Israel remembers Yitzhak Rabin

Twelfth anniversary of former prime minister's assassination to be marked in series of memorial services throughout country Wednesday. Ceremonies to climax in mass rally at Rabin square

Ynet reporters|Published: 10.24.07 , 00:51

The 12th anniversary of the assassination of former Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin will be marked by a series of ceremonies throughout Israel, climaxing in a mass rally in Tel Aviv's Rabin square.

The rally,as well as most ceremonies, will be attended by Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, ministers, Knesset members and senior State officials.

Remembering

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Twelve years after standing on the same stage with Yitzhak Rabin, singing 'A Song for Peace' and climbing down the same stairs the prime minister was shot on, president recalls that dreadful evening

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Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, who was scheduled to return from his visit to Europe later Tuesday night, was expected to head the Prime Minister's Office ceremony on noon Wednesday.

The State ceremony will begin at 3pm, on Jerusalem's Mount Herzel and at 5pm, the Knesset is expected to hold a special memorial session.

History will not forgive

In a ceremony held at the President's Residence earlier Tuesday, President Shimon Peres recalled: "I stood next to Yitzhak. His face was glowing at the sight of this demonstration of this shaking and so spontaneous solidarity.

"The despicable crow, this vile person, was standing all along armed with a loaded gun, calmly waiting at the foot of the stairs. He shot at Yitzhak's back, but he also shot the nation's heart. Neither the people nor history will forgive this despised person."

The Middle and High School Teachers' Association granted Education Minister Yuli Tamir's request and allowed its principals and teachers to hold memorial services in the otherwise closed schools.

Defense Minister Ehud Barak is scheduled to attend a memorial service in Daliat-el-Carmel on Sunday, followed by a joint Israeli-Arab school service in Haifa, on Monday.

The main memorial rally is scheduled for 7:30pm Saturday, the 3rd of November, in Tel Aviv's Rabin square.

Earlier Tuesday, Yonatan Ben-Artzi, Yizhak Rabin's grandson, told Ynet he was troubled by the propaganda being disseminated by extreme-right activists trying to obtain the release of his grandfather's assassin, Yigal Amir.

He referred to the recent media attention surrounding a video calling for Yigal Amir's release and information about his wife and soon-to-be-born child as "an insane asylum".

Ben-Artzi went on to say that he was convinced that the majority of the public did not identify with this group, but added that the government must still do something about it.