Mr. Speaker, Yitzahk Rabin was a soldier in war who became a soldier in peace. He fought as hard to achieve peace as he did in war. His greatest victory will unfortunately come only after his death.
The proof of the strength and durability of the move toward peace that Prime Minister Rabin created is that there can be no doubt this peace process will continue. It will continue until we reach the comprehensive peace that Mr. Rabin so eloquently lauded in the speech he gave before hundreds of thousands of Israelis demonstrating for peace last weekend, just shortly before his tragic death. There remains much to be done, but Mr. Rabin has made a start possible.
Together with two other New Democrat members of Parliament, Howard McCurdy and Ian Deans, I had the privilege and opportunity to meet with our Labour Party colleague, Yitzhak Rabin, in the mid-1980s. We had a vigorous exchange of views and certainly some profound disagreements, but there was a sense of openness and mutual respect.
Since his election as Prime Minister in 1992, I have been enormously impressed by his courage and determination to bring a just and lasting peace to the Middle East. As others have noted, we were all profoundly moved to see Mr. Rabin and Yasser Arafat shake hands on the White House lawn. That handshake symbolized the partnership in peace that has been forged between Israel and the Palestinians.
The member for Beaver River and the Deputy Prime Minister both quoted some of the words spoken that historic day. I would like to quote some others. He said in prophetic words: "We the soldiers who have returned from battles stained with blood, we who have seen our relatives and friends killed before our eyes, we who have come from a land where parents bury their children, we say today in a loud and clear voice: Enough of blood and tears. Enough."
On the evening of his death, Mr. Rabin made a passionate plea against violence. "Violence, he said, undermines the foundations of democracy in Israel. It cannot be condoned and must be condemned." During the weeks and months that preceded the tragedy on Saturday night, statements made by certain politicians and citizens of Israel in the course of the debate on the peace accords were not only filled with anger but showed undercurrents of violence. Yitzhak Rabin has proven that in a civilized society,
political debate, however deep its roots, must be based on respect for every individual.
In closing, I would like to extend condolences on behalf of myself and my colleagues in the New Democratic Party of Canada to Mr. Rabin's family, the people of Israel, and the Jewish community in Canada and around the world. We share your profound sense of anguish and loss. Remember that the Kaddish, the Jewish prayer for the dead, is an affirmation of the power of faith and hope in the midst of despair.