In its sitting on Monday, the knesset plenum held a special debate marking the National Memorial Day for the late Yitzhak Rabin. Present in the gallery were President of the State Isaac Herzog and his wife, members of the Rabin family and 44 ambassadors from various countries.
Speaker of the Knesset MK Amir Ohana (Likud) opened the sitting, saying, “Rabin was a military man for about half of his adult life. The seventh Chief of Staff of the IDF, who led the army during the Six-Day War. Rabin fought against terrorism with a firm hand.
“And alongside his battle against terrorism and the enemy, Rabin had dreams. In his efforts to fulfill the dream to leave a better world to the next generations, Rabin pursued a new and unfamiliar path, on the way to peace. And on this path, a rough path strewn with landmines, Rabin strode hesitantly. Not merrily. Your dream has not yet come true, Yitzhak. The world is not yet more conciliatory. We too in the Knesset Plenum, which you knew so well, have more work to do. But a person is marked by his dreams, and yours was a sublime dream. You aspired to such sublime and lofty things.
“The democratic elections, contrary to what is claimed, will be held, and this will take place over the course of the next year, as the Knesset shall decide. And the public will make its choice. Not by violence, and hopefully not with vitriol. People will talk here about the Prime Minister and Defense Minister, they will speak about the Chief of Staff and the military commander, but for his family he was also a father, a grandfather, not a symbol or a metaphor. He was a person. On behalf of the nation, and on behalf of the Knesset, we express deep sorrow, the sorrow of the people of Israel. Let the memory of the Prime Minister, Minister of Defense and Chief of Staff of the Israel Defense Forces, Yitzhak Rabin, be blessed for all time,” said the Speaker of the Knesset.
Minister of Agriculture and Food Security MK Avi Dicter (Likud): “The assassination of the Prime Minister, Yitzhak Rabin, is a jarring landmark. At times, that night, that Saturday night, appears so close. Even after such dramatic two years that we underwent as residents of this state, that night of the three gunshots still resonates with us today.
“As someone who served in the Shin Bet at that time, I knew that there were general warnings about the desire of our enemies to carry out terrorist attacks, but none of us could envision a scenario in which a Jew would think to harm the Prime Minister. The night of November 4, 1995 demands of all of us not to make light of any danger, even if it appears imaginary or groundless. We are called upon not to disregard flashing red lights, even if it is difficult for us to believe that they are signaling an inconceivable crisis or disaster. The assassination of Yitzhak Rabin is engraved deep in our heart, regardless of where we are situated on the map in Israel.
“Making every dispute political strengthens the differences of opinion. In order to contend with the security and economic challenges ahead of us, the national and non-partisan state aspect must dictate our dos and don’ts. We all understand that in the end, we will find a way to reconcile within ourselves. May the memory of the Prime Minister and Member of Knesset, Yitzhak Rabin, be a blessing,” said Minister Dicter.
Leader of the Opposition MK Yair Lapid (Yesh Atid) said, “After two years of war, after three years of chaos, we all want one thing: to stop fighting. We are tired of quarrels. Israel wants to embark on a new path. To build instead of destroy, to speak instead of shout. And yet, I want to warn us so we won’t become confused; this is the proper day, and this is the proper place: the desire for national unity does not exempt us from the fight against extremism, nor does it contradict it.
“You cannot unite the people of Israel without defining, in a clear and unequivocal voice, under which values we wish to unite, and which positions we categorically reject. Unity does not stand on its own, and unity does not mean you remain silent in the face of what endangers Israeli society. If we want to unite the nation, the way to do it is to stand firm against the extremists on both sides and tell them — ‘may our lot not be with you.’
“We are people who cherish life, and we know what we believe in, and we are going to repair and heal the State of Israel. This, more than anything, is Rabin’s legacy. This is the legacy of practical Zionism. As Rabin said: ‘We do not forget for a moment that whether people support our actions or oppose them — we are all brothers, we are all Jews, and we all share the same fate,'” MK Lapid said in his speech.
Related Topics
