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Reprinted from The New York Times, July 18, 2000
The history of the Middle East is marked by bloody wars and breakthroughs
for peace. But breakthroughs do not occur by chance. Rather, leaders who recognize
the futility of war, leaders who have peered into the faces of victims who
will not re turn, are prerequisites for peace. Intimate knowledge of the pain
of war must also be coupled by the courage to conduct a process that will
not always be accepted by everyone, or more accurately, will engender formidable
controversy. Menachem Begin and Anwar Sadat were such leaders. And so was
my husband. Yitzhak Rabin, may his memory be blessed.
No one will forget the day on the White House lawn, sun blazing, when Yitzhak Rabin and Yasir Arafat shook hands, a symbolic act that set the peace train on its track. The handshake was wrenching for both leaders, but it broke down the barriers of mistrust and fear. Brokered by President Clinton, the Oslo agreements infused the spirits of the people with hop and established a new reality of dialogue built on cooperation and mutual respect. The three lethal bullets that killed my husband were intended to kill not merely the life of one man, but to deter other leaders from traversing the road to peace.
Prime Minister Barak, how it must feel to you to stand at Camp David, in the shadow of the first agreement between Israel and the Arab world Again, Israel has hop. Again leaders in the Middle East are prepared to travel a complicated road, ready to sacrifice for peace. The people of Israel wait. Ehud, you are walking in the footsteps carved by Menachem to complete the way paved by Yitzhak. We pray for your success In forging an agreement that will benefit both sides despite the complex situation mat confronts you We trust your keen sense of security and obligation to the future of the state, your flexibility and creativity.
As a mother and as a widow, I know that peace is wade for the future. In so many families the unyielding fight for peace pauses from generation to generation. Please find support in these words from my daughter, Dalia Rabin-Pelossof, a member of the Knesset: "Israel's youth who wept for my father have become your soldiers of peace. They spread over the country and illuminated your path with burning support and gave you a mandate, a mandate for peace. Do not let your spirit waver in the face of those who have abandoned the ship of peace. Come back to us with a strong and fair agreement. We are behind you, we stand by you and we will be there at your side upon your return. Amen, so be it".
Chairman Arafat, during the most painful time in my life and in the life of my nation, you came to comfort me. You stood in my home and you hugged my children. You mourned with me and with Israel.
You have the power to bring the mourning to a close, to fulfill the dream of your nation and of mm~ My personal dream was to stand beside my husband and witness the end of a conflict that bitterly divides our pee-pies; to see the face of Yitzhak when peace shifted from paper into the living rooms of ordinary citizens. My dream will never come true~ Unfortunately, reality teaches the harsh lesson that dreams are not always completely fulfilled, but my quest for peace is not dulled, just reshaped.
Do not let the courage that I know you possess or your will to end the suffering of your people be diminished. Bill Clinton stands at your side, dedicated to the cause. an honest and devoted broker. Mr. Barak and the people of Israel are reshaping their dream. Be flexible, reshape your dream and the dream of your people. You and Ehud Barak art the two brave and courageous leaders who can make peace happen.
Do not miss this opportunity.
