Today, the 30th day of the Hebrew month of Tishrei, marks two years since Tourism Minister Rehavam Ze'evi, known as Gandhi, was murdered by an Arab terrorist in a Jerusalem hotel. A state memorial service is being held this afternoon in Jerusalem's Mount Herzl Cemetery, with the participation of Ze'evi's friend and army fellow army general Prime Minister Ariel Sharon, as well as ministers and MKs.
Women-in-Green members protested outside the Prime Minister's office this morning, holding signs with the call issued to Sharon by Ze'evi's son Palmach at his father's funeral, "Take revenge the way Gandhi would have taken revenge for you."
The archaeological site Um el Kanatir in the Golan, in which an ancient synagogue has been uncovered, was renamed "Kshatot Rehavam" (Rehavam Arcs) ten days ago in memory of the slain minister. Ze'evi visited the site only a month before he was killed, and told Golan Regional Council head Eli Malka at the time that Um el Kanatir should be "first on line to be developed." Speaking at the dedication ceremony ten days ago, Malka said, "This, then, is the closing of a circle."
Rehavam Ze'evi enlisted in the Haganah in 1944, and served in the IDF until 1974. He retired from the army with the rank of Maj.-Gen., after having served as O.C. Central Command and in other positions, and was appointed to be Prime Minister Rabin's advisor on terrorism and intelligence. Gandhi was elected to the Knesset in 1988 as head of the Moledet Party he founded. He served as minister without portfolio in the Shamir government for approximately a year in the early 90's, and became Tourism Minister in the first Sharon government.
His wife Yael told Arutz-7, "He wrote articles several years ago predicting the collapse of the entire Oslo process. He said over and over that he hoped he was wrong, but that he knew that in time, people would ask how he read the situation so accurately."
Gandhi would always begin his weekly commentary on Arutz-7 with the words, "Shalom LaYehudim" - Hello, or Peace, to the Jews. Yael explained, "He was referring to the listeners of Arutz-7, as he always saw you as proud, upright Jews who believe that 'the eternity of Israel will not lie or change,' and who always act in accordance with Jewish spirit and tradition in attaining the 'Land of Israel for the Nation of Israel in accordance with the Torah of Israel,' as was written on the membership cards of the Moledet movement. By saying, 'Shalom LaYehudim,' he meant that if we remember to be Jews, then we will merit and attain days of peace."
Gandhi donned tefillin every day, saying that this connected him to Jewish tradition, and was known to always wear a dog tag with the names of the missing Israeli soldiers. His five children all had names with modern Jewish-historic significance: Yiftach Palmach, Sayar Binyamin, Massada, Tse'elah, and Aravah. He worked tirelessly on behalf of Eretz Yisrael Museum in Tel Aviv, was a member of its Board of Directors, and edited many books published by the museum and the Defense Ministry. Rehavam Ze'evi was the 188th victim of what he often called the Oslo War, which has since exacted well over 600 more casualties.
Women-in-Green members protested outside the Prime Minister's office this morning, holding signs with the call issued to Sharon by Ze'evi's son Palmach at his father's funeral, "Take revenge the way Gandhi would have taken revenge for you."
The archaeological site Um el Kanatir in the Golan, in which an ancient synagogue has been uncovered, was renamed "Kshatot Rehavam" (Rehavam Arcs) ten days ago in memory of the slain minister. Ze'evi visited the site only a month before he was killed, and told Golan Regional Council head Eli Malka at the time that Um el Kanatir should be "first on line to be developed." Speaking at the dedication ceremony ten days ago, Malka said, "This, then, is the closing of a circle."
Rehavam Ze'evi enlisted in the Haganah in 1944, and served in the IDF until 1974. He retired from the army with the rank of Maj.-Gen., after having served as O.C. Central Command and in other positions, and was appointed to be Prime Minister Rabin's advisor on terrorism and intelligence. Gandhi was elected to the Knesset in 1988 as head of the Moledet Party he founded. He served as minister without portfolio in the Shamir government for approximately a year in the early 90's, and became Tourism Minister in the first Sharon government.
His wife Yael told Arutz-7, "He wrote articles several years ago predicting the collapse of the entire Oslo process. He said over and over that he hoped he was wrong, but that he knew that in time, people would ask how he read the situation so accurately."
Gandhi would always begin his weekly commentary on Arutz-7 with the words, "Shalom LaYehudim" - Hello, or Peace, to the Jews. Yael explained, "He was referring to the listeners of Arutz-7, as he always saw you as proud, upright Jews who believe that 'the eternity of Israel will not lie or change,' and who always act in accordance with Jewish spirit and tradition in attaining the 'Land of Israel for the Nation of Israel in accordance with the Torah of Israel,' as was written on the membership cards of the Moledet movement. By saying, 'Shalom LaYehudim,' he meant that if we remember to be Jews, then we will merit and attain days of peace."
Gandhi donned tefillin every day, saying that this connected him to Jewish tradition, and was known to always wear a dog tag with the names of the missing Israeli soldiers. His five children all had names with modern Jewish-historic significance: Yiftach Palmach, Sayar Binyamin, Massada, Tse'elah, and Aravah. He worked tirelessly on behalf of Eretz Yisrael Museum in Tel Aviv, was a member of its Board of Directors, and edited many books published by the museum and the Defense Ministry. Rehavam Ze'evi was the 188th victim of what he often called the Oslo War, which has since exacted well over 600 more casualties.