November 4, 1995

The date of Rabin's murder rapidly approaches, and this brings back memories, as every year, of the occurences of that night. I was serving in the artillery in the IDF. That November I was in a course in the army. It was a Saturday night, and we were staying that weekend at the base, mostly for guard duty. That night was supposed to be exceptionally annoying, with guard duty at night, meaning little and non-consecutive sleep, plus a whole week of training ahead of us starting the next day (the week starts on a Sunday in Israel).

We went to sleep and were awakened not long afterwards by our commander. After we stood in threes, he told us that Rabin had been shot. We went back to our tents, and there was a lot of talking, although some people tried to go back to sleep. About an hour later we were called back out, and told that Rabin had died from his wounds.

A radio was turned on, and most people talked. I personally didn't. I didn't have much to say. But our guard duties didn't change, and for many, those few hours were the only hours they would get to sleep that night. One such person, who was in a bed at the corner of the tent was trying to sleep through the noise. The most vivid memory I have of that night is this:

He said, "Couldn't he have gotten murdered another night?"

I will never forget that. I will never forgive it either.

Rabin had been shot, Rabin had been shot. I was meant to have been at that rally. I only didn't go because I had to be at work in Beit Shefuckingan at 6:30 the following morning. I had been so happy - the peace process was in full swing, all of the countrie's leaders were standing shoulder to shoulder in the square singing songs for peace, my supervisor at work and half my coworkers were Arab, we were all so happy. Optimistic. Proud.

I didn't begin to think straight until I got to my temporary pad in B-S and turned the TV on. Even then, I was mostly in shock, sitting all curled up in front of the TV, alone in the dark, chain smoking. Maybe I wouldn't have been so hysterical if I'd had someone to talk to, but everyone was asleep - and none of them were Israeli, anyway. They couldn't possibly have understood.

I sat numbly through the reports, the speculation, the reconstructions. Only when they finally said, yes, that's it, he's really dead, did I begin to feel anything but blind panic. Well, it was even more blind panic, actually. I knew with unrelenting certainty that there was going to be a war. That the peace process is doomed. That with our national innocence was lost our only ever chance of coexistence.

It wasn't until last September that I was proven to have been right all along.

This is Itzhak Rabin's last speech, delivered on November 4th, 1995 at the peace rally in Tel-Aviv moments before he was assassinated:

Let me tell you that I'm moved to be here. I would like to thank each of you, that came here to stand against violence and for peace. This government, which I have the honor of leading, together with my friend Shimon Peres, has decided to give a chance to peace, a peace that will solve most of the problems of the state of Israel. I was a soldier for 72 years. I fought when peace was not possible. I believe now peace is possible, this is a great opportunity and it must be pursued for the sake of those who stand here, and those who don't stand here, and they are many.

I would like to say, that I'm proud to have here representatives from the countries with which we live in peace: Egypt, Jordan and Morocco, which opened the way to peace. I would like to thank the president of Egypt, the King of Jordan and the King of Morroco for being represented here and for expressing their partnership with us on the march for peace, but above all - the Israeli people, in more than 3 years of this current government, has proved that peace can be achieved; that peace leads to an advanced economy and society; that peace is not just in the prayers. Peace begins in the prayers, but it is the ambition of the Jewish people - a true ambition for peace.

There are enemies to the peace, which try to hurt us with the purpose of destroying peace. I would like to say, clearly: we have found a partner for peace also among the palestinians - the PLO, which was an enemy and has stopped the terror. Without partners for peace there is no peace. We will demand that it do its share in the peace, as we will do our share in the peace, to solve the most complex and emotional element in the Arab-Israeli conflict: the Palestinian-Israeli.

It involves difficulties, and pain. There is no way for Israel without pain. The way of peace is better than the way of war. I'm telling you this as someone who was a soldier and minister of defense, and sees the pain of the families of the fallen soldiers. For them, for our children - and our grandchildren, in my case - I would like this government to pursue every opportunity to advance and reach comprehensive peace. There will also be a possiblity of achieving peace with Syria. This rally must tell the Israeli people, the Jewish people around the world, many people in the Arab world and in other countries, that the Israeli people wants peace and supports peace - and for this I thank you deeply.

Freely Translated from the Hebrew. Source: www.haaretz.co.il