Chawer, ani sokher!
Friend, I remember!
I still remember well the eve of Yom Kipur 5754 (1993) and the speech which Yizhak Rabin made on that day:
(ra 14Quality, 43kB)
... Sha'ar shel Shalom, Sha'ar shel Brakhah, vekwar neemar:
''Sim Shalom, Towah uBrakhah, Chajim, Chen veChesed, Z'dakah veRahamim - alejnu ve'al kol Jisrael Amkha!'' ...
"Today, the government of Israel believes that we will open a gate in the coming year - may it bring us goodness. A gate of peace, a gate of blessing, as it is written: 'Bring peace, goodness, blessing, life, kindness and mercy, justice and compassion - upon us and upon all of Israel, Your people!' On the eve of the day of atonement 5754, the government of Israel offers the people of Israel a vision of peace and perhaps the end of wars, violence, and terror."
I also remember the eve of Yom Kipur 5756 (1995).
In the afternoon, we listened to the last broadcast of Kol Israel: Prime Minister Yizhak Rabin spoke. Like many times before, he spoke impressively about peace, a new beginning, and a recognition of the realities of the Middle East. He spoke about his hopes and his love for Israel and the Israeli people. After a song which he requested (I believe it was by Shoshanah Damari), all Israeli radio stations stopped broadcasting, like every year before Yom Kipur. However, the unprecedented smear campaign against Yizhak Rabin did not end at that point. Shortly before the Kol Nidrei reading, a national-religious Minyan assembled on 'Pulsa deNura' in front of Rabin's residence in Tel Aviv. Condemnation, defamation, death threats, and contempt - everything happened in front of our eyes.
We saw and heard it!
Not only in Israel, but also in the Diaspora - even in the German-speaking Diaspora - the opponents of Rabin's politics were louder, more numerous and more determined than his supporters. Also there, he was insulted and denounced as one who gives away 'our land' to the Arabs. Not only in private but publicly and loudly.
For example, the chief editor of the renowned magazine "SHALOM" - The European Jewish Times - wrote in the Rosh haShanah edition in September 1995:
"...The 'peace initiatives' of the Rabin government do not aim at being submissive to Arafat. Although Rabin promised to return the Golan to Assad, the latter rejects any official contact with the Jewish state..."
"Besides the fear of terrorism, Israeli society and the Jewish people face a much more dangerous threat: the alienation between the supporters of the peace process and the dejewification of the state and their opponents."
"Victims of this animosity (not to agree with the national side is, interestingly enough, equated with animosity) are, of course, mainly the settlers. Rabin states that no Jewish village will be touched by Oslo II, however, behind these meaningless words hides a malicious plan. As soon as Zahal leaves Arab villages in Judea-Samaria and the army of the PLO controls the region, Jews residing in that area are subject to Arab vigilantism."
"Can we, Jews in Diaspora, allow ourselves to become silent accomplices to these terrible processes and witness how Jews desert other Jews?"...
"One only needs to notice with what kind of insidiousness, brutality, and even pleasure Rabin's opponents confronted their compatriots of all ages in recent demonstrations... Today, the only positive news comes from Judea-Samaria, of all places. Despite the efforts of the Rabin government to defeat Jews in these regions, the motivation and willingness to fight of these contemporary heroes have not declined. They do not show any signs of despair and their number has clearly increased.
With this joyful message, I would like to wish the whole team SHALOM a happy new year...."
So much from the magazine SHALOM which is published in Switzerland.
On November 4, 1995, the great mass rally took place in support of the peace process. A large number of people participated. Finally, he was able to feel that half the people of Israel recognized his efforts, thanked him and loved him for all that he had done until then. After having become a war hero, he became an even greater hero of peace. Under his military high command in 1967, the Israeli defense units reached the River Jordan, the Suez Canal and the Golan Heights in only six days. Under his high command, the gates of Old Jerusalem were opened and, for the first time, the Israeli flag was raised above the Western Wall of the Old Temple. Under his political administration, the door to peace dialogues with the Palestinian people opened. Just as he had announced on the eve of Yom Kipur 5754.
From the last speech by Rabin on November 4, 1995, Kikar
Malkhej Jisrael, now Kikar Yizhak Rabin, Tel Aviv:
For Israel, there is no path that is without pain.
But the path of peace is preferable to the path of war.
''Hajiti Ish Zawa esrim-veshewa' Shanim,
Nilchamti kol od lo hajah Sikuj leShalom.
Ani ma'amin shejesh Sikuj leShalom, Sikuj gadol!''
,νιπω 27 ΰαφ ωιΰ ιϊιιδ'' .νεμωμ ιελιρ διδ ΰμ γες μλ ιϊξημπ !μεγβ ιελιρ ,νεμωμ ιελιρ ωιω οιξΰξ ιπΰ νειδ ,δτ νιγξεςδ οςξμ εϊεΰ μφπμ νιαιιη ''.νςα νιαψ νδε ,δτ νιγξες νπιΰω δμΰ οςξμε
I was a military man for 27 years. I fought as 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.
.νιαεΰλξα νβ ,νιιωχα κεψλ νεμωδ .νιαεΰλξ ιμα μΰψωιμ κψγ οιΰ .δξημξδ κψγ ψωΰξ νεμωδ κψγ δτιγς κΰ ,οεηθα ψωε ΰαφ ωιΰ διδω ιξ ϊΰζ ϊΰ νλμ ψξεΰ .μ''δφ ιμιιη μω ϊεητωξδ ιαΰλ ϊΰ δΰεψε ,επιγλπε επιπα οςξμ ,νπςξμ ,ϊεψωτΰ μλ ,υξω μλ δφξϊ ϊΰζδ δμωξξδω δφεψ ιπΰ .μμελ νεμωμ ςιβδμε νγχμ ,ιμΰψωιδ ψεαιφμ ψγωμ ϊαιιη εζ ϊψφς ιαψςδ νμεςα νιαψ νιαψμ ,νμεςα ιγεδιδ ψεαιφμ νεμωα κξεϊ ,νεμωα δφεψ μΰψωι νςω ,εμελ νμεςαε ."νλμ δαψ δγεϊ κλ μςε -
νεμωα κξεϊε ,νεμωα δφεψ μΰψωι νς
This is a course fraught with difficulties and pain. For
Israel, there is no path that is without pain. But the path of peace is preferable to the
path of war.
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 IDF 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. Even with Syria, it will be
possible to make peace.
This rally must send a message to the Israeli people, to the Jewish people around the world, to the many people in the Arab world, and indeed to the entire world:
The People of
Israel want peace and support peace.
- For this, I thank you.
Text of the whole speech in hebrew or english
We will not forget November 4, 1995!
November 4, 1995 - Cheshvan 5756
Jizhak Rabin and Gedaljah ben Ahikam
dg / 1995© haGalil onLine - All Rights Reserved
''Bakesh Shalom veradfehu!'' Ps34
Samstag 04.11.1995 -
11.cHeshvan 5756 |
| (ra 14Quality, 226kB) Shir laShalom |
(ra 14Quality,
304kB) Kol Israel on November 5, 1995 - 0:00h |