Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to the late prime minister of Israel, Yitzhak Rabin. He spent his life defending his people. Rising from the rank of soldier of the Palmah in the second world war to that of Israel's chief of defence staff, he partook in all the battles that shaped the young Jewish state.
But it was as politician, prime minister, that he truly made his mark in the region.
A hawk turned dove, he had the courage to extend the hand of peace to his adversary, Yasser Arafat.
He made agonizing concessions and signed the Oslo accords that broke the paradigms of the Arab-Israeli conflict. He made peace with Jordan and infused the region with hope.
Ten years ago, a Jewish extremist tried to put an end to the democratic process of the people of Israel by assassinating the prime minister.
However, Rabin's legacy of peace perseveres, as does our memory of this great peacemaker.