Subject: Bar Ilan Statement Date: Tue, 21 Nov 1995 00:27:59 EST _________________________________________________________________ Bar-Ilan University - Spokesman's Office _________________________________________________________________ BS"D TRANSCRIPT of remarks made at an ASSEMBLY OF MOURNING AND PRAYER held on campus by faculty and students of Bar-Ilan University on the morning following the assassination of Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin Sunday, November 5th, 1995, at noon. (Over 3,500 faculty and students attended the assembly) PROF. YOSEF YESHURUN (Dean of Students), M.C.: Administrative staff, students and faculty: The Jewish nation lost a great man today. We are gathered here to decry the assassination of Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin, and to mourn him. Here with me on the dais are President Prof. Shlomo Eckstein, Rector Prof. Moshe Kaveh, Vice President for Research Prof. Shlomo Grossman, Director-General Dr. Shabtai Lubel, Chairman of the Global Board's Executive Council, Dr. Zerach Warhaftig, Faculty Deans, Campus Rabbi Shlomo Shefer, and Chairman of the Student Union, Mr. Arye Azualus.We will open the assembly with the lowering of the flag of the State of Israel to half-mast and I request that all rise. (Flag is lowered to half-mast and a minute of silence is observed).YESHURUN: I invite Rabbi Shlomo Shefer, the Campus Rabbi, to open with a verse from Psalms. (Rabbi Shlomo Shefer recites Chapter 101 of the Book of Psalms) PROF. SHLOMO ECKSTEIN (President): This is a very difficult day for all of us. We are still in shock at what happened here in our country, and it is still difficult for us to absorb this terrible thing to which we were all witness. It is hard to forget that only two years ago, Prime Minister Rabin was with us here on campus in a festive ceremony when we bestowed upon him our highest honor, a Doctorate Honoris Causa. And I remember the words with which Rabin responded to our wishes. He quoted the verse: "[The Torah's] ways are pleasant and its paths are paths of peace." None of us could have possibly imagined, in our worst nightmares, that we would have to gather here two years later to pay tribute to his memory as a result of an abominable assassination that I have no words to describe. With all of Israel and the Jewish people, we mourn and weep at this horrible act. For all of us at Bar-Ilan University, it is hard to believe that the man who did this is a student at Bar-Ilan University. I cannot possibly imagine how any such person could have entered our community. Bar-Ilan University has a credo of understanding, moderation, tolerance, and the building of bridges between people of different views and different lifestyles. Our philosophy of education comprises not only the acquisition of knowledge, but a deep understanding of Israel and fellow human beings. It is impossible to imagine that a person who committed such a horrible act could have been among us, and therefore our pain is doubly felt.We are in pain and we weep. We express our condolences to the Rabin family, and we express our condolences to all the people in the Land of Israel. We must hope that what has happened yesterday will never happen again, and pray that in these difficult times we can now learn to live together, and to hope, above all, that we will have the wisdom to instill in our children the love of all fellow Jews. Only through the love of our people will we manage to confront the great challenges that face us. The horrible end which befell Yitzhak Rabin æ"ì is an act of violence which must never be repeated. May his memory be blessed. PROF. MOSHE KAVEH (Rector):Bar-Ilan University is in pain today. We simply cannot understand at this point what has happened. The students, lecturers and faculty of Bar-Ilan University express disgust and condemn this despicable murder. President Eckstein noted that Prime Minister Rabin received an Honorary Doctorate from Bar-Ilan University, our highest honor. At that time, Prime Minister Rabin said that Bar-Ilan is a microcosm of tolerance. The heinous crime committed against Mr. Rabin last night is a blow to the world of tolerance.Bar-Ilan students and faculty must join together during this difficult time to express love in a place where there has been an evil act. We must overcome. The only hope for the Land of Israel is through the expression of love, here at Bar-Ilan and throughout the country. Last night, Bar-Ilan's administration voiced its feelings in this public statement: "Bar-Ilan University expresses shock and deep dismay at the assassination of Prime Minister Rabin, Honorary Doctor of Bar-Ilan University, and offers its condolences to the Rabin family, the Government of Israel, and the Jewish People."When one is in pain, one cannot analyze the situation coolly and calmly. This assembly is an effort to express our unity. At this moment, when our minds simply cannot fathom what has happened, I turn to the weekly Torah portion to draw insight.An economic dispute developed between the shepherds of Abraham and the shepherds of Lot, and the Bible tells us that the land simply could not bear both of them together. This, of course, caused hatred, but Abraham said to Lot "we are brothers - why should this dispute come between us?" Abraham's approach was first and foremost to recognize that we are indeed all brothers, and we, the children of Abraham, must learn from his instinctive attitude. We are indeed brothers. The love that we have for one another must overcome the hatred of the respective shepherds. We must learn from our father Abraham who brought kindness and mercy to the world. This must be our way. We cannot allow our political differences to divide us. It has brought us to murder--the most basic violation of the essential laws of morality. The Ten Commandments say "Thou shalt not murder." Tradition teaches that man is created in the image of G-d. Yesterday's assassin sought to destroy the image of G-d and removed himself from the ranks of humanity. Therefore, this university, which adheres to a universal respect for the image of G-d, views the assassin as a cancer in our midst. Together with the faculty deans, I have decided to suspend classes today and tomorrow. We have also decided to commemorate the thirtieth day of mourning for our prime minister with an international symposium on religion, tolerance and peace, under the auspices of the Dr. Josef Burg Chair for Education in Human Values, Peace and Tolerance. Let us unite. We are all brothers. We shall overcome the evil that threatens to destroy our unity. DR. ZERACH WARHAFTIG (Chairman, Executive Council):The Talmud teaches us that if one member of the community dies, the entire community must take it to heart. And we are even more disheartened that one of our community has brought about death. It is true that the assassin is one individual among the 20,000 students on this campus. Nevertheless, this university, which has always sought to advance the cause of moderation and tolerance, feels a sense of responsibility. It is our mission to teach the young of this country moderation and tolerance. It is painfully ironic that a murderer should be in our midst. Education in moderation and tolerance is not solely the task of our professors and deans. Each and every student must take part in education in democracy, the reconciliation of conflicting views, and tolerance. I knew Prime Minister Rabin well for many years, but one meeting that we had I cannot simply forget. It was on Wednesday of the Six Day War in 1967. The first three people who arrived at the Western Wall were Rabin, [Moshe] Dayan and myself. I was Minister of Religion at the time. I remember how we embraced at the Western Wall. I was convinced that moment would bring great love among all of the Jewish people. We were filled with hopes and aspirations!I can bear witness to the fact that Prime Minister Rabin, whatever his political platform was, was deeply devoted to the security of the Jewish people in the Land of Israel. He had a very deep love for the Land of Israel and the Jewish people. May his memory be blessed. ARYE AZUELUS (Chairman of the Student Union):The student body of Bar-Ilan University mourns the assassination of Rabin. Shock and outrage unites us all, right-wing and left-wing students, students of all political persuasions. We were horrified to learn that the murder was committed by a Bar-Ilan student. But he is not one of us. Anyone who crosses the bounds of legitimate debate and dissent is not considered a member of the Bar-Ilan student body, and no one who adopts violence has a place among us. Bar-Ilan is known to be a tranquil campus and will continue to be so. We will not let this man destroy the atmosphere of tolerance which has characterized Bar-Ilan throughout the years. I know we all condemn this man and anyone who shares his views, and I call upon all the students in this country to act together at this time of reassessment, and to remind ourselves that we are all members of one nation. May the memory of Yitzhak Rabin be a blessing to us all. RABBI SHLOMO SHEFER (Campus Rabbi):This university holds high the banner of Torah and ethics, of moderation and tolerance. It is terrible to think that on these grounds where we are accustomed to working, studying and relaxing, we must stand today in pain and mourning, with a heavy heart, at the fact that a Bar-Ilan student committed the murder. The murder is completely contrary to Torah, to Jewish values, and everything that our tradition teaches. The Ten Commandments teach us "Thou shalt not murder." The Talmud teaches us that if one individual is murdered, it is tantamount to the annihilation of an entire world. The Talmud teaches us that it is better to be killed than to murder. These principles and values, inherent in our being, were violated by the assassin. We must express our feelings through redoubling our efforts to do right. Rabbi Eliezer teaches us in the Talmud that the world can only exist through those who conquer their anger. We need people who know how to listen, understand and make intelligent decisions in times of crises, without allowing anger to engulf and overwhelm them. Last year, two ceremonies were held in this amphitheater: commemorating Holocaust Remembrance Day and Remembrance Day for the Fallen Soldiers of the Israel Defense Forces. Today we are gathered on these grounds, and we are disheartened. Today, in these difficult times, we must attempt to recreate the incredible unity which we all felt last year on those two special days. Maimonides said that if one is afflicted with a bad character trait, he should attempt to correct himself by behaving in the opposite extreme. One must change his behavior to the polar opposite in order to re-achieve the balance of the middle ground. If we have fallen to a state where a murder was committed, then we must supplant hatred with love to the ultimate degree. We must be the pioneering force in Israeli society for tolerance, brotherhood, peace and unity.Let us all not allow such purposeless destructiveness to repeat itself. May G-d wipe away our misery and the tears from our eyes. Professor Yosef Yeshurun announces a press conference in the Administration Building. OPENING STATEMENTS -- PRESS CONFERENCE SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 5TH, 1995 AT BAR-ILAN UNIVERSITY PROF. SHLOMO ECKSTEIN, PRESIDENT:Bar-Ilan University, its faculty and staff, are in shock. We never could have imagined that such a thing could happen. We are particularly shocked that such an act could be committed by one of our students.I want to emphasize that this student's actions in no way reflect upon the education that we offer. The fact that such a thing happened should be a cause of great consternation to the entire system of higher education in Israel. This is a problem that all Israeli universities must confront together. G-d forbid lest we find ourselves in a situation where such violence continues. We assumed until now that we did not have to inoculate our students against the scourge of murder. We had assumed that our students were on a level that would make such discussions unnecessary. All institutions of higher learning in this country must accept upon themselves the challenge of educating our students towards democracy and tolerance. Indeed, Israeli youth reach the university campus at a more mature age than their counterparts around the world. But the fact that this murder has taken place will force all of us into reexamination and reconsideration. We have to look again at what we have to offer and how we can educate towards political communication that is not radical. This is a problem which confronts the entire system of higher education in Israel. We have always sought to educate towards brotherhood and love of our fellow Jew. G-d forbid, that at this time anyone should seek to tar the entire Bar-Ilan University community with its 20,000 students and tens of thousands of graduates in all sectors of the Israeli public. G-d forbid we should all be tarred with one single stroke. Do not label us by the action of Yigal Amir. We must indeed learn from this horrible incident, and must redouble our efforts to continue our system of education along the path that we have charted for ourselves, which is to propagate brotherhood, reconciliation and tolerance.Bar-Ilan University is shocked by the fact that a student in Israel committed such an act. We believe and continue to believe that our role is to educate the younger generation to respect each other even if their political views are diametrically opposed one to another. Bar-Ilan's 20,000 students bear witness to the fact that we have been successful in this education. We are convinced that we must continue along the educational path established by our University's founders. We must teach dialogue and tolerance without resorting to violence. Violence cannot be excused in any way.PROF. MOSHE KAVEH, RECTOR: Yitzhak Rabin symbolizes the generation of individuals that founded this country. He was among Israel's greatest warriors, and was instrumental in establishing the State of Israel. There cannot be a single individual in this country who does not recognize Rabin's contribution to the re-establishment of Jewish sovereignty in the Land of Israel. With his blood he built this country and with his blood he gave his life for this country, and I am sure that he would not want, because of this unspeakable murder, to obliterate the good reputation that Bar-Ilan University has earned. In his own words, "Israel owes Bar-Ilan University a debt of gratitude for bridging the gaps between different parts of the population in Israel". When one discovers cancer within his body, medicine dictates that you act swiftly to remove the growth. We must relate to Yigal Amir as a cancer, a cancer which must be eradicated. Cancer is not something that is planned. It befalls one unexpectedly and without connection to any health regimen. So too, Yigal Amir grew as a cancer within our society despite the regimen of moderation and tolerance taught here. I want to point out that the Israel secret service bodyguard wounded in the course of the assassination attack on Prime Minister Rabin is a second-year student of Geography at Bar-Ilan University. One individual, unfortunately, a Bar-Ilan University student, sought to extinguish the life of our great Prime Minister. But another Bar-Ilan University student sought to protect the life of the Prime Minister and was willing to stand in the line of fire for that purpose. This morning I examined Yigal Amir's personal student file, searching for some sign of aberrant behavior, some indication that this individual was disturbed or given to fanatical behavior. I examined and questioned myself. Did we miss something? Should we have taken note of this student and had him removed from our University system? Yet there is nothing in his academic record or personal file to indicate any unusual behavior of any type. We are all in shock. We will unquestionably conduct a thorough soul-searching once the initial pain and shock passes. What we did yesterday we have to continue tomorrow and I am sure that this would be Prime Minister Rabin's final will and testament to us.