Richard Nixon leaves behind him a lifetime of service to his people, marred by his abuse of the power that went along with that service. Yet to Israel, Richard Nixon will be remembered as a friend. Richard Nixon will be remembered as the President who solved his Secretary of State's inability to see an Israel in danger, and who helped that ally at its time of most severe need. It is people like Nixon, who, even though his political fortunes were about to be destroyed, still had the presence of mind to protect Israel, that are Israel's dearest friends, and that are sorely missed. Nixon's crimes and abuse of power stand, but only as a part of his legacy. Through the haze of deceit, he still shined as a man of resolve when his dearest ally was in mortal danger.
Yitzchak Rabin, had just come to power in Israel when Richard Nixon resigned the presidency in 1974. For three years, Rabin led a caretaker government while Israel and her people recovered from the ravages of war and the horror of surprise invasion. Yet, now, in his first opportunity to govern Israel under normal conditions, Rabin has failed to such a degree that Nixon looks like a saint.
Richard Nixon deceived his people. For whatever reason, he was pardoned his crime. Yitzchak Rabin deceived his people, and all the world's Jews, during his election campaign. He continues to deceive us today. We are quickly approaching the point when, in Nixon's term of office, he resigned for the benefit of his nation. One can only hope that Rabin has as much humanity.
Richard Nixon saw an ally in need in 1973, and he helped as only he could, bringing down the wrath of the oil world upon his own people in the process. Yet his vision remained strong and clear, and his alliance remained intact, strengthened by the resolve he showed. Yitzchak Rabin sees his own people, his own nation, in danger. Instead of resolving to remove the danger Israel faces, he increases it daily. In a news report in the Jerusalem Post (April 19) Rabin agreed that "terrorism is a natural outcome of the agreement with the PLO". Thus, Yitzchak Rabin knowingly put his own country and his own people in greater danger from terrorists and murderers.
Richard Nixon was legally rehabilitated by his successor, and worked hard through the remainder of his life to publicly repair his image as a statesman. Yitzchak Rabin deserves no such rehabilitation.
Richard Nixon was the first American president to debate a Soviet leader face to face. Nixon won. YItzchak Rabin is a coward, telling his enemies to take what they want from the country and please shut off the lights.
Richard Nixon stared down Arab threats of oil boycotts and increased terrorism. Yitzchak Rabin boycotts segments of his own population, depriving them of economic aid, emergency services, and infrastructure.
Richard Nixon pulled his country out of a conflict it could not win. Yitzchak Rabin has bowed to enemies his country had defeated, giving them the prize they fought for during thirty years of crime.
Richard Nixon, for good or ill, legalized abortion. Yitzchak Rabin has de facto legalized the murder with impunity of his own Jewish people, through his continuing negotiation with their murderers for "peaceful" terms of surrender.
Richard Nixon stared down the nuclear threat of his strongest adversary by presenting one of his own. Yitzchak Rabin answers threats of bus bombs and hand grenades by conceding his people's safety and pulling the armed forces away from the scene of conflict. This only brings the conflict closer, and makes it more unbearable.
We don't have Richard Nixon to kick around any more. But we have Yitzchak Rabin kicking Israelis around, telling ten percent of his population that he doesn't care for their safety, that they "are not real Israelis".
Richard Nixon was a criminal. But he remained a statesman and a leader. For that, a nation mourns. Yitzchak Rabin is a criminal. He leads a country into oblivion. For that, a nation mourns. We must act that there not be a need for them to be mourned.
Copyright 1994. Reproduction in electronic or print format by permission only.
