Massive rally honors Rabin. Crowd estimated up to 200,000.

Ariel Bashur

Israel Radio reported that as many as 200,000 people were in attendance.

More than two hours before the rally started crowds began thronging to the square, and by 8 p.m. Rehov Ibn Gvirol was jammed from Habimah Theater to the Shekem, as were Bloch, David Hamelech and all the streets in the area.

Most of Labor's and Meretz's Knesset members, Rabin's family and close friends and aides attended the rally, whose motto was "We won't forget; we'll shout peace."

Large posters reading "Haver [friend], I remember," "Bibi has no alibi" "We Want Peace"and "Save the Peace" were held up everywhere.

"I am stunned and moved by the masses of people flooding the square and the entire center of town," said Labor Party chairman Ehud Barak. "I'm grateful and promise you, Yitzhak, we will not let the peace fire die. We will not let you down, and continue in your way until victory. Until we are one nation again, and the violence and wild weeds our rooted out of our midst.

Barak pledged, "in the name of the huge crowd here tonight, to fight in the streets and the squares, in the townships and villages, factories and marketplaces for the heart and confidence of the people, to get back control over the ship without a captain, replace the paralysis with renewed momentum, the dangerous deterioration with a responsible leadership."

Shimon Peres told the crowd: "Two years ago, while Yitzhak was still alive, you restored our faith that the people wanted peace. Tonight you are reopening the way to peace. A leader of Rabin's caliber can be murdered, but cannot be killed. No one can kill his memory, his song, his way.

"We may be sad without him, but we may not despair. We have no other country and we have no other way, except for Yitzhak Rabin's way."

Peres blasted right-wing politicians spreading the conspiracy theory, warning against doubting the loyalty of the General Security Service.

"We won't let the truth be replaced by Hatzofeh's lie. And in Kikar Rabin nobody is giving up. Here we know that the nation is stronger than all its ministers' mistakes. We will not cease telling the people, that peace is possible, that if Yitzhak were alive we might have had peace with both Syria and the Palestinians by now." Meretz leader Yossi Sarid said: "We don't accuse half the nation, or the religious people. We do accuse, explicitly, all those who called Rabin a traitor and a murderer. We do accuse anyone who shouted 'with blood and fire we'll drive Rabin out' and all those who said 'Vichy government, Quislings, fifth column, Rabin has no mandate and Rabin has no Jewish majority.'

"We accuse all those who walked after the coffin and all those who dressed Rabin up in Gestapo or terrorist uniform. All those who issued a pulsa denura curse or issued din rodef [permission to kill a persecutor] against him. And all those deaf and dumb and blind, who didn't see, didn't hear, didn't protest and kept their silence, until his blood was spilled."

Sarid aroused a tremendous roar and stormy applause from the masses. "If the coffin is intended for Zionism as they claim," Sarid said, displaying a photograph of that demonstration, "for whom then is this hanging rope, dangling in front of the eyes of the one who is today prime minister? And I ask you, did he or did he not see it?"

"He saw!" the crowd roared back.

"Two years after the murder, we're through asking for apologies. Now we're demanding [Netanyahu's] resignation," Sarid concluded.

The crowd appeared taken aback when Industry and Trade Minister Natan Sharansky took the stage. Sharansky, who was invited by the Shalom Haver association to try to underscore the non-partisan character of the rally, admitted he had hesitated before coming.

"I know there are tens of thousands who mourn [Rabin] today, but they didn't come because they feel unwanted here. That is not right. I call on all of us, that on the next memorial day we shall all stand together and pray, that He who makes peace in heaven, He shall make peace on us and all of Israel."

Sharansky's statement was punctuated by occasional boos and protests, but when he was done, Barak joined him on the stage, put his arm around him and announced "Sharansky is a hero of Israel, and I thank him for coming here today to address this gathering."

Another surprise was Rabbi Yoel Bin-Nun, who revealed after Rabin's assassination that there were rabbis who had said [Image]Rabin[Image] was subject to din rodef.

He received warm applause when he said "Yitzhak is gone, but the incitement is still here. The polarization is very deep. We must have peace talks among ourselves, too. I call on the prime minister to invite the leaders of Peace Now, and Barak to invite the settlers' leaders and rabbis to hold peace talks."

Leah Rabin urged the "thousands of dreamers of peace, don't let go, don't give up, sing the song of peace, shout peace. It's not a dream. Don't let it die."

Alex Ansky hosted the rally, which included performances by Gidi Gov, Matti Caspi, Shlomi Shabbat, Arik Lavi, Ronit Shahar, Meital Trabelsky, and Eviatar Banai. The last song, "Shalom Haver," was performed by Shalom Hanoch, who co-wrote it with Arik Einstein in Rabin's memory.

After singing the national anthem, the huge crowd dispersed quietly. Some 1,400 policemen and border policemen had provided security for the rally.

Third Anniversary coverage: November 1, 1998

Mordechai: Continue Rabin's legacy
A lesson in remembrance (Feature)
Nothing has changed (Opinion)
Rabin's victory (Opinion)

From the day following the assassination:
November 5, 1995
Rabin Assassinated

From the day of the funeral:
November 7, 1995
Rabin laid to rest on Mt. Herzl

From the First Anniversary:
October 24, 1996
Yitzhak Rabin: The Sabra, the Mensch
From Father to Son

From the Second Anniversary:
November 9, 1997
Massive rally honors Rabin

Yitzhak Rabin Peace Center

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