"The voices of the majority who support peace and oppose violence are being drowned out by inflammatory rhetoric and shocking actions by extremists on all sides,” says UN chief.
By DANIELLE ZIRIFrom left; Former prime minister Yitzhak Rabin, former US president Bill Clinton, and the late PLO leader Yasser Arafat on the White House lawn.(photo credit: REUTERS)
NEW YORK – UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on Tuesday extended his “deepest sympathies” to Israeli citizens on the eve of the 20th anniversary of the assassination of prime minister Yitzhak Rabin.In his statement, Ban called Rabin a “heroic man of peace.”“Prime Minister Rabin dedicated his life to the security of his homeland. He died after courageously seizing on the need and the opportunity to embark on serious peace negotiations with the Palestinians, recognizing that, as he said, ‘You don’t make peace with friends; you can only make peace with your enemies,’” said Ban.In the years since Rabin’s assassination on November 4, 1995, Ban said, “Terrorism, expanding settlements and halting progress in implementing Israeli-Palestinian agreements have repeatedly shattered hopes.“Today, the voices of the majority who support peace and oppose violence are being drowned out by inflammatory rhetoric and shocking actions by extremists on all sides,” he continued.Ban also urged Israelis and Palestinians to stand firmly against violence and incitement, and “to be guided by Prime Minister Rabin’s realization that the path to true security and strength is through dialogue and compromise.”The Israeli Consulate in New York will hold a ceremony in Rabin’s memory Wednesday evening. The event will be attended by numerous Israeli officials.
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