"Peace has distanced itself," former President Shimon Peres said on Saturday evening at a Tel Aviv rally marking 19 years since the assassination of Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin. "We stood together, full of hope, and said our warm goodbyes," Peres said, recalling the evening of Rabin's murder. "A few moments later, everything was turned upside down. A shameful murderer wanted to kill Yitzhak, and along with him, to kill the hope for peace. For 19 years, Yitzhak has not been with us. I will never forget the moment. The wounds have not healed. My heart is still crying." Despite the rainy weather, thousands of people crowded the central square in Tel Aviv which was renamed in Rabin's honor after he was killed there. Organizers planned a more political rally this year, and left-wing slogans and signs were noticeable throughout the event. There were many Meretz party posters and signs with slogans including, "Bibi [Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu] is leading us to the next war," and "When there is no peace, war is coming." Peres, the keynote speaker at the rally, lamented that peace was growing ever distant. "Israel is a strong country with an excellent military and a thriving economy, and if peace is initiated, it will be even stronger," he said. "There are those among us who have turned the word 'peace' into a bad word. For them, 'supporter of peace' is a name for crazy, naive, unpatriotic people. To all these people I say loudly: Those who have given up on peace are the crazy ones. "In order to be practical, we must recognize and accept certain basic truths -- Israel cannot have permanent security without peace. Israel cannot have a stable economy without peace. Israel cannot have a healthy society free of poverty and discrimination without peace. Israel cannot have international status and a special relationship with the United States without peace. Israel has no chance of keeping its Jewish and democratic character without peace. "We cannot bring back Yitzhak, but we must bring back the hope for peace. "I regret that there is only an Arab peace initiative on the international table. Where is the Israeli peace initiative? We are at the crossroads of Israel's fate. Now is the time to make peace." Eshkol Regional Council head Haim Yellin also spoke at the memorial rally. "Stop being afraid of Iran and the Islamic State group," he said, addressing Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. "Stop worrying about elections and your position. "Leaders are measured by their ability to make tough decisions over time, and not by [their results in] surveys and polls. We all expect you to strike a diplomatic deal the way the Israel Defense Forces struck the terror tunnels." Samaria Regional Council Head Gershon Mesika was also at the rally, where he said, "Rabin was not just the engineer of the Oslo Accords, he was also a revered commander and a great warrior who conquered Judea and Samaria, Gaza and Sinai, and those who are rewriting his legacy should remember that."
Credit: Moshe Ben-Simhon
