Final_Judgment

516 ”Israel’s Dark Side” [419]
American readers a less-than-positive view of Israeli affairs that they would
not have unless they were readers of American Jewish newspapers.
In an editorial note, Kennedy said that he was publishing the interview
with the assassin's mother in the hope that "my family history would bring
attention to their story." 1066 However, it was clearly an intervention by
young Kennedy in Israel's internal political affairs—a highly unusual move,
and not one that was widely appreciated in many circles. In fact, not long
afterward, JFK Jr.'s friend, business partner and co-publisher, Michael
Berman quit George magazine, citing differences with his partner. Some
observers suggested that it was precisely that inflammatory article that
offended Berman, who is Jewish and said to be a strong supporter of Israel.
Leah Rabin—the widow of the slain prime minister—responded
angrily to JFK Jr.'s article, demanding, "How, of all people, could he do
such a thing?" Mrs. Rabin said she never talked about her husband's murder
but made an exception to denounce Kennedy's article, saying that JFK Jr.
had crossed the "red line" 1067 by giving "a platform in his magazine to the
mother of my husband's murderer." 1068 In all fairness to Mrs. Rabin,
however, she later publicly called for a re-opening of the investigation into
her husband's murder saying, "many questions remain in the air." 1069
In the end—particularly after JFK Jr's tragic death in 1999—more than a
few people, including Israeli journalist Barry Chamish, suggested perhaps that
"John John" had heard about Final Judgment, and his decision to publish
the Rabin assassination story was a signal of precisely that.
Later, in the question-and-answer section, we'll discuss the strange
death of JFK, Jr. and demonstrate the unusual role that a "former" Mossad
operative played in the events surrounding that tragedy.
SUPPORT FOR ASSASSINATION AS POLICY
Whatever the case, what is all the more ironic is that even as all of
these charges and counter-charges were being made within Israel, its
foreign intelligence service, the Mossad, was caught in an embarrassing
failed assassination attempt against a Palestinian leader in Jordan. The
bungled plot demonstrated that the Mossad does engage in assassination
attempts on foreign soil. Yet, as the international press repeatedly reported,
most Israelis were not particularly disturbed by the fact that the Mossad was
engaged in such activities. Largely, it seems, Israelis were disturbed by the
fact that their intelligence agency had bungled the job with the consequence
that Israel was subjected to international condemnation.
The Washington Post, in a provocative front page headline,
summarized it best: "For Many Israelis, Assassination Is Only as Bad as Its
Execution." 1070 The Post reported, frankly, that "In the national
mortification over a failed assassination attempt in Jordan, Israelis are
dissecting every tactical, technical and procedural flaw in the affair.