Militants suspected of plotting assassination

November 9, 1995
Web posted at: 12:40 a.m. EST (0540 GMT)

From Jerusalem Bureau Chief Walter Rogers

JERUSALEM (CNN) -- In its search for the roots of a national tragedy, Israel has focused on the leader of an small right-wing Jewish group suspected of conspiracy in the assassination of Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin.

Avishai Raviv is the head of the little-known extremist group called Eyal. Israeli authorities believe the group had advance knowledge of Rabin's assassination.

With his arrest, there are now five people in custody in connection with the assassination. Confessed killer Yigal Amir, his brother, and Raviv, are being held in direct involvement in the killing. Dror Adani and David Balachsan have been taken into custody for alleged incitement.

Raviv attended the same university as Amir, the 25-year-old law student who was apprehended just after the shooting Saturday night.

Also Wednesday, Israel's Education Minister Amnon Rubinstein said preliminary results of the murder investigation show there were huge lapses in the prime minister's security on Saturday.

"There was total security while the prime minister was there on the balcony addressing the people," Rubinstein said. "There was no proper attention paid to this very important point in time when he went to his car."

The Israeli cabinet met in special session Wednesday to discuss the security gaps and what actions to take. The senior official responsible for the prime minister's security resigned. An independent commission will investigate the security lapses.

The cabinet also decided a special police unit will be assigned to look into right-wing Jewish extremist groups. Other developments Wednesday:

While mourners continued to heap wreath upon wreath on Rabin's grave, rightists were celebrating Rabin's murder. Graffiti proclaiming revenge has shown up on walls; worse, there has also been graffiti threatening that Israel's acting prime minister Shimon Perez is the next target for assassination.

It is such displays of anger that worry Rabbi David Hartman, a Jewish philosopher. He says such hate and anger could become volatile and explode into violence. But some are hoping to make peace. (103K AIFF sound or 103K WAV sound)

The parents of confessed assassin Yigal Amir sent a letter to Leah Rabin, the widow of Yitzhak Rabin, apologizing for their son's action.

Militants suspected of plotting assassination

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