabin because its unadulterated faith in the Geneva Initiative contradicts everything Rabin believed in. That leaves the Labor Party. Ehud Barak's Labor is clearly Rabin's party. But is Labor still there? Is there any hope for Labor? Maybe and maybe not. But there is no question that Israel needs the Labor Party. Israel needs the party that built and preserved the state; a party that tried to find a balance between security and peace and between a free market and social justice. Israel needs Rabin's party. It's true that Labor is annoying and infuriating. Labor also erred and disgraced itself. But Barak's party did not cling to power any more than Livni's party did. The party of Ofer Eini and Shelly Yachimovich is no more petrified than Haim Oron's party of Hakibbutz Ha'artzi, the movement of the left-wing kibbutzim. Therefore the tendency to treat Labor harshly is exaggerated. Labor must renew itself and recover, but there is no justification for the attacks against it. In the final analysis, just as Rabin was a responsible leader, Labor is a responsible party. We must not give it up. Bookmark to del.icio.us   A ringing endorsement Jimmy Carter says Obama will waste no time in pursuing Middle East peace. Peres' olive branch Israel's president says the Arab peace plan is an opening for progress.   1.   Pretty Good Column, But Labor is Unrecognizable 08:25  |  Tod Zuckerman 13/11/08   2.   Rabin party? Why bother? 09:29  |  Natallie Durson 13/11/08   3.   Rabin successor 09:55  |  Ralph 13/11/08   4.   Mr Shavit. 09:58  |  David Nigel Braham 13/11/08   5.   Rabin was pragmatic: our parties are time-spinners 10:18  |  Margie in Tel Aviv 13/11/08   6.   The Labor party and the old Israeli (political) "disease"..... 10:47  |  Swiss (Dino) 13/11/08   7.   he saw an overall and complex reality ? 10:53  |  paulo2005 13/11/08   8.   And We need Rabin`s Values 11:23  |  Tzfonit 13/11/08   9.   Ralph the righty from Caesaria 11:38  |  Ari ben Yisrael 13/11/08   10.   Nice to hear about Rabin the man for a change 12:18  |  Ilan 13/11/08   11.   Even if Israel has right party+ leader it still takes 2 to tango 12:21  |  Sam 13/11/08   12.   2000 peace plan 13:29  |  zichron 13/11/08   13.   I`ll see your 30 years and raise you, Natalie 17:30  |  Jew with a Clue 13/11/08   14.   #9 Ben Israel you are an uncouth person N/C 19:04  |  Beth 13/11/08   15.   @Ari ben Yisrael 21:15  |  Ralph 13/11/08   16.   Moshe Ya"alon 21:33  |  Magic 13/11/08   17.   Rather, a true successor to Sharon 21:42  |  Jess Ghannam 13/11/08   18.   Ari Shavit says it all so clearly and correctly.... 22:56  |  Esther 13/11/08   19.   Wy not! 23:40  |  Meredith 13/11/08   20.   No matter who the leader is in Israel they will not make Peace 23:44  |  Genuine Tosefta 13/11/08   21.   Arbs have yet to create one single monument to human achievement 23:50  |  Genuine Tosefta 13/11/08   22.   Shavit is profoundly correct: Appeasing Hamas is only solution 23:53  |  Neville Chamberlain 13/11/08   23.   Israel wants Peace more than Arbs, but Arbs need it more 23:56  |  Genuine Tosefta 13/11/08   24.   "Arbian Nights" have long since become an Arbian nightmare 00:00  |  Genuine Tosefta 14/11/08   25.   Dream on 00:45  |  Mark Lincoln 14/11/08   26.   What is needed 01:08  |  The Teacher/Instruct 14/11/08   27.   "Arbian Nights" have long since become an Arbian nightmare 01:27  |  Genuine Tosefta 14/11/08   28.   Leaders can only make Israel safe but not bring about Peace 01:28  |  Genuine Tosefta 14/11/08   29.   Is Shavit defending Rabin, Labor or both? 04:02  |  Fortuna Benmayor 14/11/08   30.   More Leftist lies 05:57  |  Frank 14/11/08   31.   is ARI trying to emulate the american media? 09:09  |  eric 14/11/08   32.   Will Rabin`s party hate Russian speakers as hid did? 18:27  |  no name 14/11/08

Read & React Israel infuriated by U.K. plan to distinctly label West Bank produce Responses: 410 Rahm Emanuel apologizes for father's disparaging remarks about Arabs Responses: 161 In 2006 letter to Bush, Haniyeh offered compromise with Israel Responses: 137 IDF soldiers filmed humiliating bound Palestinian face court martial Responses: 85 Israeli lightly wounded as rocket barrage hits Negev Responses: 149 More Headlines 22:44 Olmert: Israel won't reconcile with Gaza rocket fire 14:27 Ex-Shin Bet official: Most Hamas leaders want to maintain short-term truce 12:09 Israel infuriated by U.K. plan to label West Bank produce 09:12 In 2006 letter to Bush, Haniyeh offered compromise with Israel 21:44 Founder of Israeli NRA seeks to import American gun culture 05:25 How white were the Israelites? Facial reconstruction may be surprising 05:25 Rahm Emanuel apologizes for father's disparaging remarks about Arabs 10:25 SACH team heads to China for surgical and training mission 07:31 IDF soldiers filmed humiliating bound Palestinian face court martial 07:24 Barak approved settlement expansion despite Road Map 08:15 Canadian professor held over deadly 1980 synagogue bombing in Paris 10:27 Saudi FM: In UN speech, Peres left some parts of Arab peace plan untouched 06:57 Meretz chief looks to galvanize left wing with new political party 06:27 Cleaning, security workers left without social benefits, severance Previous Editions Select Day 14 nov 13 nov 12 nov 11 nov 10 nov 09 nov 07 nov 06 nov 05 nov 04 nov 03 nov 02 nov

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