In this Oct. 6, 2015, file photo, US Secretary of State John Kerry gives a news conference at the National Palace in Port-au-Prince, Haiti. (AP/Dieu Nalio Chery)
On the anniversary of the assassination of Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin, US Secretary of State John Kerry called for advancing Rabin’s vision of a two-state solution to the Israel-Palestinian conflict.
“Former Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin devoted his life to defending Israel. Today, on this solemn anniversary, we express our profound appreciation for his contribution to the cause of peace. And we honor his vision that would create a better future for both Israelis and the Palestinians: two states living side-by-side in peace and security,” Kerry said in a statement issued on Wednesday, November 4.
“Prime Minister Rabin was part of the generation that built the modern state of Israel, that made a desert bloom, that dreamed and willed a country to life and defended it in times of war. He dared to take risks for peace because he knew well the alternative, and believed it was essential for the future security and prosperity of Israel and of the region,” the statement also said.
Kerry said: “Recent violence in the region underscores the urgency of advancing Rabin’s vision: a two-state solution that provides the security for Israelis and Palestinians to live their lives in peace, dignity and prosperity.” He said the viability of that vision is currently at risk. “It is more important than ever that we remember his legacy. It compels us to keep trying. It urges us to never give up hope,” Kerry said.
“In his memory, let us recommit to use our words and our actions to advance the cause of peace, he concluded.
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Prime minister Yitzhak Rabin addresses the General Assembly at the United Nations in New York, Tuesday Oct. 24, 1995. (AP Photo/Marty Lederhandler)
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