Assassination of Rabin – First Cttee debate – Verbatim record (Excerpts)

Official Records

General Assembly

Fiftieth session

First Committee

13th meeting

Monday, 6 November 1995, 10 a.m.

New York

Chairman: Mr. Erdenechuluun ……………………….. (Mongolia)

The meeting was called to order at 11.05 a.m.

Tribute to the memory of His Excellency Mr. Yitzhak Rabin, the late Prime Minister of the State of Israel

The Chairman: It was with shock and great sadness that members of the First Committee learned of the assassination of His Excellency Mr. Yitzhak Rabin, the late Prime Minister of Israel. I am sure that I am expressing the sentiments of everyone here when I say that Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin will be remembered for the distinguished leadership he gave to his country and as a staunch fighter for peace and security in the Middle East.

I wish on behalf of the members of the First Committee to extend our heartfelt condolences to the delegation of Israel upon the tragic and untimely demise of Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin and to request the Israeli delegation to convey our sentiments to the Government and the people of Israel and to the bereaved family.

I ask members of the Committee to stand and observe a minute of silence in tribute to the memory of Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin.

The members of the First Committee observed a minute of silence.

The Chairman: I now call on the representative of South Africa, Mr. Frederick Bergh, who will speak on behalf of the African States.

Mr. Bergh (South Africa): The member States of the African Group have learned with deep shock and sadness of the assassination of Mr. Yitzhak Rabin, Prime Minister of Israel, this past weekend. This criminal act, which should be condemned in the strongest terms, must surely have been committed by someone who has no interest in the genuine welfare of the Israeli and Palestinian peoples. The death of Mr. Rabin is a great loss to the people of Israel and could threaten the peace process now under way in the Middle East.

The African Group urges all the parties to the Middle East peace process not to be deterred by this tragic incident but to draw strength from the firm belief that the legacy of Mr. Rabin’s leadership would best be honoured by following the course set by him. Member States of the African Group convey their condolences to the Rabin family and to the people and Government of Israel.

The Chairman: I now call on the representative of Brunei Darussalam, Mr. Haji Jemat, who will speak on behalf of the Asian States.

Mr. Jemat (Brunei Darussalam): On behalf of the Asian Group I have the honour to join my colleagues in expressing our most profound sympathy and condolences to the family of the late Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin, and to the people of Israel. Israel has lost an outstanding leader and a man of peace. It is sad to witness once again a man and a leader of such courage becoming a victim of the violence that we have seen for so long in the Middle East.

I am sure that I am expressing the feelings of members of the Asian Group when I say that the sacrifice of the late Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin will not have been in vain. His untimely death should be a reminder to all concerned of the urgency of achieving a comprehensive and lasting peace in the troubled region.

The Chairman: I now call on the representative of Poland, Ambassador Dembin´ski, who will speak on behalf of Eastern European States.

Mr. Dembin´ski (Poland): On behalf of the Eastern European Group I should like to express our profound shock, sadness and grief at the murder of the great Israeli statesman and leader, Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin. He leaves an indelible mark on the international scene. His contribution to the peace process in the Middle East is immeasurable. I should like to ask the delegation of Israel to convey our sentiments and sincere condolences to the Government and people of Israel and the family of the deceased.

The Chairman: I now call on the representative of Bolivia, Mr. Gualberto Rodríguez, who will speak on behalf of the Latin American and Caribbean States.

Mr. Rodríguez (Bolivia) (interpretation from Spanish): Allow me, on behalf of the countries of the Latin American and Caribbean Group, to express our sincere condolences at the tragic death of the Prime Minister of Israel, Mr. Yitzhak Rabin. The assassination of this outstanding leader deprives the international community of a leader who was dedicated to the cause of world peace. The circumstances of his death reveal, moreover, the intolerance and intransigence of groups of radicals opposed to building a society in Gaza based on the ideals of solidarity and understanding.

This crime has shaken the entire world — Governments, political analysts, the press and the man in the street — because Prime Minister Rabin was the incarnation of the search for paths towards reconciliation and bringing peoples closer together. He sought courageous and new solutions for peace in the Middle East.

The pain caused by the passing of Prime Minister Rabin commits the political will of the entire world to the process of fundamental transformation initiated by Mr. Rabin so as to achieve peace at last in the region and in the world. May God keep this outstanding statesman in His care and let us have greater understanding among men.

The Chairman: I now call on the representative of Norway, Ambassador Hans Jacob Bjørn Lian, who will speak on behalf of the Western European and Other States.

Mr. Bjørn Lian (Norway): Members of the Group of Western European and Other States were deeply shocked and profoundly saddened at the news of the assassination of the Prime Minister of Israel, Mr. Yitzhak Rabin. We all condemn this despicable act of violence. Israel and the world have lost a great statesman and a visionary leader. Prime Minister Rabin showed great personal courage and determination in his search for a just and lasting peace in the Middle East. He was the main architect of the peace process, which he again praised and promoted on the last day of his life, minutes before he was killed.

We all remember that only a year ago Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin received the Nobel Peace Prize. He received that prize for his considerable efforts and for the considerable courage he showed in bringing the peace process forward. Now, on the day of the burial of Prime Minister Rabin, we all feel the necessity of continuing his work towards peace. That is his legacy and that is our responsibility.

On this day our thoughts and sympathy go to his family, to the people of Israel and to all those who had faith in Yitzhak Rabin’s mission.

The Chairman: I now call on the representative of Israel, Ambassador Yativ, to make a statement.

Mr. Yativ (Israel): November 4, 1995 is a day that will live in the memory of Israel, its neighbours and the international community for ever: on that day an assassin’s bullet killed the Prime Minister of Israel, Mr. Yitzhak Rabin.

The bullet was not meant for the man himself. The bullet was an attempt to stop the courageous march towards peace for all peoples of the Middle East. In the words of Yitzhak Rabin himself in his last speech at the peace rally in Tel Aviv:

“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.”

The Government of Israel is fully committed to continue its efforts to reach a comprehensive and lasting peace with all of its neighbours. It is our obligation — the obligation of us in the Middle East and of the international community — to make sure that Prime Minister Rabin’s vision will not be lost. An assassin’s bullet will not halt our efforts to achieve what Prime Minister Rabin had so boldly set out to accomplish.

In Prime Minister Rabin’s speech to the General Assembly on 24 October 1995 he said:

“The road is still long. However, we are determined to continue until we have brought peace to the region, for our children and our children’s children and for all the peoples of the region. This is our mission. We will fulfil it.” (Official Records of the General Assembly, Fiftieth Session, Plenary Meetings, 39th meeting, p. 26)

Let these words inspire us in our journey towards peace.

/…

The meeting rose at 11.50 a.m.