[Congressional Record Volume 141, Number 174 (Monday, November 6, 1995)]
[Senate]
[Pages S16709-S16711]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




             HONORING THE LIFE AND LEGACY OF YITZHAK RABIN

  Mr. LOTT. Mr. President, on behalf of Senators Dole and Daschle, I 
send to the desk a concurrent resolution in honor of Israeli Prime 
Minister Yitzhak Rabin, and ask for its immediate consideration.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will read the concurrent resolution.
  The legislative clerk read as follows:

       A concurrent resolution (S. Con. Res. 31) honoring the life 
     and legacy of Yitzhak Rabin:

       Whereas Yitzhak Rabin, a true hero of Israel, was born in 
     Jerusalem on March 1, 1922;
       Whereas Yitzhak Rabin served in the Israel Defense Forces 
     for more than two decades, and fought in three wars including 
     service as Chief of Staff of the Israel Defense Forces during 
     the Six Day War of June 1967;
       Whereas Yitzhak Rabin served the people of Israel with 
     great distinction in a number of government positions, 
     including Ambassador to the United States from 1968 to 1973, 
     Minister of Defense from 1984 to 1988, and twice as Prime 
     Minister from 1974 to 1977 and from June 1992 until is 
     assassination;
       Whereas under the leadership of Yitzhak Rabin, a framework 
     for peace between Israel and the Palestinians was established 
     with the signing of the Declaration of Principles on 
     September 13, 1993, continued with the conclusion of a peace 
     treaty between Israel and Jordan on October 26, 1994, and 
     continues today;
       Whereas on December 10, 1994, Yitzhak Rabin was awarded the 
     Nobel Prize for Peace for his vision and accomplishments as a 
     peacemaker;
       Whereas shortly before his assassination, Yitzhak Rabin 
     said, ``I have always believed that the majority of the 
     people want peace and are ready to take a chance for peace . 
     . . Peace is not only in prayers . . . but it is in the 
     desire of the Jewish people.'';
       Whereas Yitzhak Rabin's entire life was dedicated to the 
     cause of peace and security for Israel and its people;
       Whereas on November 4, 1995 Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin 
     was assassinated in Tel Aviv, Israel: Now, therefore, be it
       Resolved by the Senate (the House of Representatives 
     concurring), That the Congress--
       (1) Condemns the heinous assassination of Prime Minister 
     Yitzhak Rabin in the strongest possible terms;
       (2) Extends its deepest sympathy and condolences to the 
     family of Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin and to all the people 
     of Israel in this moment of tragedy;
       (3) Expresses its admiration for the historic contributions 
     made by Yitzhak Rabin over his long and distinguished career 
     of public service;
       (4) Expresses its support for the government of Acting 
     Prime Minister Shimon Peres;
       (5) Reaffirms its commitment to the process of building a 
     just and lasting peace between Israel and its neighbors;
       (6) That when the Senate completes its business today, it 
     stand adjourned as a further mark of respect in honor of the 
     late Yitzhak Rabin; and
       (7) Directs the Secretary of the Senate to transmit an 
     enrolled copy of this resolution to the family of the 
     deceased.

  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Is there objection to the immediate 
consideration of the concurrent resolution?
  There being no objection, the Senate proceeded to consider the 
concurrent resolution.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. If there is no objection, the concurrent 
resolution and the preamble are agreed to.
  So the concurrent resolution (S. Con. Res. 31), with its preamble, 
was agreed to.
  Mr. LOTT. Mr. President, I would like to take a moment to comment on 
the concurrent resolution that has just been adopted, and I do want to 
emphasize that all Senators' names will be added as cosponsors and 
additional remarks can be placed in the Record until 2 o'clock today.
  The world truly was shocked by the brutal assassination of Israeli 
Prime Minister Rabin late last Saturday in Tel Aviv. As Israel's 
greatest war hero and architect of the stunning Israeli victory in the 
1967 war, Rabin was instrumental in turning Israel into a world-class 
military power that was in a position to serve as America's foremost 
ally in the crucial Middle East.
  His equally impressive, and perhaps more important, contributions as 
peacemaker during his two terms as Prime Minister from 1974 to 1977 and 
1992 to 1995--the disengagement agreement with Egypt in 1975; the Oslo 
I, Gaza-Jericho, and Oslo II agreements with the PLO in 1993 to 1995; 
and the peace treaty with Jordan in 1994--helped stabilize the Middle 
East and strengthen America's position in the region.
  And by ordering the rescue operation in Entebbe on America's 
bicentennial, Rabin dealt a heavy blow to international terrorism from 
which the United States greatly benefited.
  During the last 3 years, Rabin brought the United States-Israeli 
relationship to unprecedented heights. At his meeting with President 
Bush in Kennebunkport and at several meetings with President Clinton, 
he established extremely close relations with the two Presidents and 
their most senior aides.
  In all spheres--political, military, and economic--the relationship 
has blossomed like never before.
  Prime Minister Rabin will be remembered as a peacemaker. He expressed 
his vision of peacemaking when he spoke to a joint meeting of Congress 
on July 26, 1994:


[[Page S 16710]]

       I have come from Jerusalem in the name of our children, who 
     began their lives with great hope and are now names on graves 
     and memorial stones, old pictures in albums, fading clothes 
     in closets. Each year as I stand before the parents whose 
     lips are chanting ``Kaddish,'' the Jewish Memorial Prayer, 
     ringing in my ears are the words of [Archibald] MacLeish who 
     echoes the plea of the young dead soldiers:
       ``They say: We leave you our deaths. Give them their 
     meaning.''
       Let us give them meaning. Let us make an end to bloodshed. 
     Let us make true peace. Let us today be victorious in ending 
     war.

  Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin truly was a warrior who became a warrior 
for peace. ``Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall inherit the 
Earth.''
  Mr. HATCH. Mr. President, an assassin's gun silenced a great man this 
weekend. When Yitzhak Rabin fell on Saturday in Tel Aviv, his family 
lost a husband and father; Israel lost a great patriot; America lost a 
great friend and ally; and, the world lost a brave soldier for peace.
  I wish to extend my heartfelt sympathy and prayers to the Rabin 
family. I know that the people of Utah and all the people of our Nation 
share with them this deep grief over the violent loss of Prime Minister 
Rabin.
  Yitzhak Rabin was one of the outstanding figures of the modern Jewish 
State. Born in the land he loved, he made history throughout his life, 
as a soldier, general, ambassador, Minister of Defense, and--twice--
Prime Minister. History will regard him as the brave, sometimes lonely, 
figure who fought fiercely and brilliantly to secure his beloved 
Israel, and as the leader who tried to bring his nation into an era of 
peace.
  His greatest campaign remains unfinished. We cannot now say what the 
outcome of the peace process will be. We could not predict the outcome 
1 month ago, with so many elements of the process uncertain, as we 
could not predict that we would never be able to greet our friend 
Yitzhak Rabin again. What we can say is that we stand with Israel today 
in grief, and we join the millions around the world who mourn the loss 
of a great peacemaker.
  The pursuit of peace is dangerous. Here in Washington, not even 1 
month ago, Prime Minister Rabin said, at the signing of the latest in 
the autonomy accords with the Palestinians:

       Today we are more sober. We are gladdened by the potential 
     for reconciliation, but we are also wary of the dangers that 
     lurk on every side.

  Yitzhak Rabin led the life of a hero. As a soldier, he faced battle 
time and again and, as he often recalled, he saw many people die around 
him. Having spent over two decades with the defense forces of Israel, 
he knew the cost of war.
  Peace would exact a higher personal cost from Prime Minister Rabin. 
He knew the risks of peace, but because he was a brave man, a hero, he 
spent the last years of his life trying to build a lasting peace in 
that violent part of the world. He led the peace process because he 
truly believed the peoples of the region truly wanted peace. He also 
led the peace process because he knew the great cost that the nation of 
Israel paid to wage violence against its domestic and foreign 
opponents. Minutes before he was shot, Prime Minister Rabin said

       Violence erodes the basis of Israeli democracy. . . It is 
     not the way of the state of Israel.

  Mr. President, Yitzhak Rabin knew that Israel is a land of laws. It 
is a land where the people rule democratically. That is one of the 
reasons our country has always been able to stand by our closest ally 
in that region, the only democracy in the Middle East. No assassin's 
bullet will change that.
  We will grieve for the loss of Yitzhak Rabin. And we will grieve for 
what this loss means for the people of Israel, and for the peace-loving 
peoples of the Middle East. But we need not grieve for the State of 
Israel, whose strength Prime Minister Rabin built but whose democratic 
institutions will not change due to the violence of one hate-filled 
individual.
  Let us honor the memory of Yitzhak Rabin today. Let us honor this 
great warrior, who died engaged in the greatest battle of his life: the 
battle for peace. And in honor of his memory, let us rededicate 
ourselves to a real peace in the Middle East.
 Mr. THOMPSON. Mr. President, the assassination Saturday of 
Yitzhak Rabin, Prime Minister of Israel, was a tragic, cowardly act 
that must serve to strengthen the peace process in the Middle East, not 
slow it down or end it.
  Rabin was one of the toughest and most successful military leaders in 
his nation's history. He was a legendary warrior whose leadership 
helped establish Israel and preserve it through numerous trials, from 
the Six Day War to the freeing of hostages at Entebbe in 1976.
  Perhaps it was only a man like Rabin--a warrior forged in conflict 
and steeled in battle--who could have led his nation toward peace with 
their historic enemies. Perhaps it was only a man like Rabin who could 
have persuaded his embattled countrymen to give peace a chance.
  And that is what he did. And like other great martyrs before him--
individuals like Abraham Lincoln, Mohandras Gandhi, and Anwar Sadat--he 
gave his life for his people and for his nation, and for peace. The 
pursuit of peace is often more dangerous and difficult than the pursuit 
of war.
  Now, the heirs of Yitzhak Rabin must stand off the terrorists bent on 
hatred, destruction, and war, and continue with their agenda for peace 
in the Middle East.
  Israel is a democratic society, and democracies do not depend on a 
single, individual leader. While Israel and the world mourn for Yitzhak 
Rabin, and for the cause of peace, already his successors are picking 
up his mantle.
  I am certain that Israel can emerge from the circumstances of this 
heinous crime stronger and even more dedicated to a final and lasting 
peace. Only moments before he was gunned down at the peace rally in Tel 
Aviv, Rabin said:

       I believe there is now a chance for peace, a great chance, 
     and we must take advantage of it. . . . Violence . . . should 
     be condemned and wisely expunged and isolated. It is not the 
     way of the state of Israel. There is democracy. Peace is not 
     only in prayers . . . but it is the desire of the Jewish 
     people.
  Mr. PRESSLER. Mr. President, I join with millions around the world to 
express my shock and sorrow for the loss of Israeli Prime Minister 
Yitzhak Rabin.
  My thoughts and prayers are with the Rabin family and the people of 
Israel. A family, a nation, a world will be without an extraordinary 
human being.
  Throughout my career in Congress, I always have had a special 
interest in Israel. A special bond exists between the people of the 
United States and the people of Israel. It is bond based on shared 
ideals--for freedom, for democracy, and for peace.
  Yitzhak Rabin made these ideals his own, and sought their 
preservation for future generations. I am fortunate to say I met 
Yitzhak Rabin on a number of occasions. Through intelligence, savvy, 
and sheer will, Yitzhak Rabin was a significant participant in 
virtually every major chapter of Israel's modern existence: He served 
as a brigade commander during Israel's struggle for independence; he 
was Chief of Staff of the Israeli Army during the 1967 Arab-Israeli 
war; he was Prime Minster and architect of the legendary Entebbe rescue 
mission in Uganda; and of course, he was Prime Minister during the 
historic peace process.
  On meeting Yitzhak Rabin, it becomes clear why he was a leader of 
Israel. For in this man, one can see a nation's characteristics: Tough, 
intelligent, fair, determined, and yes, compassionate. Yitzhak Rabin, 
like all Israelis, loved his country, and was willing to give his life 
to defend his country and bring real peace to his people. Abraham 
Lincoln referred to this extreme level of personal sacrifice, ``the 
last full measure of devotion.'' Indeed, Yitzhak Rabin demonstrated the 
fullness of his devotion to Israel to the very end.
  Yitzhak Rabin devoted and ultimately gave his life to bring about 
what was considered impossible: a lasting peace in Israel and 
throughout the Middle East. Now the people of Israel need to come 
together and see that his cause for peace is achieved and maintained 
for all time. That is a challenge shared by all nations who have an 
interest in peace in the Middle East. No man had a greater role in 
shaping the current peace process than Yitzhak Rabin. And no man has 
played a greater part in placing the peace process in jeopardy than the 
cowardly thug who 

[[Page S 16711]]
killed Prime Minister Rabin by shooting him in the back.
  However, as the people of the United States know all too well, the 
cause of peace and freedom must not fall victim to violence and hate. 
Yitzhak Rabin would agree. The pursuit of peace is above any one man's 
capability to add to it, as well as any one man's audacity to destroy 
it. No matter what form violence may take, it must not stop nor slow 
our collective quest for peace and freedom in the Middle East.
  Mr. President, again, I extend my best wishes to the Rabin family and 
the people of Israel. We have lost a great man, but his dream, his 
legacy of a strong, vibrant Israel at peace with her neighbors is very 
much with us still. It must not perish with him.
  Mr. CRAIG. Mr. President, I join the many mourners who share in the 
loss of Israel's Prime Minister, Yitzhak Rabin. It is ironic that the 
man who has spent his life in working for peace has now given his life 
for peace. When I first heard the news, my reaction was disbelief. As 
all Americans who lived through the loss of President Kennedy know, the 
loss of a leader at the hands of one of your own, is a great loss to 
bear.
  But, as this Nation also knows, the best way to honor the loss is to 
continue on, and accomplish what has been left undone. It is my hope 
that Prime Minister Rabin's death will serve a purpose, it will help 
guide Israel and her neighboring nations in the Middle East into a 
lasting peace.
  A man's life can be ended, Mr. President, but his work, his legacy 
can live on. Prime Minister Rabin's dedication to peace is alive and 
well in Israel, and will serve the Israelis well as they work through 
this very difficult time.
  There are many moments in a great man's life that we can take time to 
recall: The award of the Nobel Peace Prize, his life as a soldier, and 
his life as a leader. Yitzhak Rabin lived a life of service to his 
people, and the nation of Israel. One only need note the number of 
people who, at one time his foe, sat beside him in the peace process as 
partners, and who have shared in the mourning of his death.
  Mr. President, I also would like to add in my support for the work 
that remains to be done. Shimon Peres, the acting Prime Minister and 
partner in peace with Rabin, having served as his Foreign Minister, 
will face many challenges in the coming days--may the road ahead rise 
to meet him.
  Mr. President, before closing I would just note an interesting quote 
in a Washington Times article today from a young Israeli, Eyal 
Mandelbaum, age 16:

       We were brought up on the idea that we are a Jewish nation 
     and that never could a Jew kill another Jew . . . in our 
     history, we lost the war against the Romans because we were 
     divided. If we are divided, we lose.

  Mr. President, Mr. Mandelbaum's words carry an important message. I 
hope that it will be heard, because there is a great deal of work that 
remains to be done on the road to peace. Israel and her people are at a 
critical juncture. I share in the support that has been expressed by 
our President, my colleagues in the Congress, and my fellow Americans, 
to continue to support the Middle East peace process.
  Mr. President, this will test the strength of peace in the Middle 
East, but it is my earnest hope that peace, in the end, will win.
  Ms. MIKULSKI. Mr. President, I rise to honor the life and legacy of 
Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin--a great soldier, statesman, and 
peacemaker.
  I saw the Prime Minister just 10 days ago--at a joyous occasion. It 
was a ceremony in the U.S. Capitol to celebrate the 3,000th anniversary 
of Jerusalem. It is the city where he was born, where he led the 
Israeli Army to its greatest victory--and, sadly--where he is now 
buried.
  The life of Prime Minister Rabin matched the life of Israel. He was 
the first native-born Israeli Prime Minister. He wanted to be a 
farmer--but he spent most of his life as a soldier. He fought in 
Israel's war of independence in 1948. In the six day war, he was the 
general who unified Jerusalem. He was a decorated war hero who helped 
build the Israeli Army into one of the best in the world. It had to be. 
For most of its history, Israel was surrounded by enemies who sought 
nothing less than Israel's destruction.
  Only a soldier who knew war as he did could ask his country to take 
risks for peace. Israelis trusted and respected Yitzhak Rabin--and 
enabled him to reach out to those who Israelis had only met across a 
battlefield. Prime Minister Rabin's courage and perseverance led to the 
historic handshakes on the White House lawn between Israel and its 
former enemies. When he died, the dream of peace was not yet achieved--
but it was in sight.
  I send my deepest sympathy to Prime Minister Rabin's family and to 
the people of Israel. We in the United States know all too well what 
they are feeling. The assassination of a leader shakes the nation's 
sense of confidence and security. The pain is all the greater when the 
murderer is one of their own.
  But while Yitzhak Rabin's death is a tragedy--his life was a triumph. 
His legacy is Israel--a country that is strong, free, and confident 
enough to take risks for peace. I will honor his life and legacy by 
continuing to stand by Israel as it builds a just and lasting peace 
with its neighbors.
  Mr. LOTT. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the names of 
all Senators be added as cosponsors of this resolution.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.

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