Our guests
Numerous dignitaries of all nationalities and beliefs have been the honoured guests of the Council of Europe. These men and women, often instrumental in the implementation of political, social and cultural initiatives, illustrate the dynamism and values which, since the 1950s, have governed the work of the Council of Europe
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Yitzhak Rabin [1922 - 1995]
Prime Minister of Israel
28 January 1994
The
road to peace crosses Europe - for without Europe, peace
would remain incomplete
His speech:
I come from Jerusalem, the eternal
capital of the Jewish people, the city where the prophets
proclaimed their visions of peace, to tell you that the
Government of Israel knows that the eyes of many millions
the world over look towards it in prayer, in great hope, and
in the expectation of a new path, a new momentum. I come
from Jerusalem to tell you that the Government of Israel
yearns for peace and is willing to make peace.
I also want to tell you that we know that obstacles will
arise, that crises might erupt and that we will face
disappointment, tears and pain. But in the end, we shall
arrive at peace. Supported by your blessings, concern and
assistance we will do it. In the last decade of our
twentieth century, walls of hatred have fallen, peoples have
been liberated, and artificial barriers have disappeared;
powers have crumbled and ideologies have collapsed. It is
our sacred duty, to ourselves and to our children, to see
the new world as it is now, to note its dangers, to explore
its prospects, and to do everything possible so that the
state of Israel will fit into the changing face of this
world. I think that in recent years the world has shrunk and
no nation can solve its problems alone, and no country
should think that it is isolated. Each nation should
overcome those feelings and act in world and regional
co-operation. We wish our region also to join the movement
towards peace, reconciliation and co-operation that is
spreading over the globe these days.
I have committed myself and my government to the present
peace process and I have expressed on many occasions my hope
that 1994 will be a year during which a peace agreement can
be reached with our Arab neighbours. We believe with all our
hearts that peace is possible, that it is imperative, and
that it will come. […] In short, Europe has the laborious
task of bringing rivals from enmity to reconciliation, from
boycott to acceptance. Europe has to add its input to
consolidate peace in its real dimensions, open borders, free
movement of goods and people: co-existence and
co-operation. The road to peace crosses Europe - for without
Europe, peace would remain incomplete.