Bill Clinton to Speak at Rally in Tel Aviv Marking Yitzhak Rabin Assassination

Spirit of Rabin: Invoking the spirit of Yitzhak Rabin, former President Bill Clinton urged Israelis to make compromises for peace. Image by getty images

By JTA October 25, 2015

Former U.S. President Bill Clinton will be the speaker for a rally in Tel Aviv to mark the 20th year since the assassination of Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin.

The rally on Saturday night will cap a week of commemorative events in the country, including a state ceremony at Mount Herzl, and a special Knesset session.

Clinton, who was president of the United States when Rabin held office and was close to the Israeli prime minister, attended Rabin’s state funeral in Jerusalem in 1995. During his eulogy Clinton bade Rabin “Shalom Haver,” or Goodbye Friend.

Rabin was assassinated on November 5, 1995, by far-right Jewish nationalist Yigal Amir during a peace rally in Tel Aviv at the square that now bears Rabin’s name.

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