[Congressional Record Volume 141, Number 176 (Wednesday, November 8, 1995)]
[House]
[Pages H11836-H11853]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




             HONORING THE LIFE AND LEGACY OF YITZHAK RABIN

  Mr. GILMAN. Mr. Speaker, pursuant to the order of the House of 
yesterday, I call up the Senate concurrent resolution (S. Con. Res. 31) 
honoring the life and legacy of Yitzhak Rabin, and ask for its 
immediate consideration.
  The Clerk read the title of the Senate concurrent resolution.
  The Clerk read the Senate concurrent resolution, as follows:

                            S. Con. Res. 31

       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 his 
     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; and
       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; and
       (5) reaffirms its commitment to the process of building a 
     just and lasting peace between Israel and its neighbors.
       Sec. 2. When the Senate completes its business today, it 
     stand adjourned as a further mark of respect in honor of the 
     late Yitzhak Rabin.
       Sec. 3. The Secretary of the Senate is directed to transmit 
     an enrolled copy of this resolution to the family of the 
     deceased.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Bereuter). Pursuant to the order of the 
House of Tuesday, November 7, 1995, the gentleman from New York [Mr. 
Gilman] and the gentleman from Indiana [Mr. Hamilton] each will be 
recognized for 45 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from New York [Mr. Gilman].
  Mr. GILMAN. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, it is with deep sorrow and a sense of personal loss that 
today we consider legislation that memorializes the life and legacy of 
Israel's slain Prime Minister, Yitzhak Rabin. Prime Minister Rabin, who 
was gunned down on Saturday night by a lone assassin, was attacked by 
an extremist who was opposed to his efforts at reconciliation and peace 
with the PLO, initiated 2 years ago with the signing of the Declaration 
of Principles.
  The shocking circumstances of Prime Minister Rabin's death magnify 
the tragedy of his loss. I was honored to participate in the 
Presidential delegation that attended Prime Minister Rabin's state 
funeral in Jerusalem. It was gratifying to see an extensive list of 
Heads of State and international dignitaries in attendance, including 
representatives of nations with which Israel does not have diplomatic 
relations, and to hear many eloquent speakers reiterate their 
commitment to a lasting peace throughout the region.
  This distinguished gathering mourned the life and legacy of Yitzhak 
Rabin, a soldier-statesman who became his nation's first native born 
Prime Minister. Born in Jerusalem in 1922, as a young man, Yitzhak 
Rabin fought for Israel's independence by defending the Tel-Aviv-
Jerusalem highway. He distinguished himself on numerous occasions, none 
more so than when, as Chief of Staff of the Israeli Defence Forces, he 
led Israel's troops through the Old City to the Wailing Wall during the 
Six-Day war of 1967. This memorable event brought about the 
reunification of all Jerusalem, and Rabin's birthplace, an Israel's 
capital.
  General Rabin also distinguished himself in his service to his 
country as Ambassador to the United States for 5 years. He contributed 
significantly to the close United States-Israel partnership that 
persists today. His commitment to that relationship, as well as his 
personal and unstinting commitment to peace with security, were evident 
throughout the remainder of his political career, both as Minister of 
Defense and as Prime Minister of Israel.
  Just 2 weeks ago Congress celebrated the 3,000th anniversary of 
Jerusalem as Israel's capital. As Jerusalem's most famous native son, 
Prime Minister Rabin participated with us in the rotunda delivering 
deeply moving remarks. His presence still echoes in our hallway. It is 
with a sense of utter disbelief that we consider this legislation 
today.
  Prime Minister Rabin will forever be remembered as a man who not only 
led Israel to victory in war, but who also led her citizens in pursuit 
of peace. At this troubled time in Israel's history, we express our 
support for Israel's transition government, and reaffirm the 
congressional commitment to a lasting peace between Israel and her 
neighbors.
  Our thoughts and prayers are with the Rabin family, for Acting Prime 
Minister Shimon Peres, and for all the people of Israel at this time.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

                              {time}  1145

  Mr. HAMILTON. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the distinguished 
gentleman from Missouri [Mr. Gephardt], the distinguished minority 
leader.
  (Mr. GEPHARDT asked and was given permission to revise and extend his 
remarks.)
  Mr. GEPHARDT. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to urge all of my colleagues 
to support this resolution--to pay tribute to one of the greatest 
soldiers of peace the world has ever known.
  Like all Americans, I was shocked and saddened at the senseless 
murder of Prime Minister Rabin this past Sunday. And the great irony is 
that he died as he lived--celebrating and advocating the cause of peace 
in the Middle East.
  To me, Yitzhak Rabin was the very essence of leadership, because up 
until the last moments of his life, he did not do what was easy; he did 
not do what was popular--he did what was right.
  He not only brought his nation to the brink of a real and lasting 
peace--he rallied millions of Israelis, and millions of people all over 
the world, in support of that crusade.
  Many of us in this Chamber had the opportunity to travel to Israel on 
Monday--to grieve along with the people of Israel. And for me, as for 
so many of us, the loss was as personal as it was political.
  For I know Yitzhak Rabin as a kind and caring man--as someone who 
carried a love for his people, and an abiding belief in peace, deep 
inside him. To 

[[Page H 11837]]
talk with him--even to stand in the same room with him--was to feel his 
generosity of spirit, and his profound humanity.
  Yitzhak Rabin may be irreplaceable--and his kind of leadership may 
come once in a generation, perhaps once in a century. But there is one 
thing that each Member of this House can do to honor his name, and that 
is to keep his dream alive, to put into practice the peace agreement he 
has already secured, and to keep waging his battle for a comprehensive 
peace throughout the Middle East. If we can do that, if we can give 
meaning to the dream that sustained Yitzhak Rabin both in life and in 
his work, then we will know that the did not die in vain.
  Mr. Speaker, I urge Members to support this resolution to honor the 
name and the work and the commitment of a great human being, Yitzhak 
Rabin.
  Mr. GILMAN. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to yield 2 minutes to the 
gentleman from Ohio [Mr. Hoke].
  Mr. HOKE. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding time to me.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise to pay tribute to and speak words on behalf of 
Yitzhak Rabin. I had the privilege of meeting Prime Minister Rabin in 
August 1995 with a very small delegation which was hosted in his office 
in Jerusalem. We spent about an hour, an hour and a quarter, with the 
Prime Minister. I recognized immediately that this was a man who was a 
giant, because he put ahead of his own personal ambition, ahead of his 
party's political ambitions, ahead of any personal thought, obviously 
even of personal welfare and safety, he put first and foremost his love 
for the state of Israel and his commitment to the long-term 
preservation and viability and existence of the nation of Israel, and 
he was, in that sense, utterly unique in that he brought these 
qualities of genuine selflessness to the work that he did and to the 
Israeli people.
  It is a tremendous sense of loss, not just with respect to the 
leadership that is gone, this man who was in fact both the George 
Washington and ultimately the Abraham Lincoln of his people, but it is 
also a sense of personal loss that makes me very sad about the events 
of this past weekend, the falling of this extraordinary figure, a 
figure who, first and foremost, put love of nation, and who set an 
example for leadership everywhere. I support this resolution.
  Mr. HAMILTON. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1\1/2\ minutes to the gentleman 
from Maryland [Mr. Wynn].
  Mr. WYNN. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding time to me.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise today to support this resolution. In our times, 
we have found out that giants do not get to die in bed: John F. 
Kennedy, Martin Luther King, Anwar Sadat, and now Yitzhak Rabin. 
Because these giants have the courage to stand up and speak out on 
controversial issues and take risks, all too often they are the victims 
of the assassin's bullet.
  Yitzhak Rabin was indeed a giant. Among his last comments at the 
peace rally before his assassination he said, ``People really want 
peace.'' This was the idea that guided the last few years of his life. 
Because Rabin was both a realist and a visionary, he understood that 
the use of force alone would not solve the problems of the Middle East. 
He also understood that the road to peace would be long and difficult. 
He understood that a political solution would require consideration of 
politically unpopular terms, and direct talks with people he often 
believed were directly responsible for the deaths of hundreds of 
Israeli citizens. He understood that it is sometimes necessary to do 
that which is unpleasant for the sake of a greater good.
  I believe this led him to shake hands with former adversary PLO 
leader Yasser Arafat on the White House lawn for the sake of peace. He 
leaves us a legacy that should not die. A giant has died. Let his 
legacy of peace live on.
  Mr. GILMAN. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to yield 2 minutes to the 
gentleman from Massachusetts [Mr. Torkildsen].
  Mr. TORKILDSEN. Mr. Speaker, I thank the distinguished chairman of 
the committee for yielding time to me.
  Mr. Speaker, the United States and Israel share many ideals, beliefs, 
and goals. We both cherish peace, but will gladly fight to maintain 
democracy and freedom. Now, sadly, regretfully, we also share the 
martyrdom of a national hero.
  Like our Nation's first martyr, Abraham Lincoln, Yitzhak Rabin 
dedicated his life to building a whole and free nation. Both men were 
shaped by the tragic necessity of war, though war did not take them 
from us. Instead, assassins stole these men of peace with senseless 
acts of vengeance.
  We both know the tragedy of mindless violence. America has learned to 
recover, and, you, too will heal as America has healed. While that 
healing will always be darkened by the memory of this tragedy, the life 
cut down while leading Israel, the memory should also be brightened by 
Yitzhak Rabin's life, and leading Israel and the world to peace in the 
Mideast.
  Following Abraham Lincoln's assassination, Herman Melville wrote 
``The Martyr,'' and spoke of the endurance of the American spirit, a 
spirit that Israel shares:

     He lieth in his blood,
     The father in his face,
     They have killed him, the Forgiver,
     The Avenger takes his place.
     There is a sobbing of the strong,
     And a pall upon the land
     But the people in their weeping,
     Bare the iron hand.

  Mr. HAMILTON. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1\1/2\ minutes to the gentleman 
from Virginia [Mr. Moran].
  Mr. MORAN. Mr. Speaker, the last time that Yitzhak Rabin spoke to us 
right here in the U.S. Congress, he invoked a phrase from Archibald 
MacLeish, and used it in reference to Israel's young dead soldiers: 
``Their tombstones say, `We leave you our deaths. Give them their 
meaning.' '' Last week God said to us, ``I give you his death. Give it 
its meaning.''
  Throughout the course of human history, when the mortal lives of our 
great leaders have been sacrificed to the cause of peace, brotherhood, 
and progress, the moral force of their message takes on an immortal 
life of its own within the human character. Yitzhak Rabin takes his 
place alongside those responsible for the evolution of the human 
spirit: Rabbi Akiba, who recited the Shema as he was being tortured to 
death for having preached during his life that ``Thou shalt love thy 
neighbor as thyself,'' through Jesus Christ, Mahatma Ghandi, Anwar 
Sadat, Martin Luther King, and so many others whose shoulders we stand 
upon.
  Today, our task, our responsibility, for which future generations 
will hold us accountable, is to be true to their memory, to give the 
life of Yitzhak Rabin its deserved, its lasting, and its great meaning.
  Mr. GILMAN. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to yield 2 minutes to the 
distinguished gentleman form New Jersey [Mr. Zimmer].
  Mr. ZIMMER. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding time to 
me.
  Mr. Speaker, I had the great honor of meeting with Yitzhak Rabin, 
both before he was Prime Minister and when he was Prime Minister, in 
two visits to Israel, being impressed by this strength, the 
understanding, and the strategic vision of the man, and his love for 
his nation and for his people.
  As one of thousands of New Jerseyans who attended a memorial service 
for slain Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin, I was moved by the 
outpouring of emotion for one of the world's great leaders.
  As a Jew, I was stunned and sickened to learn that Rabin was killed 
by another Jew in an act of despicable cowardice. We must not allow 
Rabin's heroic efforts to be tarnished by those who would seek to 
exploit his tragic death as an opportunity to further divide the 
Israeli people. In the words of Rabin himself, before a joint meeting 
of Congress last year:

       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 pleas of the young dead soldiers:
       ``They say: We leave you our deaths. Give them their 
     meaning.''

  He continued:

       Let us give them their meaning. Let us make them an end to 
     bloodshed. Let us make true peace. Let us today be victorious 
     in ending war.

  The loss of Yitzhak Rabin casts a darkness on the world, but I 
believe his light will continue to shine. 

[[Page H 11838]]

  Mr. HAMILTON. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from 
Massachusetts [Mr. Kennedy].
  Mr. KENNEDY of Massachusetts. Mr. Speaker, it is very difficult for 
me to come on the House floor today to talk about the loss that the 
world has felt as a result of the death of Yitzhak Rabin. With my 
children, I learned of the news on Saturday evening, and it brought 
back such a flood of memories of other times in our family's history 
and in this country's history.
  Our hearts go out to the Rabin family and to the people of Israel, 
and to peace-loving people throughout the world, to recognize that yes, 
Yitzhak Rabin was a man who was a soldier for peace, who fought for his 
country, but nevertheless, who gave his life to preserve a peace for 
his country.

                              {time}  1200

  And all of us that commit ourselves to trying to find peace for 
Israel find the inspiration in his life and what he stood for and for 
the caring that he continues to provide this world through his life and 
its meaning.
  Mr. GILMAN. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. HAMILTON. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself 4 minutes.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise to join my colleagues in paying tribute to 
Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin, who was gunned down in Jerusalem, 
November 4.
  Prime Minister Rabin was an extraordinary leader. The story of his 
life is the story of the State of Israel: He served his people for more 
than 50 years: as a soldier, a diplomat, a politician, and finally a 
statesman. He was at the center of every major event in his country's 
brief history. He dedicated his life to Israel's security, survival and 
freedom:
  As commander of the Harel Brigade, he helped to win Israel's 1948 war 
of independence;
  As Chief of Staff of the Israel Defense Forces, he planned and 
executed a quick victory over Arab armies that threatened Israel in 
1967;
  As Defense Minister, he worked to strengthen Israel's ability to 
defend against outside threats;
  As Prime Minister, he pursued peace with Israel's former enemies, 
with the same fervor, dedication, and courage he had exhibited in war.
  Yitzhak Rabin was a patriot. He was also a person of extraordinary 
strength and character. I was impressed by his honesty and his realism. 
He was not an ideologue or a romantic. He was direct. There was about 
him no pretense, no deception, no subterfuge.
  Though a successful politician, he was also a nonpolitician: he had 
no use for the pomp and pretensions of high office. He did not do 
things just to stay in power. He did them because he was trying to 
build a peace.
  Prime Minister Rabin developed close ties with the United States. He 
respected America's leadership role in the world and acknowledged its 
efforts on behalf of Middle East peace. He was a close friend of every 
President since Lyndon Johnson, and those friendships helped create a 
unique bond between Israel and the United States. It is fair to say 
that no single leader in either country contributed more to this close 
and vital relationship.
  Most of us will remember Yitzhak Rabin for what he achieved in the 
last years of his life. We will remember him, and we honor him today, 
for his dedication and his courage in the search for peace.
  Yitzhak Rabin had a vision of Israel as both a Jewish state and a 
democratic nation. His policy toward the peace process grew directly 
out of that vision. He led his people toward an historic compromise 
with the Palestinians to share the land. He favored a policy of 
negotiation, including direct talks with the PLO and territorial 
concessions in exchange for real peace.
  Yitzhak Rabin understood that military rule over the territories 
meant endless war and that subjugation of a people was contrary to 
Jewish tradition. He understood that annexing the territories would 
dilute the Jewish character of the State of Israel. He understood that 
a negotiated peace was the only solution.
  Some of those who lavish praise on Yitzhak Rabin today are the same 
voices who, just days ago, sought to undermine the peace process.
  We must be clear about what he stood for, and what he gave his life 
for: To honor Yitzhak Rabin is to support the peace process.
  Let me quote from his final remarks, delivered at a peace rally in 
Jerusalem just four days ago:

       I waged war as long as there was no chance for peace. I 
     believe there is now a chance for peace, a great chance, and 
     we must take advantage of it for those who are standing here, 
     and for those who are not here--and there are many. I have 
     always believed that the majority of the people want peace 
     and are ready to take a chance for peace.
       Violence erodes the basis of Israeli democracy. It should 
     be condemned and wisely expunged and isolated. It is not the 
     way of the state of Israel. . .
       Peace is not only in prayers . . . but it is the desire of 
     the Jewish people.

  This remarkable man led his country in war and in peace. His legacy 
stands for all of us to reflect on: A firm commitment, in the face of 
adversity, to security, democracy, and peace. The best tribute we can 
offer today to Yitzhak Rabin is to rededicate ourselves to a just, 
lasting and comprehensive peace in the Middle East.
  Mr. GILMAN. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from 
Pennsylvania [Mr. Fox] who also accompanied the Presidential delegation 
to Jerusalem.
  Mr. FOX of Pennsylvania. Mr. Speaker, the death of Israeli Prime 
Minister Yitzhak Rabin is a tragedy, not only for Israelis and Jews, 
but indeed for Americans and all those who strive for peace throughout 
the world.
  The United States and Israel are partner in world affairs. As 
partners, we have built a foundation based on years of mutual respect 
and trust. Together, we share risks, rewards, and losses as we strive 
to make this world a better and safer place.
  One of the rewards came just a month ago when Israel and the 
Palestinians signed the second phase of the Oslo accord. That document 
was the result of hard work and dedication to peace that was the 
hallmark of Prime Minister Rabin. Now, sadly we must share the loss of 
having him taken from us so prematurely and so violently. But sharing 
that loss makes the burden for both Israelis and Americans easier.
  In the long run, I believe that those who resort to violence will 
find that it accomplishes little. Often, it spurs people on to 
completion of the task at hand, in this case peace in the Middle East.
  Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., once said:

       The ultimate weakness of violence is that it is a 
     descending spiral, begetting the very thing it seeks to 
     destroy. Instead of diminishing evil, it multiplies it. * * * 
     Returning violence multiplies violence and adds a deeper 
     darkness to a night also devoid of stars. Darkness cannot 
     drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive 
     out hate; only love can do that.

  Mr. Speaker, I first met Prime Minister Rabin when he hosted a 
congressional delegation in Israel. I found him to be someone very 
special, someone who cared deeply about his country, cared deeply about 
world peace and making a difference.
  I think what we can say about Prime Minister Rabin, while his work is 
not completed, it is up to those of us who are living to carry on his 
dream of making sure there is peace in the Middle East and making sure 
that we do the best as Americans and members of the world body to make 
sure that the world is a better place for our having made a mark in 
furtherance of his dreams and those that we all share.
  Mr. HAMILTON. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from 
New Jersey [Mr. Torricelli].
  Mr. TORRICELLI. Mr. Speaker, as we mourn the death of Yitzhak Rabin, 
we need as well to celebrate his life. Born of a Jewish family in a 
neighborhood of Palestine, he lived to see that neighborhood become a 
nation and those neighbors a people. As a young man, he was a common 
soldier. He lived to become a leader of one of the world's foremost 
fighting forces.
  His life is woven through the fabric of what became a modern 
democracy, but mostly he achieved in his life what no Jewish family had 
been able to achieve in 2,000 years, because most certainly he once 
heard his mother pray, ``Next year in Jerusalem.'' Jews have returned 
to Jerusalem, not simply during his life but because of his life. He 
lived to see that prayer achieved.
  As the generations pass, many remember that as a soldier he made that 


[[Page H 11839]]
return possible. They need to recall as well that as a statesman, he 
made that return to Jerusalem permanent.
  Mr. GILMAN. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. HAMILTON. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the distinguished 
gentleman from Florida [Mr. Hastings].
  Mr. HASTINGS of Florida. Mr. Speaker, Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak 
Rabin was one of the few people who do not just pass through this 
world, but enhance it. He was a brilliant strategist, a great thinker, 
a fierce warrior, a reluctant politician, a good diplomat, a 
pragmatist, and a visionary who spent his entire life working for the 
betterment of his country.
  I am outraged that he was taken from us by a coward, by a pisher, by 
a hatred for his politics. I am heartbroken that he was murdered as he 
stood on the apex of his greatest success, gazing into the promised 
land of peace. I am saddened beyond words at his passing.
  I am convinced that the escalation of violent rhetoric, the 
disintegration of civil political discourse, contributed to his death. 
I was recently viciously attacked for being critical of those who spew 
this kind of venom. But the assassination of Yitzhak Rabin has only 
reinforced my belief in what I said weeks ago. Words do matter. 
Disagreements with political leaders must be expressed at home in the 
voting booths, not by violence, effigies, and guns. And certainly not 
by manipulating the good intentions of the diaspora and well-meaning 
politicians across the ocean.
  Yitzhak Rabin's sacrifices were not in vain. His goals, first to 
protect his land through war, and then maintain it through peace, are 
supported by the majority of Israelis and will be fulfilled. En route 
to the funeral I saw a sign held by a young girl. It said, ``We knew 
war. Let's learn peace.''
  Mr. GILMAN. Mr. Speaker, I continue to reserve the balance of my 
time.
  Mr. HAMILTON. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the distinguished 
gentlewoman from Connecticut [Mrs. Kennelly].
  Mrs. KENNELLY. Mr. Speaker, we have a resolution before us that does 
not address the loss of an idea, but the death of a man.
  Two years ago, the world echoed the words of Yitzhak Rabin: ``Enough 
of blood and tears. Enough.'' But a madman decided there would be more 
blood and tears. So today, we mourn Yitzhak. Another soldier has given 
his life for peace; another leader has given his life for his country.
  We trusted Prime Minister Rabin's strength to guide the peace 
process. We knew that he, as a soldier, understood the costs and risks 
of war. We were inspired that this man of courage could become one of 
the greatest peacemakers the world has ever known.
  So, this event shakes to its foundation our faith in reason and in 
humanity. And it contains a lesson for all those who live in the 
world's democracies: Terrible dangers lurk at the extremes of politics.
  As we pray for Yitzhak Rabin, his family, and the country of Israel 
that we all so love, we must also keep our own country in our prayers. 
The voices of reason must speak out louder. The lovers of peace must 
step forward to continue his great work, in the Middle and here at 
home.
  Mr. GILMAN. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the distinguished 
gentleman from Texas [Mr. de la Garza].
  Mr. de la GARZA. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from New York 
[Mr. Gilman] for his kindness.
  Mr. Speaker, I join all of my colleagues in extending our sympathies 
to the family of Prime Minister Rabin.
  Mr. Speaker, I wanted to inform my colleagues that in the city of 
McAllen, TX, Sunday evening there was a memorial service conducted by 
Rabbi Lipper of the Temple Emmanuel. I was honored and privileged to 
have been asked to give a part of the eulogy, since I knew the Prime 
Minister for many years. Mr. Speaker, I would like for my colleagues to 
know, the passing of Prime Minister Rabin is a loss to the world.
  Mr. Speaker, it is a loss to all of those that honor and love peace. 
I think that we should continue, and his legacy should be that there 
shall be peace throughout the Middle East, and that there should be the 
recognition that Israel is a land and a people and a democracy, and 
that we instill in all of the people in that area that this should 
continue and that we truly achieve a peace where all can live as equals 
under one God who made us all, and that we make this the legacy of 
Yitzhak Rabin.
  Mr. HAMILTON. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the distinguished 
gentleman from Texas, Mr. Gene Green.
  Mr. GENE GREEN of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I join with all the Members and 
rise strongly to support Senate Concurrent Resolution 31 honoring slain 
Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin. As an Israeli war hero, both during the 
war of independence in 1948 and also the 1967 war to unite the historic 
Israeli nation, he served his nation and was an inspiration to people 
all over the world.
  Mr. Speaker, I met Prime Minister Rabin several times and I was 
impressed not only with his commitment and dedication to his nation's 
security, but also to the realization that peace was not only in the 
interest of the Palestinians, but also in the interest of the Israelis.
  He, more than any person I think I have ever met, Mr. Speaker, 
exemplifies a verse in the Old Testament, Isaiah 2:4:

       He will judge between nations and will settle disputes for 
     many peoples. They will beat their swords into plowshares and 
     their spears into pruning hooks. Nation will not take up 
     sword against nation, nor will they train for war anymore.

  Mr. HAMILTON. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1\1/2\ minutes to the gentlewoman 
from New York [Mrs. Lowey].

                              {time}  1215

  Mrs. LOWEY. Mr. Speaker, just 11 days ago I joined with Yitzhak Rabin 
at the U.S. Capitol to celebrate Jerusalem's 3,000 anniversary. As I 
shook Prime Minister Rabin's hand to say goodbye, I said the words we 
all know so well: ``Next year in Jerusalem.''
  Next year has come too soon. On Sunday I traveled to Jerusalem with a 
pain in my heart--a pain I know we all share.
  Today we join with the Israeli people to commemorate the life of a 
great man. Yitzhak Rabin lived the life of the State of Israel. He 
fought for its independence, and he fought to keep it free and secure. 
He dedicated his life to the cause of creating and defending a homeland 
for the Jewish people.
  To everything there is a season, Yitzhak Rabin said on the White 
House lawn. And when it was time for war, Yitzhak Rabin was the 
greatest of warriors. And when it was time for peace, Yitzhak Rabin was 
the greatest of peacemakers. With his own hands we waged war, and then, 
with his own hands, outstretched, he waged peace.
  Of course Yitzhak Rabin did not choose peace because he loved 
Israel's former enemies. He chose peace because he loved Israel--as we 
all do.
  And so today, let us rededicate ourselves to Yitzhak Rabin vision. 
Let us heed the words of one of Yitzhak Rabin's partners in peace, 
``Let us not keep silent. We are not ashamed, not are we afraid. Let 
our voices rise high to speak of our commitment to peace for all times 
to come.''
  Noa Ben-Artzi Philosof called her grandfather a pillar or fire, and 
so he was. May his spirit always shine brightly to show us the way.
  Mr. HAMILTON. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the distinguished 
gentleman from California [Mr. Berman].
  Mr. BERMAN. Mr. Speaker, the shock that has a paralyzing effect on 
all of us and the sadness that envelopes us on learning of the 
assassination of Yitzhak Rabin makes it difficult to express as 
eloquently as we would like our feelings at this particular time.
  This man, who was such an integral part of the reestablishment of a 
Jewish homeland after 2,000 years and fighting for its survival and 
security and whose commitment, as the gentleman from Indiana mentioned 
earlier, to a democratic society in this Jewish homeland was so strong, 
he was the personification of the State of Israel.
  I think it is interesting, if my colleagues would remember when he 
and King Hussein came here to speak to a joint session of Congress, his 
words at that time.

       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 

[[Page H 11840]]
     ``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.

  We all join in saluting the great life of Prime Minister Rabin and 
mourn his passage.
  Mr. GILMAN. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the distinguished 
gentleman from Missouri [Mr. Emerson].
  (Mr. EMERSON asked and was given permission to revise and extend his 
remarks.)
  Mr. EMERSON. Mr. Speaker, I thank the distinguished chairman for 
yielding time to me.
  I want to rise in strong support of the resolution before the House 
and to join my colleagues in expressing my profound sense of loss on 
the death, the tragic death of Prime Minister Rabin. He was a man of 
great vision and fortitude and character and leadership and peace. We 
do not see his likes too often. And that makes it all the more tragic 
when someone of his magnitude leaves us.
  But I have every confidence that the kind of example that he set is 
going to be an inspiration to others and, notwithstanding the tragedy 
of this event, I am hopeful that great good may come from it by virtue 
of the fact that other people in leadership positions will emulate what 
he has done.
  I want to extend my sympathy to his family, to his wife, his 
children, and his grandchildren.
  Mr. HAMILTON. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the distinguished 
gentleman from California [Mr. Waxman].
  Mr. WAXMAN. Mr. Speaker, I rise to pay tribute to Yitzhak Rabin, a 
great soldier, a great leader, a great man.
  I was honored to be in Jerusalem on Monday and humbled by the 
outpouring of affection and respect for the Prime Minister. It was not 
long ago that Israel was unfairly treated by some as an outcast among 
nations; yet on Monday, delegations from around the world embraced 
Israel and joined her in mourning the terrible tragedy, the loss of 
Yitzhak Rabin. The community of nations did this in part because Prime 
Minister Rabin made it impossible not to.
  When I think of the Prime Minister's contributions, I think of his 
vision, his resolve, his love of Israel, and his steadfast dedication 
to her secure future. Most of all I think of his courage, as a young 
man fighting for Israel's survival and, in later years, fighting for a 
just peace.
  He understood that doing what is right would bring contempt from some 
and considerable risk. But he thought of the generations yet to come.
  He knew that unless he gave leadership, his grandchildren, and all 
children--Arab and Israeli--faced a future fraught with peril.
  It wasn't possible not to be moved by the words of those who spoke at 
his funeral. And I will always remember the thousands of people lining 
the streets, filled with profound sadness and respect. Many told me 
that they felt comfort at seeing the outpouring of support from around 
the world.
  But the greatest tribute is still to come. That tribute will be in 
Israel's continued commitment to the peace process and in our Nation's 
unwavering partnership and support.
  My heartfelt wishes to Mrs. Rabin. May she and the family be 
comforted among the mourners of Zion.
  Mr. GILMAN. Mr. Speaker, I yield 4 minutes to the gentleman from 
Florida [Mr. Stearns].
  (Mr. STEARNS asked and was given permission to revise and extend his 
remarks.)
  Mr. STEARNS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor a man who always 
fought when necessary, but only so that peace could be attained.
  No one can claim that Yitzhak Rabin was not a warrior. Upon his 
graduation from high school he postponed his plans to study agriculture 
in the United States and instead joined the Jewish underground, which 
was then fighting for the very idea of independence and the existence 
of a Jewish homeland.
  Yitzhak Rabin spent the rest of his life as a soldier, leading the 
men and women of the resistance, and eventually the Israeli military. 
Through battle after battle with the Arab countries of the region and 
molding the Israeli Defense Forces into one of the best trained and 
most motivated forces in the world; first as Israel's Army Chief of 
Staff, later as the Minister of Defense, and finally as Prime Minister.
  Along the way he saw his friends and allies die. In one battle during 
the Arab-Israeli war of 1968, the Brigade he commanded lost close to 70 
percent of its membership while fighting to relieve Jerusalem, the city 
of his birth, and to reopen supply lines with the Israeli forces in Tel 
Aviv. Today you can see the remains of this battalion as a memorial to 
the men who lost their lives in this struggle. But eventual victory was 
assured, as long as men like Yitzhak Rabin fought on.
  These were the actions of a man who knew the value of a free and 
secure Israel. To further this dream, he knew a lasting peace would 
eventually have to be reached with Israel's Arab community as well as 
with the surrounding Arab nations. In 1992, while serving his first 
term as Prime Minister, he began the steady progress toward peace that 
earned him the Nobel Peace Prize in 1994. It was in a speech here in 
Washington, DC, in 1993 that Mr. Rabin said, ``We are destined to live 
together on the same soil in the same land. We, the soldiers who have 
returned from battles stained with blood; we who have seen our 
relatives and friends killed before our eyes; * * * We who have fought 
against you, the Palestinian's, we say to you in a loud and clear 
voice: Enough of blood and tears. Enough!''
  Last weekend's tragedy, the first assassination of an Israeli Prime 
Minister, ended one life. But it cannot end the dream that Yitzhak 
Rabin's life stood for: a free and secure Israel, at peace with itself 
and the world.
  The Bible has an appropriate verse which describes our memory of 
Prime Minister Rabin and with which I would like to conclude, ``Blessed 
are the peacemakers, for they shall be called the children of God.'' We 
should all remember Mr. Rabin; a warrior when necessary and a 
peacemaker when possible for his people and for all of Israel.
  Mr. HAMILTON. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the distinguished 
gentleman from West Virginia [Mr. Rahall].
  Mr. RAHALL. Mr. Speaker, a man of war, a man of peace, I think that 
most succinctly describes Yitzhak Rabin, the man we eulogize today. 
Only a man of his background and commitment could bring Israel to make 
the bold and courageous steps for peace so necessary in recent years.
  I recall meeting with Yitzak Rabin in his office in Jerusalem the 
early part of this past June in which he gave graciously of his time 
and patience, I might add, for spirited discussion of the peace 
process, especially as it relates to Israel's northern neighbor and the 
land of my grandfathers, Lebanon.
  I recall watching both he and the king of Jordan light each other's 
cigarettes just off the floor of this body following their speeches to 
a historic joint session of Congress.
  These two soldiers of war and soldiers of peace had it right when 
they said, The peace process must survive. It is now time for all 
religious fanatics on all sides to stop the killing in the Middle East 
and to realize that the peace process must now be strengthened. Those 
who fuel the flames by their hotheaded rhetoric to satisfy these 
enemies of peace, including in this body, should pay the real tribute 
to Yitzhak Rabin and his family by supporting the peacemakers.
  Mr. GILMAN. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from 
Indiana [Mr. Roemer].
  (Mr. ROEMER asked and was given permission to revise and extend his 
remarks.)
  Mr. ROEMER. Mr. Speaker, it is a very difficult job to try to console 
someone like Mrs. Leah Rabin in this difficult hour. It is very 
difficult to match the eloquence of President Clinton with his words 
eulogizing this great leader.
  It is difficult to match King Hussein's strength and commitment to 
the peace process and his words in Jerusalem. And it is impossible to 
better articulate what Noa Ben-Artzi Philosof, the granddaughter of Mr. 
Rabin, said in such moving words about her love for the leadership of 
her grandfather.
  I would say that two of the things that I will just humbly attempt to 
cite, which were inspirational about Mr. Rabin that we will miss in 
Israel, in the Middle East, and America is that right now in politics 
there is a vacuum for leadership and courage. Mr. Rabin would never 
think of licking his fingers 

[[Page H 11841]]
to the wind and testing where public attitudes were on issues. He was a 
wind tunnel of strength for looking at where in a visionary sense his 
country should go for the best interests of later generations. And in 
this peace process, he was willing to risk everything to lead his 
people toward this vision of courage.
  Second, I think he teaches us in death that in a democracy, whether 
it be Israel or the United States, that the people in a democracy have 
a commitment to speak up for a policy that they believe in or that they 
disagree with, that they cannot afford to remain silent or on the 
sidelines.
  Mr. HAMILTON. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the distinguished 
gentleman from New York [Mr. Schumer].
  Mr. SCHUMER. Mr. Speaker, I thank the ranking member from Indiana for 
yielding time to me.
  I want to raise my voice in support of this resolution and in praise 
of Yitzhak Rabin. He was a model, a model of peace and a model of 
strength and a model of resoluteness. Whether one agreed with Prime 
Minister Rabin or not, one knew one thing: He did what he believed.
  In an age of conventional politicians across the world, you never saw 
Yitzhak Rabin putting his finger to the wind. Rather, he made up his 
mind and he did the right thing. As a military man, he was sometimes 
accused of being too tough, as after Lebanon. As a Prime Minister, he 
was accused of being too soft. But Yitzhak Rabin had only one thing at 
heart throughout his career, and that was the State of Israel and the 
Jewish people who lived in Israel.

                              {time}  1230

  He is a model for all of us, whatever our background, religion, or 
nationality, and our condolences to Leah Rabin and the Rabin family.
  Mr. GILMAN. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from 
Georgia [Mr. Lewis], who also joined us in the congressional delegation 
to Jerusalem.
  Mr. LEWIS of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I rise to pay tribute to a fallen 
soldier, a warrior, a warrior for peace * * * Yitzhak Rabin.
  Today our condolences and our hearts go out to the people and friends 
of Israel, the Rabin family, and lovers of peace.
  Prime Minister Rabin was a great man, a great statesman and a great 
peacemaker. He lived his life protecting the people of Israel and gave 
his life trying to bring an end to the cycle of violence that has 
plagued his nation. He was a warrior for peace and that will be his 
legacy. No assassin's bullet can extinguish the flame, the dream, that 
Yitzhak Rabin ignited in the hearts and minds of his people. Yitzhak 
Rabin may no longer be with us, but his dream for a safe, secure 
Israel, an Israel at peace with itself and its neighbors, lives on.
  We have all lost a great leader, a great man * * * a man of peace. 
Bless him.
  Mr. HAMILTON. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the distinguished 
gentleman from Wisconsin [Mr. Obey].
  Mr. OBEY. Mr. Speaker, over the last 21 years I came to have a 
tremendous amount of professional respect and personal affection for 
Yitzhak Rabin. I remember after Camp David having a conversation with 
Anwar Sadat, and I asked him whether or not Camp David in his view 
represented a separate peace between Egypt and Israel or whether it 
would represent the first step in a comprehensive settlement. He said 
to me, ``Well, it had better be the latter because, if it isn't, I'll 
be dead within 5 years,'' and he was.
  Mr. Speaker, the last time I talked to Yitzhak Rabin he told me that 
without peace there was no real security for Israel, and he expressed 
his frustrations that his political opponents were lobbying this 
Congress to get in the way of the Israeli Government's efforts to move 
the peace process forward. Two days ago in Israel, at Mr. Rabin's 
funeral, a key member of the Knesset said to me, ``We have our necks 
out a mile. Is it too much to ask that Congress stay out of the way?'' 
He said, ``You must understand we have to help the Palestinians to make 
their elections work so that we have something real to build on.''
  Rabin and Peres in Israel, Sadat of Egypt, John Hume of Northern 
Ireland, they and people like them risk their lives and their careers 
routinely to bring the security of peace to their people. The best 
tribute to Yitzhak Rabin on this floor will not be our words. It will 
be our actions in either furtherance of or in obstruction of the cause 
which he gave his life for and risked his life for on almost a daily 
basis.
  Mr. Speaker, I will miss Mr. Rabin both professionally and 
personally. He was one of the most dedicated and determined, and yet 
calm, men I have ever had the privilege to know in my life. I think he 
will truly go down as one of the great men who all of us have had the 
privilege to know.
  Mr. GILMAN. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from 
Michigan [Mr. Levin].
  (Mr. LEVIN asked and was given permission to revise and extend his 
remarks.)
  Mr. LEVIN. Mr. Speaker, being at the funeral on Monday was one of the 
most moving and troubling experiences in my life. The murder of Yitzhak 
Rabin was a personal, and national, and an international tragedy. The 
national aspects were so well, so well spoken, at the funeral, as were 
the international aspects, by King Hussein, and President Mubarak, and 
President Clinton.
  But those of us who were there and those who listened also were 
struck by the personal aspects. The granddaughter reminded the murderer 
and the world that when he murdered the Prime Minister he not only 
killed a great statesman, a great leader, but a grandfather.
  What is there left for us to do? To grieve and to recommit ourselves 
to peace and the battle against extremism.
  Mr. HASTINGS of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the 
distinguished gentlewoman from California [Ms. Harman].
  (Ms. HARMAN asked and was given permission to revise and extend her 
remarks.)
  Ms. HARMAN. Mr. Speaker, I was proud to know Yitzhak Rabin, who 
served his country superbly and simultaneously in dual roles as Prime 
Minister--and chief peace-maker--and Minister of Defense--and 
Commander-in-Chief. I was honored to be part of the Congressional 
delegation to his extraordinarily moving state funeral.
  The major figures of the Arab world made their first trips to Israel 
to attend the Rabin funeral, perhaps the best tribute to the impact of 
the man we mourn. Our large American delegation was seated behind them, 
and I took strange comfort gazing over the Arab headgear to the plain, 
flag-draped coffin.
  King Hussein's remarks were so moving. He called Rabin his brother 
and friend, and spoke of his own legacy as achieving peace for all the 
world's children--not just Jordan's. Back at the King David Hotel 
following the ceremony, our delegation encountered the King, sitting on 
the terrace gazing at the old city--his first gaze in 42 years since he 
witnessed the assassination of his grandfather.
  At the Western Wall, our delegation toured the newly excavated 
tunnels around the Second Temple. Our guide pointed out that the Second 
Temple fell because Jews began to fight Jews. The air was redolent with 
the unasked question: Would this--Jerusalem's rebirth and the best 
chance for peace in the history of the Middle East--come apart because, 
once again, Jew is fighting Jew?
  I pray not, and urge passage of Senate Concurrent Resolution 31 which 
pays tribute to one of the world's great leaders and reaffirms 
America's support for the peace process.
  Mr. GILMAN. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from 
Colorado [Mr. Skaggs].
  Mr. SKAGGS. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from New York [Mr. 
Gilman] for yielding me the time.
  As we all mourn the tragic death of Yitzhak Rabin, let us also take a 
moment to celebrate his extraordinary life, to express a profound and 
abiding gratitude for what he was able to do during his days on this 
Earth, for that wonderful gravelly voice that always carried a kind of 
palpable wisdom with it, for his courage, courage defined as always 
being willing to take real risk for a greater good, in his case 
enormous political risk for the greater good 

[[Page H 11842]]
of a lasting peace. He was not only a great leader for Israel, but for 
all of us who seek a world of security and stability and decency.
  Mr. Speaker, we express our deep sympathy and respect to the family 
of Prime Minister Rabin, to the brave people of Israel as they struggle 
forward. In our sadness we must also keep faith with Yitzhak Rabin's 
determined mission. We all have a responsibility now to come together 
to persevere in his name and in his honored memory to complete Yitzhak 
Rabin's journey to peace.
  Mr. HASTINGS of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the 
distinguished gentlewoman from New York [Mrs. Maloney].
  (Mrs. MALONEY asked and was given permission to revise and extend her 
remarks.)
  Mrs. MALONEY. Mr. Speaker, on Monday, a beautiful and sad teenage 
girl captured the attention of the world as she spoke softly in Hebrew.
  The simple eloquent speech of Yitzhak Rabin's granddaughter Noa broke 
our hearts.
  And Prime Minister Rabin's death breaks our hearts and tries to break 
our spirit.
  The man who fought to create the State of Israel, led Israel to 
victory in bitter wars, and was leading his nation down the difficult 
path of peace, is gone.
  But the Yitzhak Rabin who did all this would not want our spirits to 
be broken.
  If only he could have seen the historic gathering Monday in 
Jerusalem: Former Arab enemies wept alongside Leah Rabin; dozens of 
countries which once had no use for Israel sent their Heads of State to 
his grave; the President of the United States spoke as movingly as if 
he had lost his brother.
  The legacy of Yitzhak Rabin is a State of Israel that is strong, 
secure, and welcomed in the community of nations.
  The best way to honor his memory is to ensure that his beloved nation 
can live and prosper in peace.
  Mr. GILMAN. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the distinguished 
gentlewoman from Florida [Ms. Ros-Lehtinen], chairman of the 
Subcommittee on Africa.
  Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN. Mr. Speaker, the assassination of Israeli Prime 
Minister Rabin came as a shock to all of us. We almost considered him 
an irreplaceable leader in the search for a lasting peace between 
Israel and its neighbors.
  Rabin's death reminds us that sometimes the greatest physical and 
moral courage is not to be found among those who make war, but among 
those who seek to make peace. Fortunately, Israel is a democracy whose 
government's policies are not the whim of only one man. And, although 
we mourn the loss of a courageous leader, we can be comforted by the 
fact that the goals he set for himself and his country are goals that 
are widely shared in Israel and they will continue to be pursued.
  Perhaps the greatest monument that could be erected to Prime Minister 
Rabin would be for all of us to renew our own efforts to erect a 
structure of peace that can bring genuine security and peace to the 
people of Israel and to all of its neighbors.
  We simply cannot allow fanatics--be it those who killed Egyptian 
President Anwar Sadat or the young man who has been arrested for the 
assassination of Prime Minister Rabin--to determine what the future of 
Israel and the Middle East shall be. We must move forward toward our 
goal of a lasting peace and a secure Israel.
  This process has already produced benefits. And those benefits were 
there for all to see at Prime Minister Rabin's funeral. We have seen 
Israel and Jordan successfully negotiate a peace treaty. King Hussein 
of Jordan attended Rabin's funeral--something that would have seemed 
impossible just a couple of years ago--and vow publicly, ``we are not 
ashamed, nor are we afraid, nor are we anything but determined to 
conclude the legacy for which my friend fell.''
  We have seen the ending of some boycotts of Israel by the countries 
in the gulf, and I think it is important that ministers from two gulf 
countries had the courage to attend the Rabin funeral. Let us build on 
this and make Israel our strong ally.
  Mr. HASTINGS of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the 
distinguished gentleman from American Samoa [Mr. Faleomavaega].
  (Mr. FALEOMAVAEGA asked and was given permission to revise and extend 
his remarks.)
  Mr. FALEOMAVAEGA. Mr. Speaker, it is an honor and privilege for me to 
share with my colleagues and the American people the recent tragic 
event that took the life of one of the great leaders of the world and 
certainly of his native homeland, the state of Israel.
  Mr. Speaker, for generations to come the name of Yitzhak Rabin will 
be enshrined in the hearts and minds of the men, women, and children of 
Israel. He was an outstanding warrior of the highest order, and a great 
man--because he also was a peacemaker. Truly the Almighty could not 
have said it better, Mr. Speaker, when he said, ``Blessed are the 
peacemakers for they shall be called the children of God.''
  Yitzhak Rabin is honored foremost not for his leadership as a warrior 
and soldier, but as a peacemaker. On behalf of the American Samoan 
people we extend our fondest alofa, shalom, peace be with you, to the 
last Prime Minister Rabin, Mrs. Rabin, their children, and family.
  Mr. GILMAN. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from 
Illinois [Mr. Manzullo], a member of our Committee on International 
Relations.

                              {time}  1245

  Mr. MANZULLO. Mr. Speaker, I spoke at the Temple Beth El in Rockford 
a few nights ago and would like to share those same thoughts with my 
colleagues this afternoon.
  Mr. Speaker, as a Member of the United States Congress, I had the 
rare opportunity to meet Yitzhak Rabin in the recent past. I recall a 
man of great intensity, and as he spoke in his baritone voice, my 
colleagues and I were mesmerized. A photographer captured my meeting 
with Yitzhak Rabin, and that photo hangs proudly in my office in 
Washington. As you peered into his deep-set eyes, it was apparent he 
was the consummate warrior and the ultimate peacemaker.
  Yitzhak Rabin was the warrior who helped Israel become a nation in 
1948, the warrior who led Israel against insurmountable odds in the Six 
Day War, the warrior who knew he had to rely on God's strength to 
protect his tiny nation. He persevered only because he believed that 
the cause of Israel was greater than Israel itself; a cause for freedom 
for all people who had been oppressed.
  And Yitzhak Rabin was the peacemaker, the one who saw Israel's role 
in the world from the perspective of a lasting peace. The warrior was 
tired of fighting and turned his energies to making peace.
  I met those whom he had touched deeply: King Hussein of Jordan and 
Hosni Mubarak of Egypt. They respected Rabin because of his strength. 
He was a strong man--strong at age 73--strong in his beliefs for free 
Israel and strong in his convictions for a lasting peace in the Middle 
East. They respected him because he respected them.
  They're gone now: Moshe Dayan, Menachem Begin, Golda Meir, David Ben 
Gurion. Now, the only native-born Israeli Prime Minister, Yitzhak 
Rabin, has gone to rest.
  At the funeral service Monday in Israel, King Hussein was visibly 
moved. Who would have thought we would have seen that happen in our 
lifetime, a once bitter enemy shaken by the loss of a comrade in peace?
  And Rabin's granddaughter, who is preparing to go into the military, 
as do all young people in Israel, said, ``as a pillar of light led our 
people through the wilderness, my grandfather led me, and who will lead 
me now?''
  His memory leads us now. The memory of one who fought for peace, and 
who died for peace.
  We honor the warrior turned peacemaker, the one who had the courage 
to believe the sons of Hagar and Sarah would someday reconcile, the one 
who believed Isaiah: ``and he will judge between the nations, and will 
render decisions for many peoples. And they will hammer their swords 
into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks. Nation will not 
lift up sword against nation, and never again will they learn war.''

[[Page H 11843]]

  Mr. HASTINGS of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I am privileged to yield 1 
minute to the distinguished gentleman from Illinois [Mr. Poshard].
  Mr. POSHARD. Mr. Speaker, over 2,500 years ago, a great prophet of 
Israel, Habakkuk, looked around and saw the violence and the war that 
wracked his nation, and he asked this question: ``How long, Lord? How 
long before the violence ends and the peace reigns?'' The Lord 
answered, as recorded in the Holy Scriptures, in the book of Habakkuk: 
``Write the vision and make it plain on tablets, that he may run who 
reads it, for the vision is yet for an appointed time, but at the end, 
it will speak and it will not lie; though it tarries, wait for it, 
because it will surely come.''
  Prime Minister Rabin's struggle, his vision for peace, will be 
rewarded. The peace will come; though it tarries, it will come.
  Mr. GILMAN. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to yield 2 minutes to the 
gentleman from New Jesery [Mr. Menendez], a member of our Committee on 
International Relations.
  Mr. MENENDEZ. Mr. Speaker, it goes without saying that America and 
Israel share much in common. Both countries are built on a fierce 
commitment to freedom, democracy, and liberty. Both nations are heroic 
reactions to prejudice and oppression. And both nations know all too 
well, the price that must be paid for holding true to an ideal.
  Yet another one of those shared experiences is that we are both 
relatively new nations. We measure our history as countries in decades 
rather than millennia. But compared to even the United States, the 
modern state of Israel is a sapling in the world forest.
  I touch on this because, as Americans it may be hard for us to 
imagine Yitzhak Rabin's place in modern Israel's brief history. To give 
an American a proper perspective, imagine being witness as George 
Washington was gunned down by a mad Tory.
  It is, in fact, a fair and historically accurate comparison to 
mention Rabin and Washington in the same breath. Patriot soldiers who 
helped forge a nation, then went on to become elected leaders of the 
very nation they fought for so bravely. Seeing Rabin and Washington as 
comrades may shed some light on why this tragedy touches Israel and the 
rest of the world so deeply.
  Yitzhak Rabin earned our respect with his deeds. We were willing to 
follow him on the path to peace because we knew that he had marched 
down the road of conflict. Simply put, we trusted him to win the peace 
because he had been trusted to win the wars.
  One of my most meaningful privileges as a Member of Congress is that 
I was able to work with Prime Minister Rabin. As a member of the 
International Relations Committee I met with him in Israel an then, 
back in Washington just a few weeks ago. He was a true leader who 
inspired cooperation with his honesty, his courage, and his deeds.
  Prime Minister Rabin was well aware of the risks to Israel and to 
himself in trying to make peace. But he understood that the risk of not 
making peace is far greater. Perhaps because he was a soldier, perhaps 
because he was a patriot, perhaps because he was a father and a 
grandfather, perhaps because of all of those things, Yitzhak Rabin knew 
that peace is the most universal of all goals.
  And as Americans, we were proud to stand with him in the quest for a 
just, fair, and permanent peace in the Middle East. This tragedy will 
not make us waver in that noble pursuit. We are committed to his goals. 
The doubters will quickly come to understand what Rabin knew in his 
soul--that peace is stronger than any gun.
  Yitshak Rabin was indeed a 20th century George Washington. And as was 
said of Washington, it can be said of Rabin:
  ``First in war.
  ``First in peace.
  ``First in the hearts of his countrymen.''
  Mr. HASTINGS of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I am privileged to yield 2 
minutes to the distinguished gentleman from Connecticut [Mr. 
Gejdenson].
  Mr. GEJDENSON. Mr. Speaker, all of us in this country and across the 
globe send our thoughts and our compassion to the Rabin family, but 
those of us involved in the politics of our Nation need to learn from 
Yitzhak Rabin's courage; not the courage to stand up to lunatics with 
guns, that is a different kind of courage, which he obviously also had, 
but the courage to stand up in a very tough political climate.
  The most difficult thing for politicians is to stand up to an angry 
and vocal group of their own constituency. For those of us in this 
Congress, we see it on a daily basis. We have freedom of speech in this 
country, as they do in Israel. Oftentimes that speech is fiery and 
poisoned, the price that was paid by Yitzhak Rabin for all too many 
good people sitting by silently, as those who condemned him for 
engaging in the peace process, for those who stood by and did not join 
with him in speaking out in favor of peace.
  In this country we have many voices that are extreme, that feel they 
too get their directions directly from on high. This democracy survives 
not just by its laws, but by the accommodation of thoughts, by the 
ability to come to this Chamber and have a dialogue. The extremism that 
exists in our land threatens our democracy, as that lone gunman 
threatened the life of Yitzhak Rabin. The peace process will continue. 
It will thrive. All of those in this Chamber and across the globe will 
understand how critical it is, and must not let their voices be muted. 
We must continue that effort.
  Mr. GILMAN. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to yield 2 minutes to the 
distinguished gentleman from Illinois [Mr. Yates].
  Mr. YATES. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from New York very much 
for yielding me this time.
  Mr. Speaker, my time in Congress is almost the same as Israel's birth 
and growth. I was elected to the House for the first time in November 
1948. Israel became a Nation in May 1948. I have known all of its 
leaders and Ambassadors to the United States, including Yitzhak Rabin 
with whom I established a firm friendship when he became Ambassador to 
the United States in 1965. We became close friends.
  He was one of the giants of Israel, one of the long line who had 
developed Israel into the splendid nation it is today: Ben Gurion, Levi 
Eshkal, Golda Meir, Moshe Dayan, and the other stalwarts of that great 
State.
  Yitzhak Rabin's contributions to Israel in peace and war were among 
the greatest in Israel's history. He had the courage to press for peace 
with his Arab neighbors over the objections and the extreme hostility 
of Arabs and Israelis both. His death, of course, will be an immense 
loss to the peace which he sought, and toward which he had done so 
much. In his memory, the peace process should bring Israelis and Arabs 
closer to the bargaining table to seek the peace for which Yitzhak 
Rabin gave his life.
  Addie and I extend our profound sympathy to Leah and the Rabin 
family, whose courage and dignity have been an inspiration to the 
world.
  Mr. HASTINGS of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to yield 1 minute 
to the distinguished gentleman from Ohio [Mr. Stokes].
  Mr. STOKES. Mr. Speaker, I thank my friend and colleague, the 
gentleman from Florida, for yielding time to me.
  Mr. Speaker, I join my colleagues in this Chamber in support of 
Senate Concurrent Resolution 31. This resolution condemns the 
assassination of Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin, and extends our 
deepest sympathy to his family and the people of Israel.
  The hearts of Americans are heavy and laden with grief. We join the 
Government and people of Israel in mourning the tragic loss of Prime 
Minister Rabin. The world pauses to pay final tribute to a leader whose 
last mission was a quest for peace.
  Mr. Speaker, it has been said that Yitzhak Rabin dedicated his life 
to Israel's rebirth, its security, and its freedom. He was a soldier 
who led troops during Israel's war of independence. When he was elected 
Prime Minister, Mr. Rabin was able to forge a close relationship with 
the United States and other allies in the pursuit of peace in the 
Middle East.
  Yitzhak Rabin was a warrior who came to believe the time had come to 
seek peace. He believed it in his heart, and he spent his days leading 
the nation of Israel toward that ultimate goal. In 1993, the eyes of 
the world turned to Washington, DC, as Prime Minister Rabin and PLO 
leader Yasser Arafat pledged a bond of peace between Israel and the 
Palestine people. Prime Minister Rabin harbored no hatred as he said:


[[Page H 11844]]

       We have come to try to put an end to the hostilities so 
     that our children, our children's children, will no longer 
     experience the painful costs of war, violence and terror.

  Mr. Speaker, the voice of Prime Minister Rabin has been silenced. But 
I am convinced that his quest and his longing for peace will be 
fulfilled. Those of us who are committed to peace realize the dangers 
when you dedicate your life to that goal. Here in America, the 
assassinations of President Abraham Lincoln, John F. Kennedy, and Dr. 
Martin Luther King, Jr., took from our midst other great men who were 
committed to peace and understanding.

  The healing process that America has undergone far too often now 
confronts our friends in the Middle East. We stand aligned with our 
neighbors as they confront this challenge. Prime Minister Rabin died in 
the quest for peace. It is our responsibility to continue that quest 
with even greater commitment and urgency. This would be the greatest 
testament to the memory of Yitzhak Rabin.
  During my tenure in the U.S. Congress, and throughout my life, I have 
enjoyed a close relationship with members of the Jewish community. On 
their behalf, and on behalf of the entire 11th Congressional District, 
we offer our condolences to the family of Prime Minister Rabin. We 
offer our support to the people and Government of Israel in this time 
of great loss.
  Mr. Speaker, as we gather today to pay tribute to Prime Minister 
Rabin, I am reminded of the words of acting Prime Minister Shimon Peres 
who said,

       * * * I know a deep mourning has fallen on Israel, on our 
     people, our neighbors, because he was a rare leader in our 
     nation, and a rare leader in our world. When I look at the 
     map of world leaders, I see no one who worked with greater 
     resolve, skill, devotion and self-sacrifice than Yitzhak 
     Rabin.

  Mr. Speaker, hatred has, indeed, taken from our midst the dreamer. We 
cannot and will not allow hatred to end the dream.
  Mr. HASTINGS of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I am privileged to yield 2 
minutes to my good friend, the distinguished gentleman from New York 
[Mr. Engel], who was a member of the presidential delegation that went 
to the funeral of Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin.
  Mr. ENGEL. Mr. Speaker, I thank my friend, the gentleman from 
Florida, for yielding time to me. We had a lot of conversation on that 
plane. We did not sleep very much, but those of us that were privileged 
to be part of the official American delegation to Israel for the tragic 
funeral of Prime Minister Rabin will remember it and cherish it for the 
rest of our lives.
  Mr. Speaker, when we arrived in Israel, we were given two badges. 
These were the badges we wore, which said that we were part of the 
official delegation and allowed us to get into the cemetery. What I saw 
in Israel, and I have been to Israel many, many times, what I saw in 
Israel was nothing that I have ever seen: throngs of people crowding 
each street corner, throngs of people crowding as the motorcades went 
by, as our bus went by, into the cemetery; people lighting memorial 
candles, people holding vigils, people holding signs. It was just 
something that will live with me for the rest of my life.
  I was proud. We had 15 Senators and 19 House Members there as part of 
the official delegation. Although, again, I have been to Israel many 
times, and I feel so strongly about enhancing the United States-Israel 
alliance, which is a vital alliance for both countries and a good, 
strong alliance, I think that this time in Israel, short as it was--36 
hours, and we did not even have a chance to sleep; we were there, we 
ran around, we came back--I think this trip had the most meaning for 
me.
  Mr. Speaker, I was privileged and proud to know Yitzhak Rabin for 
many, many years. I was privileged and proud to call him my friend. I 
was privileged and proud to watch him, watch him grow, watch him 
change, in an evolutionary change. He fought on the battlefield and was 
a soldier in war when he felt that was the way to protect his nation, 
but he became a soldier for peace, understanding that peace was the 
only way to go, and the best way to ensure the security of his nation.
  Let me say to my dear friend Yitzhak Rabin, ``We will miss you, but 
we will never forget you. All of us will try to emulate you. Peace, 
shalom. That is the most important thing.''
  Mr. HASTINGS of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as she may 
consume to the gentlewoman from California [Ms. Pelosi].
  (Ms. PELOSI asked and was given permission to revise and extend her 
remarks.)
  Ms. PELOSI. Mr. Speaker, I rise in praise of Yitzhak Rabin, in 
sadness over his passing, and in support of the resolution today.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of Senate Concurrent Resolution 
31, which extends the deepest sympathy of this Congress to the family 
of Prime Minister Rabin and to the people of Israel. The world lost a 
great man on November 4, when an assassin's bullets took from our midst 
a true leader.
  The eulogies for Yitzhak Rabin have been eloquent and heartfelt. His 
credentials, his accomplishments, his dedication, and his vision have 
been lauded by leaders around the world. Listening to these somber 
words of praise and mourning, of shock and grief, of public and 
personal memory, I have been struck by the resonance of this loss 
across diverse populations, across communities and across nations. It 
is not only the people of Israel who are mourning Prime Minister 
Rabin's tragic, untimely, and violent death. They have been joined in 
their grief by people around the world. This loss struck a chord.
  I have thought deeply about how Yitzhak Rabin touched so many people. 
He was great in many ways. What stands out about Yitzhak Rabin, to me, 
what elevates him so far above the rest, was his courage to change. 
After pursuing one vision, the vision of the warrior, for the majority 
of his life, Yitzhak Rabin recognized, and then acted on his 
recognition, that the way to the future was through peace, not through 
war. He had the courage to change and through that courage, changed the 
course of the world.
  The day that the peace agreement was signed on the White House lawn, 
Yitzhak Rabin proved that there is no conflict too old, too entrenched, 
or too deep to be resolved. His work and his handshake demonstrated 
that negotiations and compromise can produce results. He gave impetus 
to participants in other longstanding conflicts to start talking to 
their opponents; he gave hope to the victims of conflict that peace is 
possible.
  Above all else, Prime Minister Rabin was a realist. He knew that 
proving peace was possible did not prove that peace was easy. His 
assassination is a tragic example of how difficult the pursuit for 
peace can be.
  Mr. HASTINGS of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I am privileged to yield 2 
minutes to the gentleman from Rhode Island [Mr. Reed].
  Mr. REED. Mr. Speaker, on July 26, 1994, Yitzhak Rabin, Prime 
Minister and Defense Minister of the State of Israel, addressed the 
United States Congress. These are his words on that day:

       Each year, on Memorial Day, for the Fallen of Israel's war, 
     I go to the cemetery of Mount Herzl in Jerusalem, facing me 
     are the graves, headstones, the colorful flowers blooming on 
     them, and thousands of pairs of weeping eyes. I stand there, 
     in front of that large, silent crowd, and read in their eyes 
     the words of, ``The Young Dead Soldiers,'' as a famous 
     American poet, Archibald MacLeish, entitled the poem from 
     which I take these lines:

     They say;
     Whether our lives and our deaths
     were for peace and a new hope,
     we cannot say;
     it is you who must say this.

                              {time}  1300

  Today Yitzhak Rabin is among the fallen on Mount Herzl. He has given 
us his life; we must give it meaning. We must labor and live so that 
his life and death stands for peace and a new hope.
  Prime Minister Rabin closed his remarks with an ancient blessing and 
a continuing plea for peace. Again, in his words: Blessed are you, oh, 
Lord, who has preserved us and sustained us and enabled us to reach 
this time. God bless the peace.
  Mr. HASTINGS of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the 
distinguished gentlewoman from Texas [Ms. Jackson-Lee].
  (Ms. JACKSON-LEE asked and was given permission to revise and extend 
her remarks.)
  Ms. JACKSON-LEE. Mr. Speaker, I thank the distinguished gentleman 
from Florida [Mr. Hastings], and I rise to support this resolution in 
honor of Prime Minister Rabin and offer to those of us who would 
reflect how telling it is to hear that in the glaring headlines of the 
Israeli papers we have the family of the alleged perpetrator 
acknowledging the tragedy of this incident and the hopelessness that 
they feel, and asking for forgiveness. We can 

[[Page H 11845]]
forgive but we must learn that violent talk can also bring about 
violent deeds.
  The headlines rang out across this Nation over the weekend, but one 
that was more telling than any was one that said ``Muslims, Christians 
and Jews share a prayer for the same, an uneasy peace.''
  We in America know about an uneasy peace, for we have been caught up 
in the turmoil of an assassination of President John F. Kennedy who 
rose in this Nation to speak of values of unity and unification, and we 
experienced sadly the short life of Dr. Martin Luther King, who himself 
was a promoter of peace. Therefore, I applaud and salute Prime Minister 
Rabin who after experiencing the tragedy of war embraced the idea that 
this world is better off if he spoke for peace and worked for peace 
even if there was those detractors who spoke violently against peace. 
Prime Minister Rabin risked his life and braved his enemies to stand up 
for peace for Israel and peace for the world.
  So I come today to say that peace will prevail, peace will survive, 
for Prime Minister Rabin was a freedom fighter who turned his eyes 
toward being a fighter for peace. His life was one that reflected a 
sense of understanding that it was better to send home the military 
boys and girls of our families in Israel and the Arab world, in this 
Nation whole and in one complete piece. This can be done if we pay 
tribute to Prime Minister Rabin by our action to secure peace in the 
Mideast.
  So this headline of ``Muslims, Christians and Jews share a prayer for 
the same, an uneasy peace,'' should result in more than prayer, we 
should make peace happen.
  To Mrs. Rabin and her family my deepest regret, I am privileged to 
have met him. But the words of his granddaughter captured his life 
better than others. She said ``no one knows the caress that you placed 
on my shoulder and the warm hug that you saved only for us.'' I would 
simply add.
  Shalom, peace, let us maintain peace in his name.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise today to support Senate Concurrent Resolution 31 
to honor the legacy of slain Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin. I 
was extremely shocked and saddened when I heard the news that he had 
been killed. His life, which mirrored the life of the State of Israel, 
was committed to establishing security for his people and a lasting 
peace for the Middle East.
  As a military leader, Mr. Rabin was a giant; he fought for the 
Independence of his country and was the Israeli Military Chief of Staff 
during the Six Day War in 1967. As a peacemaker, Mr. Rabin worked to 
establish a relationship with the Palestinians and signed Israel's 
second peace treaty, with Jordan.
  Throughout history, many have given their lives in the pursuit of 
peace: Gandhi, John F. Kennedy, Robert F. Kennedy, Anwar Sadat, and 
now, sadly, Yitzhak Rabin. Mr. Rabin's death should not be the end of 
his vision of a lasting peace for the Middle East. As was evident by 
those who attended his funeral on Monday, the peace process is on a 
course that cannot be stopped. And, the United States should do all 
that it can to make sure that the process continues.
  As the U.S. Representative for the 18th District of Texas, I am the 
caretaker of the Mickey Leland Kibbutz program. This program takes 
young people from Houston, and sends them to Israel. Ideas and cultural 
attitudes are exchanged. It is in this spirit of cooperation and peace 
that Yitzhak Rabin's dream will continue. The American/Israeli 
relationship is unflappable. The United States must, and will continue 
to support Israel and its people in their quest to live free from war 
and bloodshed.
  During my last visit to Israel, I was struck by the similarities 
between our two peoples. We are both committed to democracy and free 
expression, to personal liberty, and to the pursuit of happiness. It is 
because of these similarities that the United States must continue to 
be Israel's strongest ally. We must stand by Israel and the Israeli 
people in this time of need.
  Let us not let Yitzhak Rabin's murder be the ending of one man's 
vision. Let us make it the catalyst in a new, lasting commitment to 
bring to fruition Mr. Rabin's vision of a Middle East with open 
borders, peaceful and free. This must be our commitment, it must be our 
duty.
  I say to the people of Israel, we will stand behind you. We will not 
forsake you. The peace process must be expedited. The days of death and 
bloodshed will end. Yitzhak Rabin's life has ended, but his dream lives 
on.
  Peace, Shalom.
  Mr. GILMAN. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from New 
York [Mr. Forbes].
  (Mr. FORBES asked and was given permission to revise and extend his 
remarks.)
  Mr. FORBES. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of this resolution.
  Mr. Speaker, blessed are the peacemakers; and the Prime Minister of 
Israel, Yitzhak Rabin, was truly one of this century's great 
peacemakers. To his family and to all Israelis, in fact to all 
Americans who came to know and honor this great man, I rise in support 
of this resolution.
  Let us take this opportunity as well to embrace heartily the peace 
process and our hope that all parties in this peace process will move 
forward in the name of the Prime Minister, and that the Syrians and the 
Palestinians and all of those who want a stable and lasting peace for 
all of the people of the Middle East will take this opportunity in 
memory of the slain Prime Minister to wholeheartedly embrace the 
process, to live by the tenets of the Oslo accords and to once and for 
all bring stability to this vital and strategic area of the world.
  Mr. HASTINGS of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I am privileged to yield 2 
minutes to the distinguished gentleman from Florida [Mr. Deutsch], my 
friend and colleague.
  Mr. DEUTSCH. Mr. Speaker, I, too, today join my colleagues in rising 
in support of this resolution.
  I had the honor to meet and interact with Yitzhak Rabin probably at 
least a dozen times. The last time I was in Israel I knew I was going 
to have an opportunity to spend some time with him, and I read his 
autobiography on the plane over to Israel, and his autobiography in a 
sense is really almost a history of the modern State of Israel.
  From the time of a young man in his early twenties being the 
commander of the Hagana and Palmach troops that defended and really 
secured the existence of Jerusalem for the Jewish State, going on from 
the 1948 through 1967 war when he commanded Israeli defense forces into 
his first term as Prime Minister, his life truly is the life of the 
modern State of Israel.
  Any death is a tragedy, and the tragedy that we see here is of 
untold, indescribable proportions. Brothers killing brothers. I think 
everyone in the world feels that pain. The pain that we feel is not 
just for the family, and we feel that pain, but really for the future 
as well.
  Because those of us who know and understand some of Jewish history 
know that there has been brother kiling brother that has destroyed 
prior States of Israel, and our hopes and our prayers is that that is 
not what this is about, but this is the act of a crazed one person, and 
that is the only act, and it is not tidings of worse things to come.

  Many people who have been in this Chamber on a daily basis do not 
acknowledge or do not realize that right above us, actually straight in 
the center of us, is a wreath of Moses who looks down on us every day 
in this U.S. Congress, and for those who are watching on C-SPAN I would 
ask them when they come to Congress, and even those in the gallery can 
look.
  I, too, know that God looks on us in our presence and through his 
help and strength that his will will be done in the future.
  Mr. GILMAN. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the distinguished 
gentleman from Florida [Mr. Mica].
  Mr. MICA. Mr. Speaker and my colleagues, I did not know Prime 
Minister Rabin well, but I had an opportunity, like many of you, to 
hear him. I remember 2 years ago I stood on the White House lawn and 
saw that famous handshake that he said was so rare, but he felt should 
be so common, of people coming together, and we praised him then for 
his peace efforts.
  I had the opportunity to join Chairman Gilman and other Members of 
the new majority also in a bipartisan effort and flew to Jerusalem 
earlier this year; and we reassured the Prime Minister and other 
leaders that we were committed to peace, his peace efforts in the 
Middle East; and we lauded him at that time. But I got to see him 
firsthand; and I saw a tough man, a firm man, but a gentleman. Again, I 
did not know him that well, but I feel privileged to have had the 
opportunity to discuss peace with him and his efforts.
  Then we heard not too long ago his admonition that the land of milk 
and honey should not be a river of tears 

[[Page H 11846]]
and blood, and all of us listened, and we heard him again appeal to the 
Middle East and to the world for peace.
  So we saw a man who was drawn into war, but who worked for peace, and 
he taught us a lesson, a lesson that we should be thankful for and 
remember toward world peace, Be prepared for war, but, in fact, that we 
should all work for peace. He will be missed by myself and many others 
who have had a brief opportunity to work with him, but we will work 
toward his legacy, and that legacy was one of peace.
  Mr. HASTINGS of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to yield 1 minute 
to the distinguished gentleman from Illinois [Mr. Rush], my friend and 
colleague.
  Mr. RUSH. Mr. Speaker, as an individual who has dedicated his life to 
fighting for a better understanding of and more harmonious 
relationships between all the people of the world, regardless of their 
race, religion, or ethnic background, I was particularly wounded and 
shocked by the assassination of Prime Minister Rabin.
  I had the unique opportunity to meet with Yitzhak Rabin 3 months ago 
when I visited Israel for the first time. It was through this unique 
visit that I had an opportunity to meet with Mr. Rabin. In his 
presence, I was immediately put at ease by his earthy style and his 
folksy, one might even say, laid back demeanor. I recognized his 
straightforward approach and his direct response to questions posed to 
him. I recognized an extraordinarily courageous man whose nobility was 
not camouflaged nor bolstered by pretense, pomp, or circumstance. I was 
particularly impressed with the strength that he displayed on the 
question of Hebron. The success of the peace process was paramount to 
this warrior for peace.
  Yitzhak Rabin epitomized the phrase ``an ordinary man who 
accomplished extraordinary things.''
  Mr. HASTINGS of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may 
consume to the distinguished gentleman from New York [Mr. Ackerman], my 
friend and colleague.
  (Mr. ACKERMAN asked and was given permission to revise and extend his 
remarks.)
  Mr. ACKERMAN. Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the gentleman from New 
York [Mr. Gilman] and the gentleman from Florida [Mr. Hastings] for 
bringing this to the floor.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise in the strongest of support for this 
resolution.Almost 2 months ago, I was asked to speak during a synagogue 
service in New York about the hopes and dreams of both the American and 
Israeli people for an enduring and secure peace.
  The assassination of Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin last Saturday night 
cut to the very heart of those hopes and dreams.
  During my remarks, I shared the profound experience I had with 
another assassination. I talked about how I rushed from school to my 
mother's apartment in Flushing when I heard the news that President 
Kennedy had been shot. We were part of an America that feared that we 
had lost our hopes and our dreams.
  Flying to Israel for the funeral of another great leader gunned down 
for his beliefs and principals, I wondered whether Israel and its 
people would itself fall into hopelessness.
  On Monday morning, the day of Mr. Rabin's funeral, my question was 
answered. There was despair, but there was hope as well. There was 
hope, because you cannot kill dreams with bullets. That hope was 
rekindled by the sight of presidents, prime ministers and ambassadors, 
who gathered atop Mount Herzl in Jerusalem from places across our 
planet. That hope was strengthened by the sight of international 
leaders wearing yarmulkes and listening to the recitation of Kaddish, 
the Jewish mourner's prayer. By the sight of Islamic leaders wearing 
Kafias. That hope was rejuvenated by the vision of former enemies 
gathered between Israeli flags unfurled in a soft breeze at the foot of 
the coffin of a former enemy-general, now felled in the war for peace.
  And despite the nightmare of this assassination, the dream of peace 
was sustained, and even strengthened, at the extraordinary sight of 
Egypt's President Mubarak and Jordan's King Hussein reaching out to 
console the widow of a slain Israeli Prime Minister. The King calling 
her his sister, just as they have reached out to console the widows of 
their own citizens lost in the futility of the wars of the past.
  The world must learn from this horrible deed. We must learn that 
words have consequences. That fundamentalist zealots on all sides are 
not part of any legitimate debate, and that those who encourage them 
have joined with the forces of darkness. And that real dialog is 
necessary.
  Mr. Chairman, we honor the memory of Prime Minister Rabin by staying 
the course, and continuing our quest for a secure peace.
  Mr. Speaker, the world has lost a leader. Many of us have lost a 
friend. But I am certain that the United States and Israel will 
continue to build on the hopes and dreams of both our people.
  Mr. HASTINGS of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I 
may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, we have heard expressions of support and deep sympathy 
for the Prime Minister now departed. We have also heard sympathy and 
condolences appropriately directed to the family of Yitzhak Rabin and 
the people of Israel in this moment of tragedy. This resolution 
expresses its admiration for the historic contributions made by Prime 
Minister Rabin over his long and distinguished career of public 
service. Also, it expresses support for the government of Acting Prime 
Minister Shimon Peres.
  I was a member of the Presidential delegation that attended the 
funeral, after which we had the distinct privilege and pleasure of 
having Mr. Peres take from his busy time to come and thank all of the 
Americans who were a part of that delegation.
  I also thought that President Clinton also used his time well to 
thank the members of the Knesset who sponsored a brief reception for 
the American delegation. It was an extremely moving experience to be a 
part of such an historic moment and to see the numbers of faces that 
lined the streets of Jerusalem that were in mourning and in sympathy 
for their and our departed leader.
  As this resolution comes to the floor, I am hopeful that civil 
discourse will take on new meaning for all of us that at least should 
learn from these kinds of experiences, that we can be better in our 
disagreements.
  The song says, ``When will they ever learn? When will they learn?''
  I hope from this sad tragedy that all of us will learn the lessons of 
peace.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

                              {time}  1315

  Mr. GILMAN. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, in closing, I want to first express my appreciation that 
the Members of this House have had the opportunity today to eulogize 
Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin. His tragic death will, we hope, serve as 
a catalyst to all those in the Middle East to come together and to move 
the peace process forward.
  It is essential that extremists cease their hateful activity so that 
the nation of Israel can benefit from the tragic death of Yitzhak Rabin 
as a motivator for healing his nation.
  Mr. Speaker, all of Israel's citizens must play a constructive role 
in determining Israel's future. Prime Minister Rabin's death can and 
should be a force for peace. But first, Israel's citizens need to 
listen to each other, to understand and recognize their hopes and 
fears, their dreams, and concerns.
  Let us hope and pray that Yitzhak Rabin's shocking loss will spur 
leaders throughout the Middle East into a more active and a committed 
role for a long-lasting peace.
  Mr. MANTON. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to express my outrage and 
sadness over the assassination of Israel's Prime Minister Yitzhak 
Rabin. There are few people who stand against incredible odds to 
achieve peace. Yitzhak Rabin was one such person--a great leader and 
laborer for peace.
  Mr. Speaker, a crime this violent and thoughtless is unspeakable, 
especially when it is against a person so dedicated to promoting peace 
in an area infested with war and upheaval for so long. Prime Minister 
Rabin brought his people together to mend the wounds of the past and 
prepare them for the road of peace, a profound achievement for which he 
was recognized in 1994 when he received the Nobel Prize for Peace. His 
dedication to this cause was so great, he died for it. As it is said in 
the bible, ``Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons 
of God.'' This passage reminds us that Prime Minister Rabin's efforts 
in the peace process must continue and never be allowed to falter.
  Only a short time ago, Prime Minister Rabin joined President Clinton 
and Palestinian leader Yassar Arafaat at the White House for a second 
peace treaty signing, ensuring that lasting peace would prevail in the 
Holy Land. We must not let this cowardly act of murder deter the people 
of Israel and Palestine from living together in harmony. Although the 
peace process between Israel and Palestine has not 

[[Page H 11847]]
been an easy one and the murder of Rabin has made it more difficult, we 
as Members of Congress must help ensure it will not be further 
jeopardized by the ignorant.
  Mr. Speaker, it is my hope that justice for those involved in this 
unspeakable crime will be swift and severe. A great friend of peace is 
lost and will never be forgotten. My deepest condolences go out the 
Rabin family and the nation of Israel.
  Mr. CUNNINGHAM. Mr. Speaker, today I rise to honor the memory of 
Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin. Prime Minister Rabin was a true hero who 
devoted, and eventually sacrificed his life for peace and democracy in 
the country of Israel. My heart goes out to this great peacemaker's 
family and the citizens of his country, all of whom will surely miss 
him.
  Yitzhak Rabin was a courageous military leader who fought for 
Israel's freedom and spearheaded its rebirth. Just as he defended 
Israel from the threats of enemies, he also pursued peace with those 
who posed threats. As Prime Minister, he successfully achieved a very 
positive relationship with our country and won the hearts of several 
U.S. presidents.
  The strong leadership and numerous accomplishments of Yitzhak Rabin 
will not soon be forgotten. Although his was a tragic death, this 
courageous leader's ideas and progress toward peace will continue. 
Prime Minister Rabin wanted a free, democratic Israel where peace 
prevailed throughout the land. I am confident that the peace process 
between Israel, the Palestinians and Arab countries will continue with 
the same vigor and spirit that the Prime Minister dedicated to this 
crusade.
  In honor of this hero, I urge you to vote in favor of Senate 
Concurrent Resolution 31, Honoring the Life and Legacy of Yitzhak 
Rabin. Not only does this measure extend sympathy to the family and 
condemn the assassination, it also expresses our commitment, as 
legislators, to the Middle East peace process. Your vote in favor of 
Senate Concurrent Resolution 31 is of vital importance.
  Mr. BARRETT of Wisconsin. Mr. Speaker, the date of June 26 will long 
be remembered by peace-loving people throughout the world. For it was 
on that date in 1992 when Yitzhak Rabin's fragmented Labor Party scored 
an upset victory in elections over the Likud Party on a platform of 
progress and peace.
  In that election, the Israeli people spoke loud and clear. The Jewish 
State could no longer afford to shed the blood of its sons and 
daughters. Only by pursuing a real and lasting peace with its 
neighbors, would their country fulfill its prophecy as embodied in the 
national anthem Hatikva: ``To be a free people in our land, in the land 
of Zion and Jerusalem.''
  With this weekend's senseless assassination of Prime Minister Rabin 
in the midst of the largest peace in rally in the nation's 47-year 
history, we are left to search for answers in the face of this horrible 
tragedy. Above all else we are left to wonder if this act of brutal 
cowardice will derail the tremendous strides Israel, its Arba 
neighbors, and the United States have made together since Rabin came to 
power.
  Rabin was a skillful general who spent the better part of his life in 
the Israeli military, helping to protect his young homeland from 
constant attacks and acts of war. But in the end, Rabin will be 
remembered as a peace warrior, who would not back down from his 
mission, even at the price of his own life.
  Now more than ever before, we must strengthen our resolve for peace. 
We must not waste a moment to move forward to fulfill the promise for 
which Yitzhak Rabin gave his life. If we need any clearer indication of 
the world's commitment to realizing Rabin's legacy, we need look no 
further than the outpouring of grief at Monday's funeral from leaders 
whose very attendance would have been unthinkable a few short years 
ago.
  Just as we have since 1948, the United States and Israel will remain 
great allies. Here in America, and throughout the world the leaders of 
nations must follow the examples of Yitzhak Rabin's selfless 
determination and unfailing commitment. In doing so, we will begin the 
21st century not in fear of war or hatred, but in the spirit of peace, 
progress and Hatikva: Hope.
  Mr. HOLDEN. Mr. Speaker, it is with great sadness that I rise today 
to pay tribute to Yitzhak Rabin. Last Saturday was truly a sad day, 
because not only did Israel lose a fine Prime Minister, but the world 
lost a great leader. He began as a soldier fighting for his nation's 
freedom, and died as a soldier for peace.
  The life of Yitzhak Rabin is the story of Israel. He was born in 
Jerusalem in 1922 and fought for Israel's independence. He worked his 
way through the ranks of the Israel Defense Forces, becoming Chief of 
Staff and the architect of the Israeli victory in the Six-Day War in 
1967. He was first elected Prime Minister in 1974, and was again 
elected in 1992.
  In a time when great leadership was needed, Yitzhak Rabin always 
stepped forward to serve his nation. He will be remembered as one of 
the greatest leaders of our century and as a man with the fortitude to 
lay down arms and embrace his enemy in the name of peace.
  I had the great pleasure to meet Prime Minister Rabin in Jerusalem in 
May of this year and it was an experience that I will never forget. I 
still have a picture in my mind of him sitting in a conference room 
talking to us.
  He was a man of great courage and vision. He had the foresight and 
bravery to fight for peace, to lead his country into a peace with 
people who had previously been bitter enemies.
  I also had the privilege to be present on the White House lawn on 
September 13, 1993, when Prime Minister Rabin and Yasir Arafat signed a 
historic peace accord that has opened a new chapter of peace in the 
Middle East. It was the personal courage and leadership of Mr. Rabin 
that made the accord possible. Now the fight for peace continues, 
despite the loss of one of its finest soldiers.
  The peace process must go on despite this tragic loss. The voices and 
acts of extremists cannot be allowed to stand in the way of progress. 
The greatest tribute which can be done for Yitzhak Rabin is continuing 
the peace process. He will not be forgotten, and his achievements will 
be memorialized in the future by the sight of Israelis and Arabs living 
together in peace.
  Mr. GILMAN. Mr. Speaker, it is with deep sorrow and a sense of 
personal loss that I introduce legislation today that honors the life 
and legacy of Israel's slain Prime Minister. Yitzhak Rabin, who was 
gunned down on Saturday night by a lone assassin, was attacked by a 
killer who opposed Prime Minister Rabin's efforts at reconciliation and 
peace with the PLO, initiated 2 years ago with the signing of the 
Declaration of Principles between the parties.
  The shocking circumstances of Prime Minister Rabin's death magnify 
the tragedy of his loss. I was honored to participate with the 
Presidential delegation that attended Prime Minister Rabin's state 
funeral yesterday. It was gratifying to see in attendance an extensive 
list of international dignitaries, including representatives of nations 
with which Israel does not have any diplomatic relations.
  It was this gathering that mourned the life and legacy of Yitzhak 
Rabin, a soldier-statesman who became his nation's first native born 
Prime Minister. Born in Jerusalem in 1922, as a young man, Yitzhak 
Rabin fought for Israel's independence by defending the Tel-Aviv-
Jerusalem highway. He distinguished himself repeatedly, and, as Chief 
of Staff of the Israel Defence Forces, was the architect of Israel's 
stunning victory in the Six-Day War of 1967, which saw Jerusalem, 
Rabin's birthplace, reunited as Israel's capital.
  I came to know, to work with, and to respect General Rabin in his 
capacity as Ambassador to the United States, as Secretary of Defense, 
and as Israel's Prime Minister. He distinguished himself again and 
again, contributing heavily to the close U.S.-Israel partnership that 
exists today. His commitment to that relationship, as well as his 
personal and unstinting commitment to ``peace with security'', were 
evident throughout the remainder of his political career, whether as 
Minister of Defense or Prime Minister of Israel.
  Israel's road to peace has been a difficult one. Yet, Prime Minister 
Rabin will forever be remembered as a man who not only led Israel to 
victory in war, but who also led her citizens in pursuit of peace. At 
this troubled time in Israel's history, we express our support for 
Israel's transition government, and reaffirm the congressional 
commitment to a lasting peace between Israel and her neighbors.
  Our thoughts and prayers are with the Rabin family, with Acting Prime 
Minister Shimon Peres, and with all the people of Israel at this time.
  Accordingly, Mr. Speaker, I request that the full text of our 
legislation, House Concurrent Resolution 112, be printed at this point 
in the Congressional Record.

                            H. Con. Res. 112

       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 his 
     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 

[[Page H 11848]]
     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; and
       Whereas on November 4, 1995, Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin 
     was assassinated in Tel Aviv, Israel: Now, therefore, be it
       Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate 
     concurring), That the Congress--
       (1) condemns the heinous assassination of Israeli Prime 
     Minister Yitzhak Rabin in the strongest 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) expressed 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; and
       (5) reaffirms its commitment to the process of building a 
     just and lasting peace between Israel and its neighbors.

  Mr. TRAFICANT. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of Senate 
Concurrent Resolution 31, which condemns the assassination of Israeli 
Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin, and extends Congress' deepest sympathy to 
the family of Mr. Rabin and the Israeli people. The measure also 
expresses support for the government of Acting Prime Minister Shimon 
Peres and its commitment to the process of building a just and lasting 
peace between Israel and its neighbors.
  Mr. Speaker, on the night of November 4, 1995, the world lost one of 
its great leaders. Yitzhak Rabin was a warrior who fought bravely to 
create the State of Israel, and who fought hard to defend Israel. 
Yitzhak Rabin knew war, he knew all the destruction and suffering that 
war causes. More than any Israeli leader, Yitzhak Rabin yearned for a 
lasting peace.
  In the last years of his amazing life he achieved many of the goals 
he worked so hard for throughout his life. Perhaps it took a man of 
Yitzhak Rabin's strength, fairness, integrity, and immense courage to 
forge a meaningful peace with Israel's neighbors and the Palestinian 
people.
  More than anything, Yitzhak Rabin was a man of peace and a man of 
courage. He devoted his entire life to the security and well-being of 
his country. Ultimately, Yitzhak Rabin gave his life for the cause of 
peace. All those throughout the world who cherish peace mourn this 
enormous loss. Yitzhak Rabin will be long remembered as one of the 
great men of the 20th century.
  I join my colleagues in saluting this great man, and in extending our 
deepest and heart-felt sympathies to his family and the people of 
Israel.
  I also join my colleagues in expressing my sincere hope that the 
historic peace process that Yitzhak Rabin worked so hard to put in 
place, continues. Indeed, I can't think of a more appropriate and 
lasting monument to Mr. Rabin than the establishment of a lasting peace 
agreement between Israel, the Palestinian people, and Israel's 
neighbors.
  Mrs. MORELLA. Mr. Speaker, I rise today with my colleagues to support 
Senate Concurrent Resolution 31.
  We join with the people of Israel in mourning the death of Prime 
Minister Yitzhak Rabin, a plainspoken man of eloquence and courage. He 
was his country's greatest war hero and he was its greatest peacemaker.
  A soldier, father, and grandfather, he knew too well the terrible 
price all the people of the Middle East, Jews and Arabs alike, have 
paid for decades of war and he knew too well the inconsolable grief of 
parents for their slain children.
  The tragic loss of this great man, who moved his country to make 
peace with its greatest enemies--for which he received the Nobel Peace 
Prize--must be met with unwavering determination to finish the march 
toward peace, the ``great and noble idea of peace,'' that he started. 
That must be the world's tribute to Yitzhak Rabin.
  Mr. NEAL of Massachusetts. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor a 
renowned world leader. Yitzhak Rabin's unwavering commitment to the 
security and future of his people leaves a legacy worthy of emulation. 
He lead his country to victories on the battlefield and paved the way 
for peace with his former enemies. Just minutes before his death Prime 
Minister Rabin reminded his country of the momentous crossroads at 
which it stands. ``I was a military man for 27 years. I waged war as 
long as there was no chance for peace. I believe there is now a chance 
for peace, a great chance, and we must take advantage of it. * * *''
  The Israeli democracy he crafted and protected so vehemently will 
continue to bring stability and peace to the land in his death. This is 
Israel's inheritance.
  His courage and leadership proven in war and displayed in peace 
earned him global respect and admiration. The outpouring of leaders and 
friends to his funeral, many of them former enemies, is a testament to 
his leadership and accomplishments. He will be sorely missed.
  Ms. WOOLSEY. Mr. Speaker, today we are pausing to remember Israel's 
courageous fallen leader, Yitzhak Rabin. Prime Minister Rabin was a 
rare leader, the kind the world sees once in a generation.
  He was a valiant soldier who led the Israeli Army to victory in the 
Six-Day War. He united Jerusalem, and secured Israel's borders. He made 
it safe for Jews from around the world to pray at the Western Wall.
  But it is for his tireless dedication to peace that he will always be 
remembered. As a former soldier, he knew all too well the price of war.
  He made many sacrifices, and took many risks to make peace. He knew 
that his mission for peace was unsure and dangerous, but he also knew 
that peace for the Jewish State was a worthy and important goal.
  In the fall of 1993, I had the privilege to meet Yitzhak Rabin in 
Israel, and was struck by his sincerity and humanity. Then, a month 
later, I was standing on the White House lawn the day that Prime 
Minister Rabin and Yasser Arafat took that enormous step toward peace. 
I remember the handshake, and the promise it held for a bright future 
for Jews and Arabs alike.
  Now, an assassin's bullet has taken away one of the real visionaries 
of our time. And in a split second, the world became a great deal 
poorer.
  Today,it is hard for us to make any sense of so tragic an act. But, 
we try by taking a minute to reflect on Prime Minister Rabin's enormous 
accomplishments, and by holding his life up as an example of courage, 
commitment, and dedication to peace.
  As Representative of the Sixth Congressional District of California, 
I assure you that I will always make sure that the United States stays 
a strong and dependable ally of the State of Israel. We must stand by 
Israel always--but it is even more important at such a troubled moment. 
Further, we must all make sure that Prime Minister Rabin's heroic deeds 
are remembered forever--and that we give life to his dreams by 
dedicating ourselves to fulfilling his goal of a lasting peace for all.
  Mrs. FOWLER. Mr. Speaker, as we heard in the eulogies at his funeral, 
Yitzhak Rabin was many things to many people--soldier, statesman, 
strategist, loyal friend, respected opponent, and beloved grandfather. 
The world, however, will remember him purely and simply as a hero--a 
hero in the one battle he said it was a pleasure to wage--the battle 
for peace.
  Following Mr. Rabin's death, I went back and read a poem which I 
heard him quote before a joint session of Congress last year. The poem, 
by Archibald McLeish, is about soldiers who died to protect their 
homeland. Part of it goes like this:

       They say, Our deaths are not ours; they are yours; they 
     will mean what you make them * * * They say, We leave you our 
     deaths. Give them their meaning.

  It is up to all people of good will to give Mr. Rabin's death 
meaning, by carrying on the great work for which he gave his life.
  Mr. RADANOVICH. Mr. Speaker, on the sad occasion of Yitzhak Rabin's 
tragic death, I convey my deepest condolences to the nation of Israel. 
Mr. Speaker, as you and other world leaders return from a mourning 
Israel, I am certain you appreciate that Yitzhak Rabin's sudden death 
must not overshadow his prosperous life. The fallen leader now rests 
peacefully alongside other greats in Israel's history, comforted by the 
cypress and pine of Mount Herzel Cemetery. As this and future 
generations visit the cemetery, I am hopeful they will be struck by the 
peace of the setting which befits his most enduring legacy. Mr. 
Speaker, I ask that the following letter written to Ambassador 
Rabinovich be included in the Record.

                                     House of Representatives,

                                 Washington, DC, November 6, 1995.
     Hon. Itamar Rabinovich,
     Ambassador of Israel,
     Washington, DC.
       Dear Mr. Ambassador: On behalf of those I have the honor to 
     represent in the 19th District of California, I wish to 
     express our most sincere sympathy to the people of Israel on 
     the loss of your leader, Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin.
       There is little I can add to the expressions of mourning--
     many of them so movingly eloquent--that have been heard from 
     around the world. Indeed, I find my own feelings voiced best 
     by what two others have said.
       ``The best memorial for Yitzhak Rabin is to continue what 
     he started, which is the peace process. Only through our 
     unwavering commitment to this objective can we truly honor 
     the memory of this fallen hero of peace.''--President Hosni 
     Mubarak of Egypt.
       ``The Jewish people, who go back a long way, have always 
     been inspired by fallen heroes like Yitzhak Rabin to reaffirm 
     their faith.''--William Safire, New York Times columnist.
       To the end that our world no longer shall experience the 
     painful cost of war, let us keep always before us the example 
     of 

[[Page H 11849]]
     Yitzhak Rabin's courage, vision, and commitment to peace.
           In sympathy,
                                             George P. Radanovich,
                                               Member of Congress.

  Ms. FURSE. Mr. Speaker, Yitzhak Rabin was a great leader and a great 
peacemaker. He took tremendous risks for peace, including the ultimate 
sacrifice of losing his life.
  In the aftermath of Mr. Rabin's assassination, there must be an 
international reckoning on violence and those groups who attempt to 
tear us apart. In my own State of Oregon, there are fringe 
organizations that employ inflammatory rhetoric and actions that are 
seeking to divide us. What we need instead are groups that are seeking 
to bring us together. Yitzhak Rabin was about bringing people together.
  I concur with Leah Rabin, widow of the slain leader, who says we must 
speak out against acts of extremism. She asks of the radical groups' 
leaders to take responsibility for the effect of their extreme 
rhetoric.
  In the case of our own Oklahoma City bombing, we learned that if our 
leaders are using radical rhetoric, it gives deranged individuals an 
opening to take extreme acts.
  Across the world, violent talk leads to violent actions. I join my 
colleagues in mourning the loss of Yitzhak Rabin, and urge them to 
support this very important resolution.
  Mr. MANZULLO. Mr. Speaker, as a Member of the U.S. Congress, I had 
the rare opportunity to meet Yitzhak Rabin in the recent past. I recall 
a man of great intensity, and as he spoke in his baritone voice, my 
colleagues and I were mesmerized. A photographer captured my meeting 
with Yitzhak Rabin, and that photo hangs proudly in my office in 
Washington. As you peered into his deep-set eyes, it was apparent he 
was the consummate warrior and the ultimate peacemaker.
  Yitzhak Rabin was the warrior who helped Israel become a nation in 
1948, the warrior who lead Israel against insurmountable odds in the 
Six-Day War, the warrior who knew he had to rely on God's strength to 
protect his tiny nation. He perservered only because he believed that 
the cause of Israel was greater than Israel itself; a cause for freedom 
for all people who had oppressed.
  And Yatzhak Rabin was the peacemaker, the one who saw Israel's role 
in the world from the perspective of a lasting peace. The warrior was 
tired of fighting and turned his energies to making peace.
  I met those whom he had touched deeply: King Hussein of Jordan and 
Hosni Mubarak of Egypt. They respected Rabin because of his strength. 
He was a strong man--strong at age 73--strong in his beliefs for free 
Israel and strong in his convictions for a lasting peace in the Middle 
East. They respected him becaue he respected them.
  They're gone now: Moshe Dayan, Menachem Begin, Golda Meir, David Ben 
Gurion. Now, the only native-born Israeli Prime Minister, Yitzhak 
Rabin, has gone to rest.
  At the funeral service Monday in Israel, King Hussein was visibly 
moved. Who would have thought we would have seen that happen in our 
lifetime, a once bitter enemy shaken by the loss of a comrade in peace?
  And Rabin's granddaughter, who is preparing to go into the military, 
as do all young people in Israel, said, ``as a pillar of light led our 
people through the wilderness, my grandfather led me, and who will lead 
me now?''
  His memory leads us now. The memory of one who fought for peace, and 
who died for peace.
  We honor the warrior turned peacemaker, the one who had the courage 
to believe the sons of Hagar and Sara would someday reconcile, the one 
who believed Isaiah.

       And he will judge between the nations, and will render 
     decisions for many peoples. And they will hammer their swords 
     into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks. Nation 
     will not lift up sword against nation, and never again will 
     they learn war.

  Mr. LAZIO of New York. Mr. Speaker, I rise to honor the memory of the 
late Prime Minister of Israel, Yitzhak Rabin, whose tragic murder 
shocked and saddened us all.
  I saw him for the last time just 2 weeks ago in Washington, at a 
ceremony in the Capitol commemorating the 3,000th anniversary of the 
holy city of Jerusalem. On Monday, Prime Minister Rabin was buried in 
Jerusalem, the city of his birth.
  Yitzhak Rabin served his country with great distinction, starting as 
a young soldier in Israel's fight for independence. As a soldier and a 
statesman, he always fought with tremendous bravery for the ideals to 
which he was committed.
  In 1948, bravery meant leading the defense of Jerusalem. In 1967, as 
Army chief of staff, it meant defeating the combined enemies of Israel, 
which surrounded the country on every side. As Prime Minister in the 
1970's, it meant sending Israeli commandoes across a continent to 
rescue a plane full of hostages at Entebbe. And as he resumed the 
office of Prime Minister in 1992, bravery meant taking heed of the 
commandment in the 34th Psalm to ``Seek peace, and pursue it.''
  It took great courage to defend Israel from its enemies and perhaps 
even more courage to reach out his hand to those enemies in the cause 
of peace. Yitzhak Rabin was a very courageous man, a man dedicated to 
the cause of peace, which he saw as Israel's best chance for long-term 
security and prosperity.
  Prime Minister Rabin knew, as it says in Ecclesiastes, ``There is a 
time to love, and a time to hate; a time of war, and a time of peace.'' 
Now, he said, was the time to put aside hate and war, and to pursue 
peace.
  Yitzhak Rabin is gone, so it is up to us who survive him to pursue 
peace and to ensure that he did not die in vain. Israel and its 
neighbors are poised at a critical junction. The peace process can 
continue, or extremists on all sides can doom the Middle East to 
continued hatred and war. All who love peace must raise our voices to 
echo what Yitzhak Rabin said at the White House in 1993, ``Enough 
bloodshed and tears, enough!''
  I am encouraged by the demonstration of support for Middle East peace 
from the more than 60 world leaders who flew to Israel to attend Prime 
Minister Rabin's funeral. Israel no longer is diplomatically isolated. 
In all, more than 86 nations were represented at the services in 
Jerusalem Monday.
  The act of senseless violence that ended Prime Minister Rabin's life 
may well bring Israel together in support of further progress toward 
peace. How long that sense of unity will last is far from certain. 
Acting Prime Minister Shimon Peres said Monday that ``Peace is 
irreversible,'' but history suggests peace is not inevitable unless men 
and women of good will speak for peace and demand it. Those who support 
the peace process must speak out.
  The U.S. Government, with strong bipartisan support, must continue 
its commitment to full support for Israel in this difficult time.
  Pursuing peace is never easy and always will entail risks. But the 
risks of continued violence and instability in the Middle East are far 
higher. A bullet can kill a man, but not an ideal. People of goodwill 
must not allow an act of political terrorism to succeed in stopping the 
peace process. My hope is that with the help and encouragement of the 
United States, Israel will continue to seek a lasting peace for all the 
people of the Middle East.
  Mr. Speaker, today we treasure the memory of Yitzhak Rabin. As it 
says in the Book of Matthew, ``Blessed are the peacemakers: for they 
shall be called the children of God.'' Let us pray that lasting peace 
will be Prime Minister Rabin's enduring legacy. May God bless the soul 
of Yitzhak Rabin, the people of Israel and the United States of 
America, and all those who seek peace.
  Mr. FARR of California. Mr. Speaker, last July, Yitzhak Rabin 
addressed a joint session of Congress together with King Hussein of 
Jordan. He spoke of the many Israelis who had suffered from war, whose 
friends and family had died in violence. During his speech, he said:

       Today, we are embarking on a battle which has no dead and 
     no wounded, no blood and no anguish. This is the only battle 
     which is a pleasure to wage: the battle for peace.

  Alas, there is today both blood and anguish.
   Yitzhak Rabin was a great man and a great leader. He was brave, 
wise, and he cared very deeply about his fellow countrymen and women.
  Years ago, I had the opportunity to meet Mr. Rabin before he had 
become Prime Minister. I was struck by how much he cared about making 
the world a better place for his people. Indeed, it was his one goal, 
his only goal.
  His whole life was spent in the service of Israel. He fought in many 
battles for Israeli independence, and later became Chief of Staff of 
the Israeli military. He held many posts in the government, including 
Ambassador to the United States, Defense Minister, and a previous term 
as Prime Minister.
  During his final years, Yitzhak Rabin dedicated his life to an 
extraordinarily difficult journey: bringing peace to the Middle East. 
Difficult, because people have always found it is easier to solve 
differences through violence. Difficult, because there are always those 
who oppose negotiation, for in it they see their own concessions rather 
than the great good it brings to all.
  In his same speech before Congress, Mr. Rabin quoted from the poet 
Archibald MacLeish:
  ``They say: We leave you our deaths. Give them their meaning.''
  Today, it is our task to give meaning to Mr. Rabin's death. We cannot 
let his years of labor towards building a new and permanent peace in 
the Middle East come to nothing. The arduous journey to peace shall 
continue, and we must help Israel in fulfilling it.
  Mr. LIPINSKI. Mr. Speaker, I rise to pay tribute to the memory of the 
distinguished Prime Minister of Israel, Yitzhak Rabin. His 
assassination on Saturday night following a peace rally in Tel Aviv was 
a tragedy for the citizens of Israel and people around the world.

[[Page H 11850]]

  We often speak of great leaders here, and I can think of none greater 
than Yitzhak Rabin. He was the essence of all that is good about 
Israel. Born in Jerusalem in 1922, Rabin was a military hero from the 
first days of Israel's existence. He fought in the 1948 siege of 
Jerusalem in an elite military unit, and served as Army Chief of Staff 
in the 1967 Six-Day War. Many say that it was because of Rabin's 
distinguished military career that he was able to move Israel so 
strongly toward peace.
  Since he began his second term as Prime Minister in 1992, Rabin has 
led Israel toward a new era of Middle East peace. The Nobel Peace Prize 
he shared with PLO Chairman Yasser Arafat and Israeli Foreign Minister 
Shimon Peres in 1994 recognized the first important step toward 
achieving comprehensive peace, the 1993 agreement Rabin and Peres 
signed with the PLO. The next momentous occasion was the peace 
agreement between Israel and Jordan. Other milestones and honors for 
Rabin surely would have followed if not for this tragic event.
   Yitzhak Rabin was a courageous man who built on his experience as a 
warrior to become a great peacemaker. I am optimistic that the other 
participants in the peace process will continue to work toward their 
goal. When Middle East peace comes, it will be a result of the legacy 
of Yitzhak Rabin.
  It is traditional that when Jews mention the name of someone who has 
passed away, the name is following by an acronym representing the words 
``may his memory be a blessing.'' I have no doubt that Yitzhak Rabin's 
memory will indeed be a blessing.
   Mr. Speaker, Yitzhak Rabin was a great man who will be missed. We 
can all learn from his life, all that he accomplished, and all that he 
would have if his life had not been suddenly cut short.
  Mr. SANFORD. Mr. Speaker, in Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin's last 
words he eloquently stated his vision for the future. ``I believe there 
is now a chance for peace, a great chance, and we must take advantage 
of it for those who are standing here, and for those who are not here--
and they are many. 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 the desire of the Jewish 
people.'' Rabin's life was dedicated to the state of Israel's rebirth, 
security, survival and freedom. It is only fitting that as we celebrate 
his life, we speak to what had become his vision--a democratic Israel 
at peace with its neighbors. His vision was for the future of the Jews, 
Israel, and the people of the Middle East. In a Joint Meeting of 
Congress in 1994 Rabin referenced the death of many young soldiers. ``I 
have come from Jerusalem in the name of our children. . . . 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 meaning.' '' It is my hope and prayer, 
and that of many, that Prime Minister Rabin's death will be given 
meaning.
  Mr. LaTOURETTE. Mr. Speaker, the world continues to mourn the loss of 
Yitzhak Rabin, the proud and gracious leader of Israel, a man of great 
courage, resolve and goodness. His deep and abiding love of Israel is 
beyond reproach. He was that rarity in history, a leader who was 
revered and admired not only by his citizens, but around the world. He 
was a man of great integrity and selfless almost to a fault. His 
devotion to his country was unwavering, from his participation in the 
Jewish underground army, to his command of the Six-Day War, to his 
election as Israel's youngest Prime Minister.
  But his greatest devotion and his greatest contribution, not only to 
Israel, but also the Middle East and the entire world, was achieving a 
lasting peace. That lasting peace was something few thought possible. 
However, in the mind of Yitzhak Rabin, a thoughtful and reasoned man, 
it was not only a goal that was possible, but a goal that must be 
achieved if Israel was going to survive.
  Rarely in history do we find examples of such integrity and loyalty. 
This was not a man concerned with politics or appearances or his own 
popularity, but instead one who chose to lead his country, as he had 
been asked, and to live up to whatever challenge might face him, no 
matter the consequences. In one of the greatest challenges of the 20th 
Century, he embarked on a dramatic plan toward achieving lasting peace 
with the Palestinians. Against every possible obstacle, his dream 
was realized on the South Lawn of the White House on September 13, 
1993, when a peace accord few thought possible was signed.

  Israel and the world continue to weep and grieve over the senseless 
taking of the life of Yitzhak Rabin. It is the cruelest of ironies that 
a man so committed to peaceful resolutions would meet his demise at the 
hands of another Jew; it was an act of such senseless violence. Yitzhak 
Rabin will be replaced, and the world is hopeful that his legacy of 
peace will continue, but his are shoes that truly cannot ever be 
filled.
  Yitzhak Rabin's love of country, his will, his great intellect and 
sense of compassion cannot be duplicated. His was a greatness that will 
go unparalleled in history.
  Henry Wadsworth Longfellow once said of greatness:

     The heights by men reached and kept
     Were not attained by sudden flight,
     But they, while their companions slept,
     Were toiling upward in the night.

  Yitzhak Rabin toiled upward in the night his entire life, for seven 
decades. He toiled for a country and a people he deeply loved, a people 
who surrounded him with a great deal of affection at the time of his 
death. America, Israel and the world will never forget Yitzhak Rabin or 
his lasting contribution to the betterment of all mankind.
  Like Longworth said, the truly great toil upward in the night to 
reach the greatest of heights. In that darkness, Yitzhak Rabin dreamt 
the sweetest of dreams, one of true, lasting peace.
  Mr. SABO. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to add my voice to the chorus of 
members condemning this horrible crime and extending our sympathy to 
Mr. Rabin's family and to the people of Israel. I am proud to support 
this resolution.
  In the last few days, many have spoken of Yitzhak Rabin's 
transformation from soldier to statesman. As I see it, however, Yitzhak 
Rabin did not change. Throughout his life, Yitzhak Rabin lived as a 
patriot devoted to the creation, defense, survival, and success of 
Israel and its citizens.
  Yitzhak Rabin did not undergo a radical transformation. Rather, he 
lived his life in steadfast defense of his nation. When Israel's very 
survival depended on its military might, Yitzhak Rabin led its forces 
in defense of his homeland. When his nation's future depended on its 
quest for peace, Yitzhak Rabin led that charge with equal fervor and 
tenacity. Yitzhak Rabin did not change, but he recognized the changes 
that had occurred in his country and in the world.
  Prime Minister Rabin could see that Israel's destiny was not to 
remain an armed camp, a nation in which nearly every family has lost a 
member to war and violence. He participated in every war his nation 
fought, and he knew that his people had seen enough war, enough death, 
enough tears. In a move that was perhaps more courageous than any he 
had taken in battle, he entered negotiations with the Palestinians. In 
doing so, he discarded dogma in favor of a very real opportunity for 
meaningful peace, partnership, and progress.
  Mr. Rabin was not simply a lofty dreamer. He was a hard-headed 
pragmatist who did not merely hope for peace. He knew that attaining 
peace was the only way Israel would achieve true security and 
satisfaction, and he knew that it would not be easy. The final years of 
his life were consumed with this pursuit of peace. In a short time, he 
achieved peace with Jordan and several agreements with the 
Palestinians, and up to the very end he sought an agreement with Syria. 
All of this was accomplished in the face of personal vilification and 
extremist opposition. The presence at his funeral of dignitaries from 
Arab nations across the region, even some that do not yet have formal 
ties with Israel, demonstrated the success of his yet incomplete 
efforts.
  I join my colleagues in expressing support for the government of 
Acting Prime Minister Peres and its commitment to building a just and 
lasting peace between Israel and its neighbors. I call upon our Nation 
and the entire world to learn from the wisdom of Yitzhak Rabin. when 
his people needed a soldier to protect them, he took up arms. When it 
needed a statesman to shepherd them to peace, he had the strength and 
courage to shake hands.
  Mr. LANTOS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to join my colleagues in paying 
tribute to the assassinated Prime Minister of Israel, Yitzhak Rabin. I 
knew the Prime Minister well and I have met with him frequently, most 
recently just 2 weeks ago when he was here in the great rotunda of this 
building to mark the 3,000 anniversary of Jerusalem as Israel's capital 
and to mark the adoption by the Congress of legislation that will move 
the United States Embassy in Israel to Israel's capital, Jerusalem.
  I wish to express to Yitzhak's dear wife, Leah, my sincere and heart-
felt sympathy at the tragic personal loss that she and her family have 
suffered as a consequence of this senseless and reprehensible political 
murder. I also want to acknowledge my deepest admiration and my sincere 
appreciation for the heroic role which Prime Minister Rabin played--
first, as an outstanding warrior and military leader in fighting to 
bring security and safety to the people of Israel, and second, as a 
bold political leader who took great risks in the effort to bring peace 
to Israel and its neighbors.
  Mr. Speaker, international leaders from numerous countries have paid 
eloquent and moving tribute to Prime Minister Rabin--in statements 
issued at the time the world 

[[Page H 11851]]
learned of the shocking and tragic death of the Prime Minister and in 
powerful eulogies to him on the occasion of his funeral in Jerusalem. I 
cannot add to those well-spoken phrases.
  I do, however, wish to call the attention of my distinguished 
colleagues to the profound statements of others who have spoken of 
Prime Minister Rabin. Mr. Speaker, last Monday, I participated in the 
memorial service for Mr. Rabin that was held in Los Angeles at the 
Simon Wiesenthal Center. On that occasion, we heard the eloquent words 
of Rabbi Marvin Hier, Dean of the Holocaust Studies Center at the Simon 
Wiesenthal Center. I ask that his excellent statement be placed in the 
Record. I also ask that the wonderful statement by Israel's Consul 
General in San Francisco, Nimrod Barkan, be placed in the Record. 
Consul General Barkan's statement about Prime Minister Rabin was 
published in the San Francisco Chronicle in today's edition.

  Eulogy Delivered by Rabbi Marvin Hier Memorial Service in Memory of 
             Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin--November 6, 1995

       This is one of the saddest days in modern Jewish history. A 
     day when the life of a courageous Prime Minister of Israel 
     was snuffed out by one of our own. One supposedly schooled in 
     law and morality, one versed in the Torah, in the Juridic 
     principals of pluralism and democracy.
       What shall we say. What words are there to comfort us in 
     this dark hour when we are confronted by a killer who has the 
     audacity to declare, ``I do not regret what I have done. G-D 
     spoke to me and told me to do it''.
       No, my friends. The G-D of Israel who commanded ``Thou 
     shalt not kill'', the G-D of Israel who demanded of Cain . . 
     . ``Where is Abel thy Brother?'' . . . ``His blood crieth to 
     me from the ground''.
       That G-D is much too clever to speak to such a fool. Much 
     too humble to empower such arrogance and much too noble to 
     dignify such deception.
       No, it is not the words of the Almighty that the assassin 
     heard that day, rather it is the cynical rhetoric of 
     extremism. The anthem of fanatics that struck down Israel's 
     Prime Minister.
       A climate of going beyond the pale--beyond the parameters 
     of legitimate criticism which is the sacred rite of every 
     democracy. A climate that allows a man to hold up a placard 
     showing Yitzhak Rabin dressed in an SS uniform, * * * 
     justifying it by declaring--it's an expression of my 
     opposition to his government's policies.
       Such tyranny against a man who fought the Nazis when he was 
     19 years old during World War II when many others sat by 
     silently.
       Against a man who in 1945 launched a daring raid to rescue 
     200 holocaust survivors that the British had interred on a 
     Greek island.
       Such a placard against the deputy commander of the Palmach 
     who kept the roads to Jerusalem open, enabling crucial 
     supplies to get through during the War of Independence in 
     1948.
       An SS placard against the Chief of Staff who brilliantly 
     won the six-day war and who restored the Western Wall to the 
     Jewish people for the first time in 2,000 years of exile.
       A placard against a man who launched the raid on Entebbe * 
     * * dealing a mortal blow to international terrorism.
       And still the placards appeared and re-appeared and no one 
     rose up to tear them down.
       Such infamy breeds a climate of hatred. Such indignity 
     gives birth to killers. Yes, even killers smart enough to 
     work their way through law school.
       What is especially painful, my friends, is that we are the 
     people who walked away from the Holocaust and yet maintained 
     our faith in G-D!
       The people who walked away from the crematoria and still 
     showed a capacity to love!
       The people who moved away form the valley of the shadow of 
     death to rebuild our lives in our communities without rancor! 
     Fostering new dreams and singing new songs of hope for a 
     better world and a better tomorrow, just as Yitzhak Rabin did 
     only moments before he was gunned down.
       Who can believe that this great leader in war and peace is 
     no longer with us because he refused to believe that someone 
     would open another front against him in an area where he was 
     most vulnerable.
       He had successfully fought a three-frontal war in 1967 and 
     now he was engaged in an historic three-frontal effort for 
     peace. But he never believed that someone from within would 
     rise up and open a fourth front against him. One that would 
     pit Jew against Jew and one in which 2,000 years ago was 
     responsible for the destruction of Jerusalem and the burning 
     of its temple.
       My friends, Yitzhak Rabin is assured his place of honor in 
     the rich history of the Jewish people. The bullet that killed 
     him will not prevent future generations from learning the 
     story of this noble warrior and this great man of peace who 
     asked for nothing more than the right to bequeath his 
     grandchildren and great-grandchildren a promised land free of 
     war and want, rich in spirit and ideas where the words of the 
     ancient prophet still ring true * * * righteousness, 
     righteousness shalt thou pursue.
       May the memory of Yitzhak Rabin be for a blessing and may 
     the peace he gave his life for take hold and endure forever.
                                                                    ____


            [From the San Francisco Chronicle, Nov. 8, 1995]

                   Rabin: Star of a Heroic Generation

                           (By Nimrod Barkan)

       I have cried many times during the past weekend and 
     diplomats normally are not supposed to cry. I wept for the 
     loss of Israel's and my personal political father figure. 
     Yitzhak Rabin symbolized for me everything that was heroic in 
     the generation that established and led the state of Israel, 
     fighting his enemies while aspiring for a peace compromise.
       It is said that old soldiers never die, and Yitzhak Rabin's 
     legacy will never fade. He was always there as a soldier in 
     the eye of the storm for the causes of Jewish history. He was 
     a soldier for freedom from 1948 and a hard-nosed realistic 
     soldier for peace ever since he participated in the Armistice 
     Agreement negotiations in 1949.
       I recall that when he became defense minister and prime 
     minister, I was impressed, as were others in army planning 
     and intelligence, at the fact that at every meeting they and 
     their chiefs had with him, he was always more knowledgeable, 
     more versed in details and more aware of grand-scale issues 
     than any other participant.
       Rabin was prime minister twice. From 1974 to 1977 and then 
     again from 1992 until last Saturday. He dealt primarily with 
     security and peace-making. Rabin's governments, however, were 
     also governments of social reform. Under his guidance 
     substantial social legislation was enacted. Rabin, the 
     security leader, was also a major domestic reformer.
       In 1987 he was faced with the ``intifada,'' or Palestinian 
     uprising. This strategic dove who continuously called for 
     separation between Jews and Arabs was also a tactical hawk.
       Always aware of the depth of Arab enmity toward Israel, he 
     believed that Palestinian success in the intifada would 
     harden their position and would thus prevent progress in the 
     peace talks. On the other hand, Rabin knew all too well the 
     limits Israel had to establish while dealing with the 
     civilian population in the West Bank and Gaza.
       Rabin's life story is the story of the Jewish struggle for 
     independence and is the story of Israel. The bullet that 
     killed him, shot by a messianic terrorist, was aimed not only 
     at him but at the whole concept of Zionism of the possible, 
     and not nationalism of zealotry that already led once to the 
     destruction of the Second Temple, the beginning of the 
     diaspora.
       Yitzhak Rabin, our father figure, together with Shimon 
     Peres, believed that the Jewish state should invest its 
     energy and resources in its citizens and in Jewish immigrants 
     from all over the world. Thus Rabin is the Real Zionist--a 
     pragmatic doer and a believing visionary. Soldier for 
     independence, economic development and social reforms, he 
     believed that peace is the vehicle for achieving these goals 
     in a secure Israel--deferring Israel's enemies while uniting 
     in peace with potential Arab partners.
       Rabin was not a people person, however. His shy personality 
     was generous, kind and outgoing in more private settings. 
     Rabin's granddaughter's moving words at his funeral about his 
     famous, warm half-smile were a manifestation of that, so were 
     the tears of his close friends Henry Kissinger and Bill 
     Clinton.
       His warm real nature showed itself when Rabin died a happy 
     man--his smiling face during the last hours of his life 
     indicated his satisfaction from the benefits of peace and 
     from seeing so many of his supporters rallying to the flag as 
     never before.
       His last public act was to sing the peace song, the first 
     and, how tragically, the last time he ever sang in public.
       Yitzhak Rabin--it is because of you and your generation 
     that we have a Jewish state. Farewell and shalom to you. As 
     we weep in parting we vow to persevere in implementing your 
     legacy.
  Mr. WARD: Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay my respects to a man who 
taught us the invaluable lesson. Peace is always an option, always 
attainable, and always a worthy cause. I extend my sympathies, along 
with millions around the world, to his family and the people of Israel.
  The assassination of Prime Minister Rabin has shocked the conscience 
of the world and silenced one of the great peacemakers of our time. 
This tragic event serves as a stark reminder to the fact that we, in 
the United States as well as throughout the world, must strive to 
accept differing ideologies, religious and political, from that of our 
own.
  I have always seen the State of Israel as the ``can do'' nation. 
Against all odds they have grown a nation steeped in democracy, 
prosperous despite limited resources, and gallant in battle. It is, 
therefore, even more shocking that such an event occurred there.
  A soldier, statesman, father, husband, and peacemaker, Yitzhak Rabin 
ultimately gave his life to the cause of peace. If a general, who as a 
result of his military successes doubled the size of Israel, later came 
to believe that territorial compromise was necessary for peace, then I 
believe that this lesson can be learned by all Israelis. I believe that 
Israel's legacy and the legacy of Yitzhak Rabin, that peace and 
reconciliation are always possible, is a lesson for the Middle East and 
people all over the world.
  On Monday evening, I attended a memorial service at The Temple in 
Louisville with about 

[[Page H 11852]]
500 others. Rabin's life, Rabin's dream, and Rabin's death have touched 
many throughout the world. Many have likened his death to that of 
Abraham Lincoln's who died in pursuit of healing a divided nation. We 
are reminded of the assassination of Anwar Sadat, a price he paid for 
peace. Rabin's willingness to take the risky road toward peace in light 
of its personal dangers demands that we all commit ourselves to ensure 
that peace is his true legacy.
  Mr. SLAUGHTER: Mr. Speaker, I rise today to add my voice to the many 
who have already paid tribute to Yitzhak Rabin, a courageous soldier 
and an irreplaceable leader.
  We were all shocked and deeply saddened to hear the tragic news of 
the death of this great man--a man who overcame immense obstacles and 
accomplished what many have said could never happen. He paid the 
highest price a man can pay in his attempts to save the lives of his 
brethren in Israel, and across the Middle East.
  In this time of sorrow and uncertainty, we must remember what Yitzhak 
Rabin stood for, and what he would want us to do. He was dedicated to 
peace--and we must continue that commitment. We must press forward with 
the implementation of the already signed agreements, and we must move 
on with the negotiations with other Arab nations. The last thing 
Yitzhak Rabin would want is for us to give up.
  My heartfelt condolences go out to his family, his friends, and his 
nation. Yitzhak Rabin was, indeed, a great man. We will miss our 
friend, our hero--Yitzhak Rabin.
  Mr. HOYER: Mr. Speaker, Woodrow Wilson in a speech about President 
Abraham Lincoln, while he was President of Princeton University, said, 
``A great nation is not led by a man who simply repeats the talk of the 
street-corners or the opinions of the newspapers. A nation is led by a 
man who hears more than those things; or who, rather, hearing those 
things, understands them better, unites them, puts them into a common 
meaning; speaks, not the rumors of the street, but a new principle for 
a new age; a man in whose ears the voices of a nation do not sound like 
accidental and discordant notes that come from the voice of the mob, 
but concurrent and concordant like the united voices of a chorus, whose 
many meanings, spoken by melodious tongues, unite in his understanding 
in a single meaning and reveal to him a single vision, so that he can 
speak what no man else knows, the meaning of the common voice. Such is 
the man who leads a great, free, democratic nation.''
  Such was the man called Yitzhak Rabin. Mr. Speaker, I rise to join my 
colleagues and this nation in expressing its sorrow and grief over the 
untimely and tragic death of Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin. I 
also join in condemning the callous assassination of this true warrior 
for peace in the Middle East.
  Prime Minister Rabin was one of those people throughout the world who 
looked beyond an immediate electoral victory and took risks to ensure 
that Israel's children could someday live without the immediate threat 
of war. His positions were at many times unpopular, yet the soldier in 
him continued the fight for peace. His continuous efforts for peace 
earned him the Nobel Peace Prize and the admiration of millions the 
world over. Unfortunately, his commitment to peace also made him 
countless enemies. And it was these enemies that took our friend, 
Yitzhak away from us.
  Of all those who eulogized Prime Minister Rabin, none I believed 
moved us as much as Yitzhak's 17-year-old granddaughter, Noa Ben-Artzi 
Philosof, when she spoke of her grandfather, ``Your appreciation and 
your love accompanied us every step down the road, and our lives were 
always shaped by your values. You, who never abandoned anything, are 
now abandoned. And here you are, my ever-present hero, cold, alone, and 
I cannot do anything to save you. You are missed so much.''
  Mr. Speaker, we will all miss Yitzhak Rabin--a courageous leader who 
gave his life to create not only a better life for Israel, but for the 
world over. An old Proverb states that ``Good men must die, but death 
cannot kill their names.'' Yitzhak Rabin's name will live on in the 
name of peace in the Middle East. Shalom Yitzhak. Shalom Israel.
  Mr. BURTON of Indiana. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of this 
resolution, and with a very heavy heart to join in the grief over the 
cruel death of a great hero of Israel, and a great friend of America.
  Yitzhak Rabin epitomized all that we admire and appreciate about the 
state of Israel. He was a valiant and brave soldier who played a 
crucial role in Israel's war of independence in 1948. At that time, he 
commanded the brigade that protected the road to Jerusalem--Israel's 
very lifeline.
  As chief of staff of the Israel defense forces during the Six-Day War 
in June 1967, General Rabin presided over a stunning victory in a war 
of self-defense that preserved Israel's very existence.
  Yitzhak Rabin was Prime Minister of Israel in the mid-1970's, a 
period that saw the historic disengagement accords with Egypt and 
Syria, and the electrifying Entebbe rescue. He also helped to heal the 
national wounds in the aftermath of the 1973 Yom Kippur War.
  When he became Prime Minister again in 1992, largely on the strength 
of his own personal popularity and credibility with the people of 
Israel, he courageously embarked on a search for peace and coexistence 
with Israel's Arab neighbors, a quest that is nothing less than a 
fulfillment of the Zionist dream. It was that brave quest which cost 
him his life.
  Yitzhak Rabin's life story is a microcosm of the story of Israel--the 
fierce determination to persevere coupled with the tireless yearning 
for peace. As our hearts are broken over his passing, let us all 
determine to remember him, and to achieving what he strove for--a true 
peace with security for the people of Israel.
  Mr. FRANKS of Connecticut. Mr. Speaker, I am deeply saddened by the 
assassination of Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin and I wish to express my 
condolences to his family and to the nation of Israel.
  Yitzhak Rabin was truly an extraordinary man. He was a war hero who 
won freedom and independence for the Israeli people and who was later 
called to defend and preserve that freedom and independence.
  He was a great political leader who knew how to foster internal 
security and prosperity for his people while at the same time making 
sure the world knew that Israel would be a devastatingly effective 
adversary if attacked.
  He knew that peace was the only route to true security and true 
prosperity. He overcame his instincts as a soldier and fighter and took 
up the olive branch. He sat, negotiated, agreed, and shook hands with a 
man and a people who had been his and his nation's mortal enemy. He did 
all of this because he felt that peace was the solution. Peace was the 
only way to create a meaningful future for, not only Israel, but for 
all in the Middle East. His reward was to be gunned down by an 
extremist who wished to fan the fires of hatred.
  The extremists of this world, not only in the Middle East, but 
everywhere, must realize that hatred and divisiveness never foster 
well-being and prosperity. They destroy lives and the human spirit, 
they do not build them up. They must realize that the civilized world 
rejects their hate and warmongering and will not let them distract us 
from the goal of a peaceful world.
  One of the most important tributes that can be made to Yitzhak Rabin, 
is for the peace process to continue, unimpeded. This is what Prime 
Minister Rabin fought and died for. We must not let extremists and 
assassins think for one moment that their methods will yield success. 
Any delay at all in moving forward with the peace process will provide 
these people with justification in their minds for their actions.
  We must pick up where Prime Minister Rabin left off and work harder 
than ever to achieve our aim. We must let those who wish to kill peace 
know that there are not enough bullets to stop those who work for a 
more peaceful world.
  I salute Prime Minister Rabin for his accomplishments and for his 
ultimate sacrifice to the cause of peace.
  Mr. PAYNE of New Jersey. Mr. Speaker, I would just like to say that I 
was truly honored to be able to pay tribute to war hero and Nobel Peace 
Prize winner, Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin. What I witnessed in 
Jerusalem on Monday by the people of Israel was a tremendous outpouring 
of love and affection.
  I think I can say that I join the world in mourning the loss of a 
heroic leader who never wavered in his rule as peacemaker, who 
persevered in the face of danger and adversity, who chose hope over 
fear. In meetings that I attended with him both in Israel and 
Washington, I found him always to be thoughtful and deliberative, 
thorough and fair-minded. He most impressed me with his ability to 
weight all sides of controversial issues.
  We can truly empathize with the people of Israel. The brutal slayings 
of President Kennedy in 1963 and Dr. King in 1968 are dramatic 
reminders of the lives that were lost in the struggles for peace.
  We must continue the legacies that Rabin stood for--peace in the 
Middle East. We must show that our support for acting Prime Minister 
Shimon Peres, Rabin's partner in the long march Israel had undertaken 
toward peace with his Arab neighbors, will not waver. I would also like 
to say the support of the United States delegation to Israel was 
tremendous. The people of Israel expressed their gratitude.
  The eulogies stated that the visionary had become a fighter for peace 
turned martyr for peace. Ultimately, we must remember that to us he was 
a hero and a true statesman but to Leah, his wife, his children, and 
grandchildren he was just a great man that they loved dearly. In their 
hour of mourning, let us be ever so mindful of their pain.
  The fate of the Oslo Accord, signed in Norway by Rabin and Arafat in 
1993, must be 

[[Page H 11853]]
carried on. They include provisions for military and paramilitary 
troops, the occupied territories the Gaza Strip, and the West Bank. The 
United States has a responsibility to help Israel on the long journey 
toward peace.
  Ms. DUNN of Washington. Mr. Speaker, it is with great sorrow and a 
heavy heart that I rise today to pay tribute to Yitzhak Rabin, Prime 
Minister of Israel, whose life was tragically stolen from him on 
Saturday. He was a man of great courage, a man whose dedication to 
peace ultimately cost him his life.
  In an ironic and fitting twist, the brief capsule of time it took to 
extinguish the life of Prime Minister Rabin--intended by his assailant 
to destroy the hard-fought peace process--will instead solidify Prime 
Minister Rabin's status as a legend. The outpouring of sympathy and 
love for Prime Minister Rabin by the world community is matched only by 
the expressions of condolence by his own beloved, grief-stricken 
countrymen.
  The work of Yitzhak Rabin was pursued not just on behalf of the 
Nation of Israel and her citizens. Peace accomplished between Israel 
and the Palestinians is to all of humanity's advantage. Peace benefits 
Jews and Arabs living around the globe, and the region as a whole--a 
region which has experienced too many troubles over a span of thousands 
of years.
  The grief-stricken people we have all seen on the news has left me 
stunned, but not without hope that continued vigilance in the pursuit 
of peace must be maintained. The violent outbursts of the man who would 
become Yitzhak Rabin's assassin, the poignant pictures of earth being 
placed over the flag-draped coffin, the moving remarks of Rabin's own 
granddaughter paying homage to her cherished hero, the shocking sight 
of those blood-stained long lyrics--all of these images are etched in 
my mind and will serve as a constant reminder that Prime Minister Rabin 
gave his life for a truly honorable goal: the Israeli-Palestinian peace 
accord.
  At Saturday's event celebrating peace, Yitzhak Rabin eloquently 
stated, ``There are enemies of the peace process, and they try to hurt 
us. But violence undermines democracy and must be denounced and 
isolated.'' We must ensure that from him we inherit a legacy of peace, 
not violence.
  Mr. GILMAN. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Bereuter). Pursuant to the order of the 
House of Tuesday, November 7, 1995, the previous question is ordered.
  The question is on the Senate concurrent resolution.
  The question was taken; and the Speaker pro tempore announced that 
the yeas appeared to have it.
  Mr. GILMAN. Mr. Speaker, I object to the vote on the ground that a 
quorum is not present and make the point of order that a quorum is not 
present.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Evidently a quorum is not present.
  The Sergeant at Arms will notify absent Members.
  The vote was taken by electronic device, and there were--yeas 416, 
nays 0, as follows:

                             [Roll No. 769]

                               YEAS--416

     Ackerman
     Allard
     Andrews
     Archer
     Armey
     Bachus
     Baesler
     Baker (CA)
     Baker (LA)
     Baldacci
     Ballenger
     Barcia
     Barr
     Barrett (NE)
     Barrett (WI)
     Bartlett
     Barton
     Bass
     Bateman
     Becerra
     Beilenson
     Bentsen
     Bereuter
     Berman
     Bevill
     Bilbray
     Bilirakis
     Bishop
     Bliley
     Blute
     Boehlert
     Boehner
     Bonilla
     Bonior
     Bono
     Borski
     Boucher
     Browder
     Brown (CA)
     Brown (FL)
     Brown (OH)
     Brownback
     Bryant (TN)
     Bryant (TX)
     Bunn
     Bunning
     Burr
     Burton
     Buyer
     Callahan
     Calvert
     Camp
     Canady
     Cardin
     Castle
     Chabot
     Chambliss
     Chapman
     Chenoweth
     Christensen
     Chrysler
     Clay
     Clayton
     Clement
     Clinger
     Clyburn
     Coble
     Coburn
     Coleman
     Collins (GA)
     Collins (IL)
     Collins (MI)
     Combest
     Condit
     Conyers
     Cooley
     Costello
     Cox
     Coyne
     Cramer
     Crane
     Crapo
     Cremeans
     Cubin
     Cunningham
     Danner
     Davis
     de la Garza
     Deal
     DeFazio
     DeLauro
     DeLay
     Dellums
     Deutsch
     Diaz-Balart
     Dickey
     Dicks
     Dingell
     Dixon
     Doggett
     Dooley
     Doolittle
     Dornan
     Doyle
     Dreier
     Duncan
     Dunn
     Durbin
     Edwards
     Ehlers
     Ehrlich
     Emerson
     Engel
     English
     Ensign
     Eshoo
     Evans
     Everett
     Ewing
     Farr
     Fattah
     Fawell
     Fazio
     Fields (TX)
     Filner
     Flake
     Flanagan
     Foley
     Forbes
     Ford
     Fowler
     Fox
     Frank (MA)
     Franks (CT)
     Franks (NJ)
     Frelinghuysen
     Frisa
     Frost
     Funderburk
     Furse
     Gallegly
     Ganske
     Gejdenson
     Gekas
     Gephardt
     Gibbons
     Gilchrest
     Gillmor
     Gilman
     Gonzalez
     Goodlatte
     Goodling
     Gordon
     Goss
     Graham
     Green
     Greenwood
     Gunderson
     Gutierrez
     Gutknecht
     Hall (OH)
     Hall (TX)
     Hamilton
     Hancock
     Hansen
     Harman
     Hastert
     Hastings (FL)
     Hastings (WA)
     Hayes
     Hayworth
     Hefley
     Hefner
     Heineman
     Herger
     Hilleary
     Hilliard
     Hinchey
     Hobson
     Hoekstra
     Hoke
     Holden
     Horn
     Hostettler
     Houghton
     Hoyer
     Hunter
     Hutchinson
     Hyde
     Inglis
     Istook
     Jackson-Lee
     Jacobs
     Johnson (CT)
     Johnson (SD)
     Johnson, E. B.
     Johnson, Sam
     Johnston
     Jones
     Kanjorski
     Kaptur
     Kasich
     Kelly
     Kennedy (MA)
     Kennedy (RI)
     Kennelly
     Kildee
     Kim
     King
     Kingston
     Kleczka
     Klink
     Klug
     Knollenberg
     Kolbe
     LaFalce
     LaHood
     Largent
     Latham
     LaTourette
     Laughlin
     Lazio
     Leach
     Levin
     Lewis (CA)
     Lewis (GA)
     Lewis (KY)
     Lightfoot
     Lincoln
     Linder
     Lipinski
     Livingston
     LoBiondo
     Lofgren
     Longley
     Lowey
     Lucas
     Luther
     Maloney
     Manton
     Manzullo
     Markey
     Martinez
     Martini
     Mascara
     Matsui
     McCarthy
     McCollum
     McCrery
     McDade
     McDermott
     McHale
     McHugh
     McInnis
     McIntosh
     McKeon
     McKinney
     McNulty
     Meehan
     Meek
     Menendez
     Metcalf
     Meyers
     Mfume
     Mica
     Miller (CA)
     Miller (FL)
     Minge
     Mink
     Molinari
     Mollohan
     Montgomery
     Moorhead
     Moran
     Morella
     Murtha
     Myers
     Nadler
     Neal
     Nethercutt
     Neumann
     Ney
     Norwood
     Nussle
     Oberstar
     Obey
     Olver
     Ortiz
     Orton
     Owens
     Oxley
     Packard
     Pallone
     Parker
     Pastor
     Paxon
     Payne (NJ)
     Payne (VA)
     Pelosi
     Peterson (MN)
     Petri
     Pickett
     Pombo
     Pomeroy
     Porter
     Poshard
     Pryce
     Quillen
     Quinn
     Radanovich
     Rahall
     Rangel
     Reed
     Regula
     Richardson
     Riggs
     Rivers
     Roberts
     Roemer
     Rogers
     Rohrabacher
     Ros-Lehtinen
     Rose
     Roth
     Roukema
     Roybal-Allard
     Royce
     Rush
     Sabo
     Salmon
     Sanders
     Sanford
     Sawyer
     Saxton
     Scarborough
     Schaefer
     Schiff
     Schroeder
     Schumer
     Scott
     Seastrand
     Sensenbrenner
     Serrano
     Shadegg
     Shaw
     Shays
     Shuster
     Sisisky
     Skaggs
     Skeen
     Skelton
     Slaughter
     Smith (MI)
     Smith (NJ)
     Smith (TX)
     Smith (WA)
     Solomon
     Souder
     Spence
     Spratt
     Stark
     Stearns
     Stenholm
     Stockman
     Stokes
     Studds
     Stump
     Stupak
     Talent
     Tanner
     Tate
     Tauzin
     Taylor (MS)
     Taylor (NC)
     Tejeda
     Thomas
     Thompson
     Thornberry
     Thurman
     Tiahrt
     Torkildsen
     Torres
     Torricelli
     Towns
     Traficant
     Upton
     Velazquez
     Vento
     Visclosky
     Volkmer
     Waldholtz
     Walker
     Walsh
     Wamp
     Ward
     Waters
     Watt (NC)
     Watts (OK)
     Waxman
     Weldon (FL)
     Weller
     White
     Whitfield
     Wicker
     Williams
     Wilson
     Wise
     Wolf
     Woolsey
     Wyden
     Wynn
     Yates
     Young (AK)
     Young (FL)
     Zeliff
     Zimmer

                             NOT VOTING--16

     Abercrombie
     Brewster
     Fields (LA)
     Foglietta
     Geren
     Jefferson
     Lantos
     Moakley
     Myrick
     Peterson (FL)
     Portman
     Ramstad
     Thornton
     Tucker
     Vucanovich
     Weldon (PA)

                              {time}  1335

  Mr. ALLARD changed his vote from ``nay'' to ``yea.''
  So the Senate concurrent resolution was concurred in.
  The result of the vote was announced as above recorded.
  A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.

                          ____________________