[Congressional Record Volume 161, Number 159 (Wednesday, October 28, 2015)]
[Senate]
[Pages S7596-S7597]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
SUBMITTED RESOLUTIONS
______
SENATE RESOLUTION 299--HONORING THE LIFE, LEGACY, AND EXAMPLE OF FORMER
ISRAELI PRIME MINISTER YITZHAK RABIN ON THE TWENTIETH ANNIVERSARY OF
HIS DEATH
Mrs. FEINSTEIN (for herself, Mrs. Boxer, Mr. Carper, Mr. Leahy, Mrs.
Shaheen, Mr. Franken, Mr. Merkley, Mr. Murphy, and Mr. Kaine) submitted
the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on
Foreign Relations:
S. Res. 299
Whereas Yitzhak Rabin was born on March 1, 1922, in
Jerusalem;
Whereas Yitzhak Rabin volunteered for the Palmach, the
elite unit of the Haganah, the
[[Page S7597]]
predecessor of the Israeli Defense Forces, and served for 27
years, including during the 1948 War of Independence, the
1956 Suez War, and as Chief of Staff in the June 1967 Six Day
War;
Whereas Yitzhak Rabin served as Ambassador to the United
States from 1968 through 1973, Minister of Defense from 1984
through 1990, and Prime Minister from 1974 through 1977 and
from 1992 until his assassination in 1995;
Whereas, in 1975, Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin signed the
interim agreement with Egypt that laid the groundwork for the
1979 Camp David Peace Treaty between Israel and Egypt;
Whereas on September 13, 1993, in Washington, D.C., Yitzhak
Rabin signed the Declaration of Principles framework
agreement between Israel and the Palestinians, also known as
the Oslo Accords;
Whereas, upon the signing of the Declaration of Principles,
Yitzhak Rabin said to the Palestinian people: ``We say to you
today in a loud and clear voice: Enough of blood and tears.
Enough! We harbor no hatred toward you. We have no desire for
revenge. We, like you, are people who want to build a home,
plant a tree, love, live side by side with you--in dignity,
empathy, as human beings, as free men.'';
Whereas Yitzhak Rabin received the 1994 Nobel Peace Prize
for his vision and bravery as a peacemaker;
Whereas, on October 26, 1994, Yitzhak Rabin and King
Hussein of Jordan signed a peace treaty between Israel and
Jordan;
Whereas, on November 4, 1995, Yitzhak Rabin was
assassinated after attending a peace rally in Tel Aviv, where
his last words were: ``I have always believed that the
majority of the people want peace, are prepared to take risks
for peace. . . Peace is what the Jewish People aspire to.'';
Whereas Yitzhak Rabin dedicated his life to the cause of
peace and security for the state of Israel by defending his
nation against all threats, including terrorism and invasion,
and undertaking courageous risks in the pursuit of peace;
Whereas, in the years following Yitzhak Rabin's
assassination, successive United States Administrations have
sought to help Israel and the Palestinians achieve a
negotiated two-state solution that ends their conflict;
Whereas today Israel and the Palestinian territories are
the site of renewed terrorism and violence;
Whereas the continuation and deepening of the Israeli-
Palestinian conflict in the absence of progress toward a two-
state solution has contributed to suffering among both
peoples, including being one of several factors driving the
current terrorism and violence in Israel and the Palestinian
territories; and
Whereas today, more than ever, the leadership of Yitzhak
Rabin can be a model for securing peace during a time of
conflict: Now, therefore, be it
Resolved, That the Senate--
(1) commemorates the life and accomplishments of Yitzhak
Rabin and extends its deepest sympathy and condolences to his
family and the people of Israel on the twentieth anniversary
of his death;
(2) recognizes and reiterates its continued support for the
close ties and special relationship between the people and
Governments of the United States and Israel;
(3) reaffirms its commitment to the process of building a
just and lasting peace between Israel and the Palestinians
based on two states for two peoples, living side-by-side in
peace and security; and
(4) calls on Israeli and Palestinian leaders to quell the
current outbreak of terrorism and violence, and to resume
work toward a negotiated two-state solution ending the
conflict once and for all.
Mrs. FEINSTEIN. President, I rise today to submit a resolution
recognizing the 20th anniversary of the assassination of Yitzhak Rabin.
On November 4, 1995, after a major peace rally, then-Prime Minister
Rabin was gunned-down by an Israeli nationalist. Rabin's brutal
assassination ended the life of a man who lived for peace.
Today, with renewed terrorism and violence in Israel and the
Palestinian territories, leaders should look to the example of Mr.
Rabin, who forged peace against long odds. His assassin may have ended
his life, but his message must live on.
During Mr. Rabin's first term as Israel's Prime Minister, he laid the
foundation for peace with Egypt by concluding the Sinai Interim
Agreement on September 1, 1975.
The eventual 1979 Camp David Peace Treaty officially ended
hostilities between the two nations. Importantly, Egypt became the
first Arab state to recognize Israel. Today, because of Mr. Rabin's
work, Egypt and Israel remain at peace.
During Mr. Rabin's second term as Prime Minister, he continued to
seek peace with Israel's neighbors. He led the effort to sign the Oslo
Accords, which created the Palestinian Authority, and which serves as a
framework for the creation of a Palestinian state today.
For their efforts, Mr. Rabin, Yasir Arafat and Shimon Peres won the
1994 Nobel Peace Prize.
That same year, Israel and Jordan also signed a peace treaty, making
Jordan the second Arab state to establish peace with Israel.
On this, the twentieth anniversary of the assassination of Yitzhak
Rabin, I offer my condolences to his family. May they continue to find
solace in the legacy of a leader who sought peace when others sought
war.
May leaders all around the world look to him for inspiration on how
to lead courageously and chart a more peaceful future for one's people.
____________________