21 years since Rabin's murder: 'We haven't learned anything from my father's assassination'

"My father was a great political leader, whose spirit still brings you all here after so many years."

A girl lays a red rose on the grave of slain prime minister Yitzhak Rabin on Jerusalem’s Mount Herzl (photo credit: REUTERS)
A girl lays a red rose on the grave of slain prime minister Yitzhak Rabin on Jerusalem’s Mount Herzl
(photo credit: REUTERS)
The memorial service commemorating the 21st anniversary of the assassination of prime minister Yitzhak Rabin convened on Friday morning. The ceremony was attended by Rabin's daughter Dalia and his sister Rachel among other family members, as well as former Mossad heads Shabtai Shavit and Zvi Zamir.

In her address, Rabin's daughter, Dalia, said: "My father was a great political leader, whose spirit still brings you all here after so many years." "This murder is an open wound in the heart of our nation. I ask why is there a bleeding wound that has been open for 21 years? And I begin to think that the incitement from before is not over. We are dealing with it at the Rabin center every day, every hour," she said."We haven't learned anything from my father's assassination."Former Mossad chief Shabtai Shavit said at the ceremony, "I knew Rabin from my time in the Mossad, when Rabin was defense minister. From the first moment to the last moment I lived with the happy feeling of the commander who has his commander right behind him."Saturday night: The main rally in Rabin SquareThe Labor party expects a large crowd to arrive for the main rally on Saturday night in memory of Rabin, which will be held at 19:30 at Rabin Square in Tel Aviv, the site of his assassination.Only this week, Zionist Union head Isaac Herzog finalized that his party will hold a rally in Rabin's memory, after the normal annual ceremony was cancelled due to a lack of funds and organizational issues. The ceremony will be a "rallying call" against hatred and incitement, and will include speakers such as Maj.-Gen. Noam Tibon and Rabbi Benny Lau.