Opinion & Comment
Observations: Photograph "Peace Partners" Disappears

The famous picture of Yasser Arafat, Shimon Peres and Yitzhak Rabin taken during the Nobel Prize ceremony was removed recently from the display dedicated to the memory of Rabin at Mt. Herzl, the publication Yerushalayim revealed recently. The Jerusalem weekly writes that the picture was placed on display a few years ago, causing significant opposition on the part of visitors, public figures and various organizations.

The Organization for Victims of Terror, for instance, objected to the idea of placing a picture of Arafat at the main entrance to Mt. Herzl and even considered appealing to the High Court. With the outbreak of the Al Aksa Intifadah the number of complaints made by the families of terror victims increased. Deputy mayor of Jerusalem Yigal Amedi even contacted Mt. Herzl management several months ago and demanded that the picture be taken down. "Many of the dead buried at the Mt. Herzl cemetery are there as a result of terrorist activities that were planned and personally approved by Arafat," wrote Amedi.

According to Yerushalayim the managing director of the Department for Zionist Activities, Rami Korenblum, who is in charge of Mt. Herzl, confirms that over the last six months the number of complaints about the picture hanging in the entranceway have multiplied, but he claims the picture was simply removed when the exhibit ended. "The complaints are perfectly legitimate, but they are not what ultimately led to the removal of the picture," says Korenblum.

As far back as 1998 an inspector from the Ministry of Tourism complained about the display of Arafat's picture at Mt. Herzl, and submitted his complaint to the Jewish Agency. The inspector, Eli Beton, said that he was told that the Jewish Agency would not remove any picture without holding a meeting of the members of administration of the Zionist Federation to discuss the issue. In the end, following several meetings in various forums, the photograph was left in place. Beton, who has left the Ministry of Tourism in the meantime, explained, "This is a . . . the cemetery where dozens of people, for whose murder Arafat was responsible, are buried."

The Jewish Agency replied to Yerushalayim that since the murder of Rabin a temporary exhibit on the subject of Rabin and his legacy has been on display. Recently, the exhibit was removed in preparation for the renovation of the Herzl Museum.

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