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Netanyahu. 'Gaps are diminishing'
Photo: Channel 1
Peres. 'No reason for peace to cause a rift'
Photo: Channel 1
Dalia Rabin. 'Witch-hunt begins on eve of murder'
Photo: Channel 1
Slain PM Rabin
Photo: Yaakov Saar, GPO

PM: Israeli people no longer divided

Speaking during main ceremony in memory of slain Prime Minister Rabin, Netanyahu says, 'There is a lot less animosity now. We listen to one another.Our positions are becoming similar.' President Peres asks him 'not to despair in peace talks'

The main memorial ceremony for former Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin, who was assassinated 15 years ago, was held Wednesday afternoon on Mount Herzl in Jerusalem.

 

The ceremony was attended by President Shimon Peres, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Knesset Speaker Reuven Rivlin, ministers and Knesset members, Israel Defense Forces Chief of Staff Gabi Ashkenazi, Police Commissioner Dudi Cohen, Supreme Court President Dorit Beinish, as well as the Rabin family members, public figures and many citizens. Rabin's son, Yuval, recited the Kaddish prayer over his father's grave. 

 

In his speech, Netanyahu referred to the rift among the Israeli people, saying that "we are no longer divided into two opposite camps, when (each camp) is convinced it holds the truth and the (other camp's) truth will lead to the state's destruction and bring disaster on it.

 

"There is a lot less screaming here now; a lot less animosity. We listen to one another. Our positions are becoming more similar. The gaps are diminishing. One part of the nation has recognized the fact that we cannot continue to exist without order and without compromises, while another part of the nation understands today that it is not the only one aspiring for peace, that Israel is not nearing the end of days, and that not everything is in our hands," the PM said.

 

Addressing the peace process, Netanyahu stressed that any agreement must include security arrangements. "I believe that today most of Israel's citizens understand that even if a peace is achieved, Israel will have to continue guarding its security assets, because security upholds peace while undermining security disintegrates it. I believe there is broad agreement on the essence of our existence here, which you too, Yitzhak, defined so well," he said.

 

"In your final speech in Knesset you said, 'We strive first and foremost to establish Israel as a Jewish state, while at the same time we promise that Israel's non-Jewish citizens will enjoy all the individual, religious and civil rights'. Judaism and racism, you said, contradict each other. We are convinced that a bi-national state will not be able to fulfill the national mission of the State of Israel, which is the state of the Jews," Netanyahu added.

 

"This is the core principle that guided Yitzhak Rabin. A State of Israel that fulfills its Jewish and democratic objective and lives in peace and security with all its neighbors, particularly the Palestinians. I believe this goal unites most of the nation today, and I believe that by joining forces we can realize it."

 

'Solve differences democratically'

President Peres said in his speech that despite the differences of opinion among the Israeli public in terms of peace, they must be dealt with democratically.

 

"I call on all of us to deal with these differences of opinion in a democratic manner in order to create possibilities for peace," he said.

 

Addressing the peace negotiations with the Palestinians, the president said that "there is no reason for peace to cause a rift. Peace can unite the people. I do not discount the difficulties we are all facing, but this is no reason to let go. I am convinced that the entire nation wants peace. I am convinced that it is possible to make a decision for peace."

 

He spoke about his and Rabin's efforts to reach peace with the Palestinians. "We created a situation in which a handshake is better than pulling the trigger."

 

He said that the essence of Rabin's heritage was to "begin negotiations even with harsh conditions, even if they are partial. Not to let go of the peace efforts in tough situations as well. In war – be tough like iron. In peace – be properly creative. When the situation improves, don't get caught in self-satisfaction. Work to turn a military victory into a political achievement. In times of negotiations, even when the rival fails to accept your opinion, don't despair."

 

Peres added that Rabin bequeathed a new spirit to the nation after he was murdered by an evil person who wanted to murder the spirit of the nation. "We won’t forget that you were murdered and we won't forget your legacy," said the president. "You had a leadership quality that is so necessary for those who lead a nation: Not to look back in anger. Look forward with faith. You gained the people's trust. This trust crossed lines and boundaries and bridged generational gaps. Your character was a mixture of coyness and harshness."

 

Standing beside the graves of Rabin and his wife Leah, Peres added, "He also made mistakes, and did not try to sweep them under the carpet. He preferred to fix what was wrong rather than be regretful and defensive. He didn't sugarcoat any situation. He knew the conflict entailed great dangers. Yitzhak believed that the state of the nation is tied to the state of its security."

 

Rabin's daughter, Dalia, said there were still claims of a conspiracy surrounding the murder. "Fifteen years is incomprehensible. It's a chapter in history, a time for thoughts and conclusions, and like what happens every year, when the week of mourning begins, the witch-hunt begins, the unpleasant sounds are heard. A wave of denial and incitement breaks out from dark places, and people try to shift the real and painful dialogue to marginal, distorted ways, creating headlines and things to talk about."

 

At the end of the ceremony, wreaths were laid on Yitzhak and Leah Rabin's graves.

 

President Peres launched the memorial events marking the 15th anniversary of Rabin's murder on Tuesday evening. He spoke of the friendship and disagreements with the man he had known for more than 50 years. He recounted the peace rally on November 4, 1995 and how he bid farewell to Rabin at the Sourasky Medical Center in Tel Aviv.

 

Thousands of teenagers gathered Tuesday evening at Tel Aviv's Rabin Square for the annual Scout Movement. Tel Aviv's Chief Rabbi Israel Meir Lau said at the start of the event, "The three bullets which murdered Yitzhak Rabin in the back at this square did not only murder a leader, fighter and friend. They did not only hurt Israeli democracy. These bullets threaten the existence of a people and the continuation of humanity."

 

 


פרסום ראשון: 10.20.10, 15:05
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