To the editor:
Reading Roger Cohen's column on the movie "Incitement" and his repeated wondering "if only," I myself wonder what he would have written if only he hadn't let his prejudices blind him to basic realities. Among those realities:
At the time of Rabin's assassination, Yasser Arafat had already fatally sabotaged any realistic hopes for peace and, according to reliable close confidants, Rabin was on the verge of abandoning the Oslo process.
Shimon Peres' ineptness, which according to Cohen allowed Netanyahu to win the 1996 election, consisted primarily of an inability to effectively deal with the increased Palestinian Arab terrorism, including numerous bus bombings with mass casualties.
Rather than killing Rabin's efforts to make peace, as incorrectly asserted by Cohen, it's probable the assassination of Rabin led to the Oslo process continuing long after it became clear that, thanks to Yasser Arafat, it was counterproductive, harmful to both Arabs and Israelis and fatal to many.
Sincerely,
Alan Stein