Canadian Jewish Community Remains Divided Following Rabin's Death

By John Dirlik

The bitter debate among Canadian Jews over the wisdom of Israel's peace accord with the Palestinians has been replaced following Yitzhak Rabin's assassination by an equally heated discussion over who—if anyone—is to share responsibility for the tragedy.

Responding to accusations in the media that the increasingly virulent campaign by right-wing opponents of the accords helped create the climate of hatred that led to Rabin's death, a spokesman for the Quebec branch of the Canada-Israel Committee vigorously denied any connections. "There is no benefit in finger-pointing. There is no good in ascribing blame. There is no health in looking for fault," said William Bilek. The spokesman for the lobby organization suggested that to place even indirect responsibility for Rabin's murder on either side of the debate was to provide ammunition to "anti-Semites."

"There is no shortage of people who are just very happy to see us divided and who would like to exploit our weaknesses. We cannot give them this opportunity," he said. Bilek, who is a staunch Likud supporter, insisted that for Canadian Jews this was a time for setting aside political differences and for healing.

Echoing the view that the challenge now facing the Jewish community was one of unity rather than soul-searching, an editorial in the West Island Suburban of Montreal stressed that "there is little point in condemning one side in the peace process," and opined that "the bullet could have come from any side in this debate," because when "feelings are this intense, there are incendiary individuals whose combustibility occurs at low temperatures."

Although the rabidly Zionist Suburban expressed shock and regret at Rabin's assassination, this appeared to be more from discomfort that the killer was Jewish than from grief over the Israeli leader's death. Only a year earlier the Suburban had editorialized that Rabin's peace plan "threatens the very existence of Israel," and published a commentary describing the Israeli leadership as a "conspiratorial and collaborationist Hellenist" government which was betraying the Jewish people. The article ended with the chilling exhortation to Jews that the peace process be stopped " by all means [italics added] and at every juncture. And the more one exceeds in this patriotic duty, the more praiseworthy he is."

"All those who called Rabin a traitor have blood on their hands."

Not all Jewish leaders sought to absolve their community from blame. "All those who called Rabin a traitor have blood on their hands," said Rabbi Ron Aigen of the Reconstructionist Synagogue in Montreal. Aigen and a handful of critics denounced the "verbal violence" of the Likud supporters which set the stage "for that kind of insanity."

Stephen Cohen, founder of the Montreal-based Institute for Middle East Peace, also blamed opponents of the peace accords for "creating an atmosphere that delegitimized the right of the [Israeli] government to rule." Speaking at a conference on the relationship between Israel and the Diaspora, Cohen pointed out that the Canadian Jewish community had distinguished itself by its wholehearted support to every Israeli government venture, ranging from economic development to absorbing Soviet immigrants.

The exception, Cohen noted, was the Oslo accords between Israel and the Palestinians. "We have not embraced this project like other projects," said Cohen. "In Israel it is clear that there is one camp committed to the peace process and one camp that is opposed to it," he added. "But in the Diaspora we have one camp that is opposed to the peace process and a community leadership that is lukewarm and unenthusiastic about it."

Lack of enthusiasm would be an understatement to describe the response of the Canadian Jewish community to the peace process. Only days before Rabin's assassination, former Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Shamir was given a standing ovation and greeted by an ecstatic crowd that cheered wildly his bitter denunciation of the Labor government at a Montreal synagogue.

Compelled to Speak Out

Shamir, who as a Likud leader vociferously chastised Diaspora Jews who dared to criticize any Israeli policies, said he felt the dangers facing Israel compelled him to speak out. "I feel with every fiber of my being that this is not the time for silence," said Shamir. After labeling the peace accords a "document of appeasement" and describing Rabin's overtures to the Palestinians as a "crime," he accused the Labor government of "negating the principles that have guided all previous Israeli governments."

Shamir ended his speech to the packed synagogue with a rhetorical question: "Are these not sufficient reasons to do everything in our power to replace this government?" The crowd's response was thunderous applause. Thanking the speaker for an "inspirational address in Jewish rights," Thomas Hecht of the Canada-Israel Committee then turned to Shamir and made a solemn pledge: "With your help and with our strength," he said, pounding his fist on the podium, "we will see that it happens."

John Dirlik, a free-lance writer based in Quebec, writes on Canadian and Middle East affairs.