Yitzak Rabin remembered at 'U'

Illuminated by soft candlelight, about 100 students gathered last night on the Diag to remember Yitzak Rabin, the former Israeli prime minister who was assassinated four years ago yesterday after a 1995 peace rally in Tel Aviv.

Students shared significant moments from Rabin's life, their reactions to his death and songs conjuring his memory.

Rabin was a central figure in Middle East peace talks. In 1993, he signed the Oslo Peace Accords, the first Israel-Palestinian Liberation Organization agreement with Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat. In 1994, Rabin, Arafat and former Israeli Foreign Minister Shimon Peres received a Nobel Peace Prize.

"The death of Yitzak Rabin for us was also the death of hope and peace. Many of us felt just lost. We didn't know if we could find again the hope to bring people together," said Social Work first-year student Ariel Paleg, who is a native of Givatai

KIMITSU YOGACHI/Daily Business senior Dina Goldwasser (left) and LSA senior Shana Kurlandsky attend a vigil held last night on the Diag for Yitzak Rabin. The former Israeli Prime Minister was assassinated four years ago at a peace rally in Tel Aviv.

m, Israel, and was in Tel Aviv the night Rabin was assassinated.

Directly after Rabin's assassination by right-wing extremist Yigal Amir, the peace process slowed down because of the switch in political leaders, said LSA first-year student Michael Gold, who is a member of the American Movement for Israel, the group that organized last night's event. LSA junior Nicole Scaglione remembered her family's reaction to Rabin's death. "When Rabin was shot, before he actually died, I was at home with my parents and I remember the sadness, devastation, disappointment. We'd been following all the productivity of his work, and it was like it was all dissolved," Scaglione said. The Israeli-Palestinian peace efforts stalled after Rabin's death. "The whole peace process is basically about bringing peace to the Middle East and to appease all sides," LSA first-year Elan Emanuel said. President Bill Clinton, Arafat and Israel's current Prime Minister Ehud Barak met in Oslo on Tuesday to attempt to settle the unresolved issues of the Oslo Peace Accords. "The Oslo agreements were much more gradual; Barak has put pressure on his government for a solution," said Gold, adding that Barak has set a date in February to have all unresolved issues finalized. "He is following in Rabin's dream to bring peace to that warring part of the world," Gold said. In memory of Rabin, the somber group on the Diag sang the Hatikvah, Israel's national anthem, and recited the Song For Peace, sung at the 1995 rally. When Rabin died, he carried a copy of a poem in his pocket. "Look up in hope not through gun sights. Sing a song for love and not for war," is one stanza from the song. "We mustn't forget Yitzak Rabin - the man and his work," said LSA first-year student David Shafman, an AMI organizer of the event. To remember Rabin's death, Israelis held a huge rally in Israel at "Kikar Rabin," or Rabin's Square, the place where the leader was killed. "Even if people didn't agree with his political stance, he pushed for something everyone could agree on - the pursuit of peace," Shafman said.

11-05-99