The murderer of Yitzhak Rabin, the Israeli Prime Minister who forged the Oslo peace accords with the Palestinians, attended the circumcision of his son yestrday in a high-security jail, on the 12th anniversary of Rabin’s assassination. Yigal Amir, an Orthodox Jew, who shot three bullets into the prime minister’s back as he left a peace rally in 1995, was led in shackles to attend the circumcision of his newborn son, despite the protestations of many Israelis, including Rabin’s son.

The decision to allow Amir to be present at the event has caused outrage and deep division in Israel, with extreme rightwingers saying that the assassin – whom they see as a martyr – should be pardoned.

That some on the far-Right of Israel’s religious community appear to see Rabin’s murder as partially justified for preventing the creation of a Palestinian state – which they see as a threat to Israel – has caused much soul-searching among secular Israelis about where the democratic state may be heading.

The ceremony was the latest in a bizarre series of events since the murder, which many viewed as the beginning of the end of the peace process. After his incarceration, Amir married Larissa Trimbobler, a Russian immigrant with four children from a previous marriage.

Before receiving permission for conjugal visits, Amir tried to smuggle his sperm from the prison in a plastic bag to artificially inseminate his bride.

Accusations that the couple planned the birth to coincide with the anniversary of the killing were backed by Amir’s brother, Amitai, who told the Israeli press: “The day of the circumcision is not random . . . on November 4, Yigal made a covenant with the Israeli people and gave his soul by defending us against Oslo and Rabin. Twelve years have gone by and his covenant is continuing.”

The campaign for Amir to be pardoned has shocked many moderate Israelis and caused anger in the media. A recent poll showed that 26 per cent of Israelis – and 42 per cent who define themselves as religious – support freeing Amir after he has served 20 years, in eight years’ time.

In the face of such opinion, and in anger at the courts’ decision to allow Amir to attend the rite for his baby son, Rabin’s son, Yuval, broke a long silence to speak out at a commemoration rally in Tel Aviv, attended by about 100,000 people.

“What began with a permit to marry, to give birth and to hold a circumcision ceremony, and has continued to be a campaign of incitement, will culminate with a murderer roaming in our midst along with his slew of children, free and happy,” he told the crowd.

Ehud Olmert, the Prime Minister, who is trying to reach common ground with the Palestinian leadership, strongly condemned the assassination yesterday.

“The entire Israeli people must unite behind the memory and know that it will never happen again. This is the red line that Left and Right, religious and secular, Jews and nonJews, must never cross,” he said.

“As for the murderer, I completely identify with Yuval Rabin’s moving remarks from the memorial rally last night. They represent what the entire nation must feel.”

Biblical edict

- Circumcision can be carried out on the Sabbath or a holy day, occasions when drawing blood is usually forbidden

- The Torah (Genesis 16:14) says: “Any uncircumcised male who is not circumcised in the flesh of his foreksin shall be cut off from his people; he has broken my covenant”

- Circumcision is a way for Jews to recognise that God owns the body

Source: news agencies

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