Classified diplomatic cables, leaked by the whistleblower
site WikiLeaks, contain accounts of the first situation report
released by the Embassy in Tel Aviv immediately after the assassination
of Israeli Prime Minister Yitzchak Rabin. The cable discusses the actions
taken by the Israeli government to restore order and the functioning
of the top levels of government.
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