Memorial Rally for Yizhak Rabin

22 years have passed since the assassination of Prime Minister and Defense

Minister, Yizhak Rabin. He was the first prime minister and defense minister in Israel's history to be assassinated by a Jew, after permission for his killing was granted by others.

On Friday, November 3, 1995, a day before the murder, the top members of the

intelligence community gathered for a weekly discussion with Rabin. When one

of those present mentioned the increasing radicalization of the protests against

the Prime Minister, Rabin casually dismissed him and asked to focus on the issues

for which the forum had convened. It never occurred to any of those sitting around the table that 30 hours later, Prime Minister Yizhak Rabin would be assassinated by a Jew.

On Saturday night, November 4, 1995, as I waited along with many others in the trauma department at lchilov Hospital for word from the hospital's director, questions arose in my mind about eternity -the eternity of man; the eternity of the nation and the eternity of the divine spirit. I recall saying to myself then that a Judaism that permits the killing of a Jew is not my Judaism. The killer's sentence reflects my Judaism ten times more than those messianic Rabies who permit the killing of another Jew.

On Sunday, November 5, 1995, the day after the assassination, I issued a day-

order for Mossad personnel, in which I stated: "The Prime Minister of Israel, our Defense Minister and commander, Yizhak Rabin, is gone. The bullets of a Jewish murderer have cut short the thread of his life. His life was a continuous contribution to the rebirth of the State of Israel, to its security and its strength. The peace for which he focused his work was, according to his approach and world view, another dimension in the security of the existence and strength of the Nation of Israel in its country. In his passing, a limb has been severed from the Nation of Israel and the State of Israel,"

Yizhak’s roots, which tied him to the Jewish State and the Land of Israel, were as deep and entrenched as the history of this nation. The eternity and unity of the nation and the land were an axiom for him that stood above and beyond any political or public debate, which is itself legitimate since public debate is the soul of the democratic State of Israel.

The man radiated wisdom, not that which is acquired in schools and universities, but rather that which is acquired in the school of life. Wisdom that expressed his personal experience, the result of the burden and action of decades of work towards one great goal – the existence and security of the State of Israel.

The Prime Minister had outstanding analytic capabilities. His unique skill in this area lay in the fact that he could grasp complicated and complex situations and issues, break them down into simple boxes and, in plain Hebrew, in sentences of four and five words, separate the important from the unimportant and make the crux of the issue understandable to all those around him.

He was a statesman. In all the years that I worked with him, I cannot recall one incident in which his decision was tainted by personal or partisan considerations. I do not recall him ever exploiting the tremendous power at his disposal as Prime Minister and Defense Minister for the sake of a cause that was not related to the State. He forbade us - members of the intelligence community- from making considerations of the State subordinate to considerations of secrecy and security.

Yizhak Rabin was a leader. He authorized the boldest operations but not before he was convinced of their need and was certain that the chosen course of action had the necessary risks. From the moment that he approved the operation, he radiated downward a sense of peace and security while assuming the responsibility himself, for better or worse.

Yizhak Rabin was not a sociable individual. The culture of the "friendly slap on the back" was far from who he was. He would sit in front of you with the perpetual cigarette between his fingers, stare at you with his blue eyes, look you over again and again, and only after endless tests would he decide that you were worthy of his trust and support. From that moment on, you knew that you an address and a backup.

In my opinion, during his second term - from 1992 until the assassination – he was convinced that the State of Israel could not continue to live by her sword and that no stone should be left unturned in an attempt to break through the wall of hostility. Rabin, who was a soldier his entire life, believed in the paradigm that power creates deterrence and deterrence allows for greater flexibility and maneuvering. He believed in political negotiations and that a resolution to conflict is an essential element in the equation of security and power.

The year 1993 was unique in the history of the State of Israel because during that

year Rabin led three parallel peace negotiation initiatives: with Jordan, with

Syria, and with the Palestinians in Oslo.

In mỹ opinion, the peace agreement with Jordan was the peak of Rabin's

achievements and his greatest contribution in the historical Israeli-Arab conflict. It is a shame that he did not receive the Nobel Prize for this work. I was with him in the US Congress when he delivered his formative speech before the two Houses of Congress on July 26, 1994 following the peace agreement with Jordan. He began his speech with the following sentence:

"I, serial number 30743, Lieutenant General in reserves Yitzhak Rabin, a soldier in the Israeli Defense Forces and in the army of peace". He then devoted the speech to the subject of peace. The clear message of the text to its American listeners was this: Know that I, Yizhak Rabin, am first and foremost a soldier who spent his life fighting for the sake of the security of his nation and his land. I am convinced that the resolution of the conflict and peace are a guarantee for, and an additional contribution to, the security of the nation and the land. The applause that Rabin received countless times during his speech was deafening.

Yizhak Rabin lived 73 years rich in deeds and made a unique contribution to Israel's rebirth in its land. Like Moses, he was on the verge of completing his mission. The world's reaction and the honor that world leaders shared at his funeral were thunderous testimony to his greatness.

We will remember him always and we will continue on his path.