[Congressional Record Volume 141, Number 180 (Tuesday, November 14, 1995)]
[Senate]
[Pages S17039-S17040]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                         ADDITIONAL STATEMENTS

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                TRIBUTE TO PRIME MINISTER YITZHAK RABIN

 Mrs. FEINSTEIN. Mr. President, I rise today in deep sorrow to 
pay a tribute to Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin, who was 
assassinated in Tel Aviv 10 days ago.
  It is difficult to imagine the State of Israel without Yitzhak Rabin. 
His last years as Prime Minister were so momentous that it is easy to 
forget that Yitzhak Rabin was not just present, but played a central 
role, in virtually every major event in Israel's brief, but dramatic, 
history.
  For many Israelis, Yitzhak Rabin was a father figure--a constant 
presence throughout their lives, and a source of strength. The profound 
love, admiration, and respect that his compatriots felt for him was 
made clear by the tremendous, spontaneous outpouring of grief upon his 
sudden death: Candlelight vigils cropped up all across the country; men 
and women stood crying in the streets in shock and disbelief; and 1 
million Israelis--20 percent of the population--filed past his coffin 
in a 24-hour period to pay their last respects.
  For Israelis, Yitzhak Rabin had simply always been there.
  Born in 1922 in Jerusalem to recent immigrants to Palestine, the 
young Yitzhak Rabin was part of the generation that built the 
foundation of the Jewish state. He studied in an agricultural school, 
with the expectation of working the land with his bare hands.
  But Rabin felt a sense of duty to the cause of building Israel, and 
he put his own ambitions aside to fight for its birth. He joined the 
Palmach, the forerunner of the Israel defense forces, to fight for 
Israel's establishment. A fine soldier, he was quickly elevated to 
command-level positions, and he led the battalion that secured the 
crucial Jerusalem-Tel Aviv road during Israel's War of Independence in 
1948.
  After Israel's founding, Rabin rose through the ranks of the Israel 
defense forces, finally being named Chief of Staff. To Israel's good 
fortune, he held that position in June of 1967, when he led Israel to a 
stunning victory in the Six-Day War over three Arab armies threatening 
the Jewish State. He was one of the first Israelis to walk the streets 
of the reunited city of Jerusalem, and the pictures of him arriving at 
the Western Wall of the Temple are to this day among the most moving 
images in Israel's history.
  In the aftermath of this great victory, he retired from the military 
and became Israel's Ambassador to the United States. He sought this 
post, he explained, because he felt that Israel's future could best be 
secured by a strong partnership with the United States. More than any 
other individual in either country, Yitzhak Rabin envisioned the deep 
friendship that now exists between the United States and Israel, and 
worked to make it a reality. It is fitting that in his final years as 
Prime Minister, he enjoyed a relationship with an American President 
that surpassed perhaps what even he had imagined possible.
  In 1974, in the aftermath of the Yom Kippur War that brought down the 
government of Golda Meir, Yitzhak Rabin became Prime Minister of 
Israel. During his tenure in office, he forged an early path in Middle 
East peacemaking by negotiating disengagement agreements with both 
Egypt and Syria. Following the Labor party's defeat to Likud in 1977, 
Prime Minister Menachem Begin and Egyptian President Anwar Sadat built 
on the successful disengagement negotiations to reach a full peace 
treaty.
  In 1984, Yitzhak Rabin returned to the Cabinet as Israel's Defense 
Minister. In the first year, he helped to arrange the withdrawal of the 
Israeli Army from most of Lebanon, following a costly and painful 
invasion. In 1987 and 1988, he was confronted by the Palestinian 
uprising, or intifada, and the daily battles between Israeli soldiers 
and Palestinian youths.
  Finally, in 1992, Yitzhak Rabin returned victorious to the Prime 
Ministership. He quickly recognized the opportunity to achieve a 
breakthrough in the stalled negotiations between Israel and its 
neighbors. The results included the historic agreements between Israel 
and the Palestinians, the peace treaty with Jordan, and many 
unforgettable images, such as the famous handshake with Yasser Arafat 
on the White House lawn, and the appearance with King Hussein of Jordan 
at a joint session of Congress.
  The common thread through all these various experiences was an 
unshakable commitment to the security and well-being of the State of 
Israel. At every stage of his life--from young soldier fighting for his 
nation's survival, to confident commander of a strong army, to diplomat 
reaching out to broader ties with the world, and finally to statesman 
leading his nation to make peace with old foes--he was motivated by a 
desire to build a better, more secure, more peaceful life for his 
people.
  Yitzhak Rabin was a man of great integrity. He spoke plainly and made 
no pretense about his overriding concern: the security of the State of 
Israel and its people. But, blessed with strength of character and a 
keen intellect, he was able to adjust his understanding of what 
Israel's security required according to changing conditions.
  In 1948 and 1967, for example, he knew that Israel's survival 
required an all-out military effort. In later years he understood the 
need to maintain Israel's world-class military and the imperative of a 
strong alliance with the United States.
  For many years after the Six-Day War, he had been an advocate of 
Israel retaining all of the West Bank and Gaza. But as the intifada 
went on, the destructive effects of the continuation of Israeli control 
over a hostile, embittered population of nearly 2 million Palestinians 
became clearer to him.
  Over time, and not without difficulty, he came to the understanding 
that Israel's long-term survival as a Jewish state would be jeopardized 
by the continued domination of another people. He was not naive. He 
recognized that there were risks involved with reaching out to old 
enemies. But his pragmatic understanding of Israel's own needs led to 
the historic agreement between Israel and the Palestinians.
  In his final speech to the Israeli people, at the peace rally where 
he was cut down, Yitzhak Rabin explained how he had come to reassess 
Israel's situation. He said:

       I was a military man for 27 years. I fought so long as 
     there was no chance for peace. I believe that there is now a 
     chance for peace, a great chance. We must take advantage of 
     it for the sake of those standing here and for those who are 
     not here--and they are many.
       I say this to you as one who was a military man, someone 
     who is today Minister of Defense and sees the pain of the 
     families of the Israel Defense Forces soldiers. For them, for 
     our children, in my case for our grandchildren, I want this 
     government to exhaust every opening, every possibility to 
     promote and achieve a comprehensive peace.

  Yitzhak Rabin was a pragmatist, not a starry-eyed idealist. But 
through his pragmatism, he reached a visionary conclusion. This man, 
who cared so deeply for every Israeli soldier who fell 

[[Page S 17040]]
in battle, for every victim of terror, knew that when an opportunity 
for peace presented itself, he must seize it. A pragmatic conclusion to 
be sure, but also a morally-centered one.
  I was privileged to attend Yitzhak Rabin's funeral last week in 
Jerusalem, the city of his birth. He is buried among Israel's fallen 
heroes on Mount Herzl, and there could be no more appropriate place. He 
was a patriot and hero for Israel as a soldier and a leader, in wars of 
survival and in the struggle for peace.
  The funeral was a powerful testimony to his achievements. Yitzhak 
Rabin, the military hero, was saluted by weeping soldiers, and buried 
with full military honors. Yitzhak Rabin, the peacemaker, was honored 
by the entire world. Dozens of heads of state and foreign dignitaries, 
from every corner of the globe, came to pay their respects. There could 
be no greater evidence of the incredible progress made by Yitzhak Rabin 
toward peace and ending Israel's isolation.
  Most inspiring of all was the presence of leaders from seven Arab 
countries--Jordan, Egypt, Morocco, Tunisia, Qatar, Oman, and 
Mauritania--and the Palestinian Authority. Such a thing could not have 
happened even 3 years ago. The peace that Yitzhak Rabin was striving to 
build was brought to life by the presence of President Mubarak of 
Egypt, on his first visit to Israel, and by Jordan's King Hussein, who 
called Rabin ``my brother.''
  It now falls to Shimon Peres, Israel's acting Prime Minister, to 
continue the work of his partner, Yitzhak Rabin. Israel is fortunate to 
have such a wise and capable leader ready to step in to the void 
created by this tragedy. Shimon Peres has served Israel with 
distinction over many years as Prime Minister, Foreign Minister, 
Defense Minister, and many other posts.
  Shimon Peres is in many ways the architect of the Israeli-Palestinian 
agreements, and his commitment to achieving a comprehensive peace that 
protects Israel's security is unquestioned. If there is any consolation 
in this time of grief, it is that Yitzhak Rabin's partner, Shimon 
Peres, who shared Rabin's vision, will be able to carry that vision 
forward.
  As the tributes to Yitzhak Rabin continue to flow forth from around 
the world, we must rededicate ourselves to supporting Israel in its 
pursuit of peace. It is a sad irony that at the moment of Yitzhak 
Rabin's death, Congress had allowed the Middle East Peace Facilitation 
Act--which Rabin considered essential to the success of his peace 
policies--to lapse.
  While this problem was rectified following the funeral, we know that 
Congress will have many future opportunities to express support for the 
peace process. When we fail to do so, we undermine Israel's peace 
efforts and dishonor Yitzhak Rabin's legacy.
  Let us commit to one another and to the memory of Yitzhak Rabin, that 
we will place support for Israel's peace efforts above partisan or 
political disputes. Bringing peace to Israel and the Middle East--which 
was Rabin's life's work--deserves to be such a priority. If we fail to 
do this, all our words and tributes in praise of Yitzhak Rabin will 
ring hollow.
  Let us also commit ourselves to condemning violence and the 
incendiary rhetoric of extremists, wherever we find it. The painful 
lesson of Rabin's death is that violent words can indeed have violent 
consequences. Tragically, ``Death to Rabin'' was not just a slogan. It 
is up to all of us to isolate those who use such words.
  Israel and the world have lived 10 days without Yitzhak Rabin, and we 
are far poorer for his loss. While the pain does not fade easily, his 
memory can be a source of comfort. This past Sunday night, at the 
conclusion of the 7-day mourning period, tens of thousands of Israelis 
returned to the site of his assassination--renamed Yitzhak Rabin 
Square--and sang songs of peace in his honor.
  For Israel, for the Jewish people, and for all who loved and 
respected Yitzhak Rabin, may his memory be a blessing. In death as in 
life, may he give hope and strength to his people.

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