Issued by: Office of the President
STATEMENT OF PRESIDENT NELSON MANDELA ON THE ASSASSINATION OF PRIME MINISTER YITZAK RABIN.
I was greatly shocked and disturbed to hear of the assassination of the Prime Minister of Israel, Mr Yitzak Rabin.
This criminal act, which we condemn in the strongest terms, can only have been carried out by those who have no interest in the genuine welfare of the Israeli and Palestinian peoples.
We humbly urge both these peoples and their leaders to honour the memory of Prime Minister Rabin and all those who have died in this conflict in the past, by ensuring that the courageous peace process in this region is sustained and promoted with the greatest vigour.
In this regard, the South African Government stands ready to extend whatever assistance it can, both to the peace process and the peace-makers.
We lower our flags in tribute to Prime Minister Rabin, a true peace-maker who has fallen at the hands of forces of blind bigotry.
We convey our heartfelt condolences to the Rabin family and to the late Prime Minister's colleagues in the Labour party and the rest of the Israeli Government who are engaged in a struggle for a just and lasting peace in the Middle East - an objective which all the people of South Africa support without any equivocation.
Pretoria: November 4, 1995.