On Monday, Israel evacuated all settlers in the 21 Gaza settlements ending a 38-year occupation.
However, this gesture of peace may result in tragedy for Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon.
Walking from a rally in central Tel Aviv, November 4, 1995, Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin was shot dead.
Just how much his death had to do with the casting of the Pulsa Denura is uncertain, but even if the chant contains no mystical power at all, try not to be surprised if you see Ariel Sharon watching his back a little closer during the current evacuation.
The Pulsa Denura, or “Lashes of Fire” is a cabbalist ritual of shaky origin in which 10 men led by a Rabbi chant amidst 24 black candles for angels to kill a person. They smother the candles with earthenware and lead balls symbolizing the extinguishment of that person’s soul.
The year before his assassination, Prime Minister Rabin received the Nobel Peace Prize along with Yasser Arafat and signed the Israel-Jordon peace treaty with King Hussein. Two months before the killing, Rabin signed the Oslo II agreement, which laid out a plan to gradually return control of some of the occupied territories to Palestinians.
Although the world cheered these steps toward peace, many ultra-nationalist Israelis had no fear of voicing their opposition to compromises with Arab countries. Last June, Rabbi Avigdor Neventhzal, the Rabbi of the Old City of Jerusalem stated that the killing of a Jew who gives away part of Biblical Israel to a non-Jew is justified according to Din Rodef religious law.
This is the justification that law student Yigal Amir used for assassinating Rabin in 1995. Under this law, assassinating Ariel Sharon would be seen as a just action.
It is no secret that much of the Israeli population is not in support of the pullout. Hundreds of Israeli soldiers refused to take part in the evacuation.
Many who have been displaced have grievances against Sharon despite the $200K – $300K per family reparation payments and are living unnecessarily in tent cities on the Israeli side of Gaza’s border with signs that read “Refugee Camp.”
Despite the relatively peaceful withdrawal from Gaza, the disengagement process still has a way to go. The IDF (Israeli Defense Forces) soldiers peacefully dealt with two thousand ultra-nationalist youths Tueday. The youths were armed with stun-grenades, flaming tires, glass shards, pieces of broken pottery, and tear gas canisters and holed out in Homesch to protect their god-given property.
Whatever the next few weeks have in store, it is clear that Ariel Sharon is in a precarious position. His actions have left him wide open to Zionist ridicule. Few have forgotten Rabin’s assassination a decade ago.
The possibility of assassination is now facing Sharon. Hopefully the disgruntled, resigned Israelis who left Netzarim last Monday and boarded the last civilian armored bus out of Gaza can remember Mahoud Abbas’ recent statement to Sharon “We are your partners in peace.”
Robert Talamantez is a senior dance and geology double major. He may be contacted at [email protected].
