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Thousands Attend Israeli Minister's Funeral
Thousands of mourners crowded Jerusalem's military cemetery Thursday for the funeral of an Israeli cabinet minister, assassinated a day earlier as he entered his hotel room.
Rehavam Zeevi, tourism minister and a retired major general, advocated removal of Palestinians from the West Bank and Gaza. His position was denounced by Palestianians and many Israelis as racist.
Politicians and generals eulogized Zeevi's long military career and dedication to his cause.
The Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine, a militant group in Yasser Arafat's PLO umbrella organization, claimed responsibility for the assassination, saying it was revenge for Israel's killing of a PFLP leader. It was the first time a Palestinian group assassinated an Israeli Cabinet minister.
A funeral cortege, led by eight army generals, carried the flag-draped coffin through the streets of Jerusalem from the parliament building to the cemetery. Israeli television and radio stations carried live broadcasts of the ceremony and funeral.
Zeevi, 75, was a career army officer before entering politics in 1988 as founder of the right-wing Homeland party. He was buried in Jerusalem's Mt. Herzl military cemetery, with an honor guard that fired three rifle rounds in the air, a final salute to the former officer.
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