MIDDLE EAST: RABIN ASSASSINATION: REACTION UPDATE
(5 Nov 1995) Arabic/Eng/Nat The shocked reaction from the West at the assassination of Israel Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin was not shared by some Muslim and Arabic leaders in the Middle East. For followers of slain Islamic Jihad leader, Fathi Shakaki, Rabin's murder was seen as natural justice. The varied reactions illustrated the fragile nature of the Middle East peace process and the deep divisions in the region. More than five thousand Hezbollah supporters gathered at a festival hall in Beirut for a memorial service for their murdered leader. Islamic Jihad leader Fathi Shakaki was killed by an unknown gunman in Malta late last month and his followers blame the Israelis. They see the killing of Israeli Prime Minister Rabin as natural justice for Shakaki's death. But the newly elected leader of the group says Rabin's death does not compensate for the loss of their leader. SOUNDBITE: (Arabic) "Now and today we feel that even Rabin's assassination, we did not revenge for the assassination of Doctor Fathi Shakaki, we say it one more time to Rabin in his death, as we said it to him in his life, that Doctor Fathi Shakaki's head will be equal only to Qods's' head. And we remain vowed, and vowed these killer Israel, these operations which they have heard about, the operations are there, next to Doctor Fathi Shakaki's birthplace is only the first drop in a wave that will flood away this injustice." SUPER CAPTION: Dr. Ramadan Abdullah, Leader Islamic Jihad The militant Muslim group has vowed to continue its fight against Israel and to avenge the death of their leader. SOUNDBITE: (Arabic) "It is a vow from Hezbollah and its Islamic Resistance that the Dr. Fathi Shakaki murder will not pass without punishment." SUPER CAPTION: Sayed Hassan Nasrallah, Leader of Lebanon's Hezbollah movement Nasrallah also said he hoped he would wake up tomorrow and find out that P-L-O leader Yasser Arafat was dead. In Jordan, a spokesman for the Palestinian group Hamas said the assassination was evidence of divisions in the Jewish community. SOUNDBITE: (Arabic) There was a split in the Jewish community and what happened yesterday was an expression of that split. Of course this assassination is a big strike against what is called the peace process. At last I think the killing of Rabin has allowed the opposition Palestinian factions including Hamas to breathe more because they were under the continuous strikes of Rabin. SUPERCAPTION: Ibrahim Gosheh, Hamas spokesman On the streets of Amman, the Jordanian capital, this morning there was a mixed reaction. SOUNDBITE: English I am very sad for Rabin killing it was like a Shock. HE made peace. SUPER CAPTION: Voxpops SOUNDBITE Arabic: What Israel accused the Arabs happened in Israel, we are sorry for that SUPERCAPTION: Sultan Mohammed. SOUNDBITE: Arabic We don't accept assassination. SUPERCAPTION:Mohammed Gowasma SOUNDBITE: Arabic It was happy news, this news made us very happy SUPERCAPTION:Hussein Ali SOUNDBITE: English The only person who was in favour of peace was Mr Rabin SUPERCAPTION: Bilal Assam Find out more about AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/HowWeWork Twitter: / ap_archive Facebook: / aparchives Instagram: / apnews You can license this story through AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/metadata/you...
