by Eli Hertz
Today,
18 years after signing the Israel-Jordan Peace Treaty and 18 years
after his tragic death, Yitzhak Rabin was lauded by President Barack
Obama as a man of peace and courage, who "demonstrated that a commitment
to communication, cooperation, and genuine reconciliation can help
change the course of history."
The
following excerpts are taken from Rabin's last public speech to the
Knesset (Israeli Parliament) on October 5, 1995, just days before he was
murdered, and reveal Rabin's true pragmatic and realistic vision:
"Here, in the land of Israel, we returned and built a nation. Here, in the land of Israel, we established a state. The land of the prophets, which bequeathed to the world the values of morality, law and justice, was after two thousand years, restored to its lawful owners - the members of the Jewish people. On its land, we have built an exceptional national home and state.”
"We view the permanent solution in the framework of [the] State of Israel which will include most of the area of the Land of Israel as it was under the rule of the British Mandate,
and alongside it a Palestinian entity which will be a home to most of
the Palestinian residents living in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank.”
"We will not return to the 4 June 1967 lines.”
"First and foremost, united Jerusalem ... as the capital of Israel, under Israeli sovereignty.
"The security border of the State of Israel will be located in the Jordan Valley ... The establishment of blocs of settlements in Judea and Samaria, like the one in Gush Katif.
"We
had to choose between the whole of the land of Israel ... and a state
with less territory, but which would be a Jewish state. We chose to be a Jewish state.
"We ... committed ourselves before the Knesset, not to uproot a single settlement in the framework of the interim agreement, and not to hinder building for natural growth.
"We are aware of the fact that the Palestinian Authority has not - up until now - honored
its commitment to change the Palestinian Covenant, and that all of the
promises on this matter have not been kept. I would like to bring it
to the attention of the members of the house that I view these changes
as a supreme test of the Palestinian Authority's willingness and
ability, and the changes required will be an important and serious
touchstone vis-a'-vis the continued implementation of the agreement as a
whole."
Rabin's
vision incorporated the principles of Israel as both a Jewish state and
as a state living in "peace within secure and recognized boundaries" as
stated in UN Security Council Resolution 242.
Eli Hertz
Source: http://www.mythsandfacts.org/article_view.asp?articleID=270
Copyright - Original materials copyright (c) by the authors.
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