Remarks by Ambassador Rabinovich at the Embassy of Israel Memorial Service March 5, 1996

         REMARKS BY AMBASSADOR RABINOVICH AT THE EMBASSY OF ISRAEL - 
                  JEWISH COMMUNITY COUNCIL MEMORIAL SERVICE
                     Embassy of Israel - Washington, D.C.
                                March 5, 1996


This is a memorial service for victims of terror. Before we look at the 
significance of these offensives against the State of Israel, against its 
citizens and against the efforts to bring peace to the Middle East, let us 
remember the people, the persons, the individuals who are victims.

60 is an awfully large number. It must not blur the individual identity of 
each man, woman and child who lost their lives this past week.

Jewish tradition says that every person is a universe unto himself, whether it 
is the full life of an old person or the young life, full of promise, cut 
short by an assassin's bomb.

These individual universes are lost. 

As a state and as a society, we must cope with the challenges to the very 
foundation of ordinary life and public order. As a government, our first duty 
is to provide basic, collective and individual security to our citizens. When 
we accomplish this, we will address ourselves to the political and diplomatic 
agenda that has been reshaped by this offensive.

We expect our partners in the Middle East peace process to perform their 
duties in these trying times. The Palestinian Authority must cope with this 
terrorist onslaught that is as much a challenge to it as it is to us. The 
other Arab partners must realize that they have their own task to perform, and 
they must provide political support to the Palestinian Authority. Without such 
support, it will be hard-put to perform its duties. But while we have 
expectations from our Arab partners, we remember vividly that it is the 
leadership and the government of Israel that the citizens of Israel and Jewish 
people look up to as the principle actor who can steer the country out of the 
present crisis, and we will.

In coping with this immense challenge, we know that we are joined by two 
principle allies: 

     - the Jewish people 
     - and our friend, America.

Both are represented here tonight in the most telling fashion.

The president has already taken a series of substantive measures to deal with 
the crisis at hand. His statement here and to the Israeli people have conveyed 
a genuine sense of friendship and empathy. His telephone conversations with 
Prime Minister Peres have been a source of encouragement at a difficult time. 
The prime minister has asked me to thank President Clinton, the administration 
and the American people for these unusual manifestations of friendship and 
support.

No one can convey the sense of friendship and commitment of our great friend 
the United States of America more forcefully than the president of the United 
States. Let me call upon President Clinton to address us.

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