By Steve Macko
Since the tragic assassination of Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin, the first political assassination in the 47-year history of the Jewish state -- security has been unprecedently tightened. There are many examples in this new state of security awareness by the Shin Bet. After a recent two-hour weekly cabinet meeting, reporters were kept about 200 yards away -- previously, before the assassination, reporters had always been allowed to interview departing cabinet ministers when they emerged from a meeting. But now, even before reporters were allowed to attend an official briefing by the cabinet secretary, they had to wait until Acting-Prime Minister Shimon Peres's official car pulled away. Peres' automobile was preceded by a police car with red lights flashing and siren sounding -- also something new.
The Israeli government recently gave its "full backing" to the Shin Bet. The Acting-Prime Minister said to his cabinet that he did not know "a better, more dedicated group of people ever ready to risk their lives." Peres has been guarded by Shin Bet security personnel for a number of years. But there has been a special commission set up to inquire how Shin Bet agents allowed 25-year-old Yigal Amir to get within a few feet of Rabin and fire off three shots that killed the 73-year-old prime minister and wound a bodyguard.
It is being said that the Shin Bet security detail is keeping a very tight leash on Shimon Peres. When Peres is out in public, a bodyguard walks behind him and can be seen speaking into a hidden microphone in his sleeve. At a recent rally to dedicate Yitzhak Rabin Square, the site of where Rabin was killed -- Peres did not attend this rally for security reasons. Again, this is something new to Israeli leaders who had always felt safe mingling with the public. Attacks by Arabs had always been a high priority with Israeli security -- but these new protective measures have gone into effect to provide protection from possible Jewish assailants, as well. Even though Peres did not attend the renaming ceremony of the square -- there was still about 2,000 police at the scene, including rooftop snipers.
How did this tiny country get to this point of now having to watch for assassins from within ... rather than from assassins from historic enemies? A preliminary report from the Shin Bet security service, released only four days after the assassination of Rabin said, "As a result of defective planning and implementation ... the murderer succeeded in approaching the prime minister to a fatal proximity." As a result, four top Shin Bet officials were fired and/or reassigned.
The story of some of the miscues made by Rabin's security detail is quite astonishing. The driver of Rabin's armored Cadillac automobile related about how, after being shot, Rabin was stretched across the back seat bleeding. The driver, Menachem Damti, had not been given any previous getaway instructions in case of an emergency -- being given such instructions should have been standard procedure.
With the prime minister mortally wounded, the dying man's bodyguard screamed at Damti, "Drive! Drive!" Damti said that the quickest route to the hospital was blocked by surging crowds. Again, standard procedure should had dictated an unobstructed exit for the prime minister's car. The urgent trip to get Rabin to a hospital was further hampered by the desperate driver having to argue his way through a police roadblock. And when they finally did reach the hospital, no medical teams were even ready for the medical emergency with a dying prime minister who had gaping gunshot wounds caused by bullets with hollow-points. Nobody had called ahead to the hospital -- again, something that should had been standard procedure.
In a recounting of that tragic Saturday evening in Tel Aviv, about 100,000 people had filled the square for the peace rally. Hundreds more reportedly watched from the top of nearby 8-story buildings that surround the square. The security was somewhat unusual. Tight in some areas and very lax in others. Spotlights were brought in to scan the nearby rooftops for potential snipers. Some apartment units had been physically searched. Parking to area residents was limited. Police presence was seemiingly everywhere. That was the tight security. The lax security was at the entrance of the stage area. People entering the area were not searched. Many people reportedly were allowed to leave and return without any kind of a check.
A security guard was asked why a man who only waved a small ID and shouted, "It's okay, I was here before." was not properly checked. The security guard said, "He's a Jew. Why would he want to do any harm?" That was the attitude that showed a fatal flaw in Rabin's security.
Shimon Peres said that security was alert on that evening. But they were alert for a possible Arab attack ... not for an attack by a Jewish radical.
Near the end of the rally and about ten minutes before the prime minister was shot, a reporter remembers passing unchallenged within only a few yards of Rabin's automobile, which was parked at the foot of the staircase from the stage.
The assassin, Yigal Amir, was seen talking on a public phone only ten yards from the prime minister's car, just before the shooting. The assassin said that he was able to stay in the area during most of the rally. To reduce the chance of suspicion he had removed his skullcap that he usually wore. Amir remained close to Rabin's car. It is believed that security personnel mistook him as a VIP driver.
Most people in the parking area were kept at only a minimum of five yards away from the prime minister's car. But many others were allowed to stand next to the staircase that led to the stage. Photos show Shimon Peres shaking the hands of supporters as he walked down the staircase. Peres then talked briefly to Rabin's driver and then made a decision that probably saved his life -- instead of waiting for Rabin, Peres walked towards his car. The assassin told investigators that it was his plan to kill both Rabin and Peres. But because Peres had walked away, Amir decided to focus only on Rabin.
At 9:40 p.m. Prime Minster Rabin walked down the staircase. He was surrounded by at least eight bodyguards and police officers. However, there apparently was no human shield as he prepared to enter his awaiting Cadillac. There was only one bodyguard. The other two bodyguards who are supposed to form the "inner circle" around the prime minister had walked around to the other side of the car. As Rabin was just entering the auto, the assassin approached him from the rear, apparently not seen by either the bodyguard or Rabin and began firing with a 9mm Berretta from less than two feet away.
The Prime Minister suffered two gunshot wounds. One to the abdomen and the other to the chest. Apparently the shot that caused the stomach wound hit him from the back. One shot struck a bodyguard as he struck Amir's arm. The bodyguard then threw Rabin and himself into the armored car and the driver sped away.
The driver of Rabin's car, Damti, at first did not realize that Rabin had been wounded. He asked the prime minister if he was injured. Rabin replied, "Yes," and whispered that he had pain in his back and also said that it was "not too bad," before losing consciousness.
The hospital that Rabin was taken to is very close to site of the rally. Less than 1,000 yards away. But because of the thousands of people who attended the rally blocked the quickest route to Ichilov Hospital, valuable time was lost. The driver was forced to take a route that was considerably longer. More precious time was lost trying to talk their way through a police roadblock and acquiring a police escort.
The medical personnel at Ichilov Hospital were not alerted to expect a shooting victim. When Damti stopped the car at the gate of the hospital, he had to explain what happened and then assisted the wounded bodyguard and a police officer to carry Rabin into the emergency room. Upon entering, Damti shouted, "The prime minister's wounded, take care of him!" The nurse who is in charge recognized that the victim was the prime minister and called for all available doctors. Rabin was unconcious and did not have a pulse upon first examination. Doctors later said that Rabin only had a slight chance of survival after he had been hit.
After a preliminary review, the Shin Bet security service acknowledged that there had be an intelligence failure and had advance knowledge that there was a plot to kill Rabin. Shin Bet said that a friend of Amir's had provided authorities with a very accurate description of Amir after being told plans of Amir's intentions to kill the prime minsister by a mutual friend. Shin Bet did what was considered a very superficial check on the information and then decided to ignore it.
Most top officials in the Israeli government have now been given 24-hour protection and now must coordinate their every move in advance with their security details. And most of these government officials don't like that. In the past, as it was in the United States before the assassination of President Kennedy, successful politicians like to jump into crowds and mingle with the people -- potential voters. In the U.S. the president would ride in a parade in an open car. Doing things such as that are a security detail's nightmare. Especially, in today's world. So most of these government officials in Isreal are having a difficult time adjusting to the idea of having security.
One particular unhappy Israeli official, the Secretary-General of the ruling Labor Party, Nissim Zvilli, said in exasperation, "We simply can't live with this. It's a very serious problem. They must find a middle way." The secretary-general must realize that it is a serious problem for the security detail just to keep their charges safe from harm. Some charges have been holy-terrors for their protectors. There are famous stories of President Harry S Truman who would just grab his hat and go out for a walk onto the streets of Washington whenever he felt the urge. And he didn't forewarn the Secret Service. He'd just go and the Secret Service agents would just have to chase him. Some people would say it was a different and safer world in those days, but many people forget that there was a very serious attempt upon the life of President Truman on November 1, 1950.
As the U.S. Secret Service did after the assassination of President Kennedy, Shin Bet is now implementing unprecedented security precautions on the people that they are charged with protecting. In fact, after the attempted assassination of President Reagan, the U.S. Secret Service again increased the level of security afforded to the president. So, Shin Bet is responding in the only way that they know how and their charges are going to have to adjust to the realities of today's world -- there are people out there wishing to bring them harm.
One Israeli cabinet minister complained that the new security precautions have "changed our lives." Shimon Peres is now being asked to wear a bulletproof vest during public appearances. Police and IDF units now patrol near the homes of officials who are determined to be a special risk. Security details have been assigned to Cabinet minister's homes at night -- this was never done before. Before the assassination of Rabin, bodyguards were rarely assigned to Cabinet ministers and very rarely ever assigned to their homes.
But Shin Bet has very good reasons for the increase of security. Acting- Prime Minister Shimon Peres has received several death threats since he has become the head of the government. What is surprising is that these threats are coming from radical Jews and not so much from Arabs. It is being said that the protection of Peres is of the utmost paramount importance, because should there be another political assassination in Israel the result would not be another week of mourning but civil strife.
But still some officials are not really appearing to understand the security situation. Israeli President Ezer Weizman has stated that he will refuse the new security restrictions that are being recommended by Shin Bet. Weizman said that he will not ride in an armored vehicle and has every intention of mixing in crowds of people, like he has always done. President Weizman has this attitude because in the past he has always had a seemingly good rapport with people -- even through the political tensions and difficulites Israel has experienced since signing the peace accord with the PLO. On a security standpoint, the president is not being realistic. Anyone is a target -- including the Pope.
Some other signs of increased security in Israel were at a recent meeting of the Israeli Labor Party's central committee. The meeting was held at a rented hall. Long portions of streets that led to the hall were blocked off by police. Anyone entering the area were checked. Anyone going into the hall had to pass through three security checkpoints and had to pass through metal detectors. Some people, including committee members were frisked.
That's the reality of today's world. It's new to the Israelis, but they will have to adjust -- just as Americans had to adjust when entire American expressways are closed off to traffic so that the President's or Vice-President's car could have the entire expressway to himself. It's very, very inconvenient ... but necessary to protect the life of a chief executive.
(c) Emergency Response & Research Institute, 1995, All rights reserved.