This is the immortal quote of Yitzhak Rabin, Israel's prime minister, a strong and resolute man. On this day 21 years ago he was killed. Treacherously. Shot in the back.
Yitzhak Rabin was born in Jerusalem, and you will not be surprised when I tell you that he came, like many prominent Israeli figures from Ukraine. His grandfather, Menachem Rabichov lived in Kyiv region, and his father emigrated to the US when he reached adulthood.
Yitzhak, the child of Israel, was fully committed to it. He was a legend, he led major military operations in the war in 1947 - 1949 years. In 1967, when the Six-Day War unfolded, it was he, who headed the General Staff and under his command Israel won a brilliant victory over Egypt, Syria and Jordan.
The Israelis loved him and most of all – believed him. The man who saw the war, he told that "Palestinians should be destroyed to thebone," but completely changed his views when sat in the Prime Minister's seat again. As a prudent man, he understood that citizens are tired of the war and terrorism, the constant threat about life. He decided to sign the agreement in Oslo, which was used to bring peace to Israel's land. In all cells, he shook hands with his worst enemy - Yasser Arafat, the PLO leader. For this, they both and Shimon Peres received the Nobel Peace Prize. That could be a new page in the history of Israel. The page for which the Israelis were waiting.
And there was no way it should have happened. Extremist Yigal Amir decided that Yitzhak Rabin had betrayed everyone and deservesto die. And he identified himself as the "messenger of God" who should send Rabin to the other world. Several times he tried to commit a murder, but he could not. But the terrible day came. Yitzhak Rabin came to speak to the people to the square of the Kings of Israel in Tel Aviv, on this occasion hundreds of thousands of Israelis brought together. He spoke at with them about peace. When hewent off the stage, right in the parking lot, near his car, waited the killer. Several shots from a pistol "Beretta" to the back, and the guards pushed Rabin into a car and took him to the hospital. And the way took several times longer than usual. Thousands of people stopped to congratulate the prime-minister car and were not even aware that he was mortally wounded and will be dead in a few hours.
The death of Yitzhak played a big role in the peace process with the Palestinians. More precisely, his finish. His successors failed to negotiate with Arafat on reasonable terms. He did not respect anybody except Rabin. After his death Arafat even visited his wife Leia, to express condolences.
But the killer is still alive. Yigal Amir was sentenced to life imprisonment. He is very proud of his act and considers himself a national hero. Even in prison, he married - to a Russian woman Larissa. What an irony, right? She later gave birth to his child - a son Yinona. The ceremony of circumsation of a boy was held on the 4th of November, 12 death anniversary of Rabin. It seems that words are superfluous.
Israel issued its own lesson from this tragedy. Counterintelligence, which through murder Rabin had a lot of issues had major changes and cleanings. And also improved the level of intelligence, because the threat still waited just outside the country, but this situation taught to look at the problem from all sides. But still it is very difficult to understand that one person can change the course of history of the country forever. However, both in bad, and in the good sense.
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