Visit of Yitzhack RABIN, Israelian Prime Minister to the European Parliament: arrival, meeting with Egon KLEPSCH, EP President and extracts from the address

visit

EU - Israel (T)

formal sitting

peace process in the Middle East (T)

KLEPSCH, Egon A. (EPP, DE)

RABIN, Yitzhak (IL)

Arrival of Yitzach RABIN, welcomed by Egon KLEPSCH, EP President and Enrico VINCI, EP General Secretary

SOUNDBITE (German), Egon Alfred KLEPSCH, EP President, Prime Minister Rabin, I should like to welcome you most cordially to Brussels on behalf of all the Members of the European Parliament. I am delighted that you have accepted our invitation.

SOUNDBITE (English), Yitzhak RABIN, Israelian Prime Minister, Mr President of the European Parliament, Vice-Presidents, Members of the European Parliament, distinguished guests, I really feel a sense of history in speaking to those who represent countries and peoples that for more than a thousand years have spearheaded the progress of civilization and set an example to the whole world. In European societies technology has reached a high peak but, more important, those societies have produced a new way of life, a new form of society and government. I refer to the democratic way of life: rule by the people, of the people, for the people.

SOUNDBITE (English), Yitzhak RABIN, Israelian Prime Minister, I belong to the generation of Jews that has witnessed and participated in the two most dramatic developments in Jewish history in almost 2000 years since the destruction of the Second Temple. First, the most dramatic tragedy ever to have taken place in the history of the Jewish people - the Holocaust. Second, the greatest achievement of the Jewish people in the last 2000 years, the revival of Jewish life in the only place on earth that Jewish life, independent life can be developed: in the land of Israel, in the Holy Land.

SOUNDBITE (English), Yitzhak RABIN, Israelian Prime Minister, Unquestionably the peace negotiations had to be face to face on a bilateral basis. Why? Because peace cannot be imposed. Israel cannot impose peace on its Arab partners. The Arab partners cannot impose peace on Israel and, with all due respect, the super powers or the super power cannot impose peace either. Peace by imposition is a contradiction in terms. Peace can be made only when the parties to the conflict, as at present, decide to put an end to war, violence and terror between them and establish relations of peace. No one - and I emphasize this - can make peace in their place.

SOUNDBITE (English), Yitzhak RABIN, Israelian Prime Minister, For hundreds if not thousands of years the majority of Jews lived in European countries. Israel, as the state of the Jewish people, looks at Europe as the cradle of democracy and Western civilisation. Israel looks at Europe with the hope of support and assistance to the peace process, and first and foremost for the parties in the Middle East that are engaged in real, meaningful peacemaking, and who are committed to peace. This is our hope, our expectation from you, the representatives of the European countries, the European peoples, who are Members of the European Community.

SOUNDBITE (German), Egon Alfred KLEPSCH, EP President, I would like to thank you, Prime Minister, on behalf of the Parliament for your wide-ranging analysis of the present situation and the political objectives of your country.

Yitzach RABIN and Egon KLEPSCH leave the Chamber