November 5, 2015
Media Coverage:
Rabin, tough man of peace, The Australian Jewish News
Reflections on Rabin’s legacy 20 years on, The Australian Jewish News
The B’nai B’rith Anti-Defamation Commission (ADC) marks the 20th anniversary of the assassination of Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin with profound sadness and remembers his extraordinary service and dedication to the state of Israel and to the Jewish people.
Dr Dvir Abramovich, Chairman of the ADC, issued the following statement:
“On this solemn day, as we remember the assassination of Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin, we honour his remarkable legacy as a brave warrior who defended his nation valiantly and as great champion of peace, tolerance and democracy. Rabin taught us that we must pursue the path of reconciliation for Israelis and Palestinians by looking ahead, beyond the bitter disappointments of the moment, and by never giving up the hope that a better day awaits the two peoples. The waves of profound shock and grief that followed Rabin’s murder at the hands of a fellow Jew still reverberate today, and remind us that although he is no longer with us, his inspiring legacy endures. As violence and terrorism continue to plague Israel, it is our duty to pick up his mantle, to keep advancing the cause of negotiation and dialogue between Israelis and Palestinians and to keep imagining a brighter future on the horizon. As we pay tribute to an extraordinary statesman and a courageous ‘soldier for peace’, we recall Rabin’s words at the White House on Sept. 13, 1993 after the signing of the Oslo Accords, “Let me say to you, the Palestinians, 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 attended their funerals and cannot look in the eyes of their parents; we who have come from a land where parents bury their children; we who have fought against you, the Palestinians — we say to you today, in a loud and a clear voice: enough of blood and tears. Enough.”
For more information, please contact Dr Dvir Abramovich on 03 9272 5677