Approximately 60.000 persons attended the memorial of Rabin at Rabin’s square in Tel Aviv on Saturday at night. Clinton: “Not a week passes by, without thinking of Rabin”.
Israeli online daily Ynetnews reported that the rally began with a recorder speech of Rabin from the rally he attended when he was assassinated ten years ago, in the same area.
‘Violence is troubling the Israeli democratic foundation; it must be condemned, denounced, and isolated. This is not the path of the State of Israel,’ said Rabin in the taped recording.
Meanwhile, Etan Haber, who announced Rabin’s death ten years ago, went on stage and addressed the rally; “Rabin will always be remembers, by his supporters and bitter enemies”.
Amir Peretz, Labor Party Chairman, speaking at the memorial said that “the path of Oslo is also alive, and well. “It breathes in your place”.
“I came to the country at the age of four, 50 years ago”, he said.
Peretz added that he hopes that factories will be constructed between Beit Hanoun in the Gaza strip, and the Israeli Negev town of Sderot, “in order to create a mutual life with the Palestinian”.
Meanwhile, Shimon Peres, Israeli vice Prime Minister, said that “his friend and companion” Rabin was never afraid to serve peace “even when the Israelis were not ready to vote for him”.
“Israel can achieve peace, for itself, there is no country which can provide Israel with peace”, Peres said, “We have to give our lives away in order to serve the country and its future”.
Israeli Minister of Justice, Tzipi Livni, from the Likud Party, said that the “grieve exceeds all parties, and coalitions”, and added that this memoriam is not political, “it is above all political levels and atmospheres”, she added.
Livni added that did not vote for Rabin, and did not support the policy of his government, but she came to the ceremony to chant for internal peace, for mutual respect, and against violence.
It is worth mentioning that the Likud party led a campaign against Rabin after he signed the Oslo agreement with the late Palestinian president, Yasser Arafat. Several Likud members even called Rabin a “traitor”.
New Labor party leader, former US president to speak at Rabin rally
Saed Bannoura-IMEMC & Agencies
Amir Peretz, the newly elected Labor Party leader in Israel has been invited by Dalia Rabin to speak at the Tel Aviv Rally marking the tenth anniversary of the assassination of her husband, the late Israeli Prime Minister Yizhak Rabin, on Saturday at night. A siren of mourning will be heard at 21:42 throughout Rabin’s Square in Tel Aviv; former American President Bill Clinton will also address rally during the ceremonies.
Israeli sources reported that over One hundred thousand people are expected to attend the rally, which will begin at 20:30 Israel time. The rally will begin by broadcasting Rabin’s last speech against violence which he made on November 4, 1995, just one hour before he was assassinated by Yigal Amir, a Jewish terrorist who shot him in his back.
Israeli online daily Ynetnews reported that political and religious leaders in Israel will address the crowd; this includes the newly elected leader of the Labor Party, Amir Peretz.
The Israeli police closed all roads leading to the Square, and intend to keep them sealed until the end of the event.
The Ynetnews said that the Square was rebuilt and shaped to be exactly as it was on the eve of the assassination. Singer Miri Aloni, will sing “A song For Peace”, which is the same song she sand ten years ago; a lone microphone will be position in the exact location Rabin stood ten years ago.
Several Israeli leaders will attend the crowd, including Israeli Vice Premier Shimon Peres, and Justice Minister Tzipi Livni in addition to Tel Aviv Mayor Ron Huldai.
