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| By: Associated Press |
| Published: October 6, 2005 |
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A gathering marking the 10th anniversary of the assassination of Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin will be postponed a week to allow former U.S. President Bill Clinton to attend, organizers said Thursday.
At Clinton's request, the event, originally set for Nov. 5, will take place on Nov. 12, a day after Clinton arrives in Israel, said Moshe Debby, spokesman for the Rabin study center in Tel Aviv.
Rabin was gunned down after a peace rally in Tel Aviv on Nov. 4, 1995. Clinton is expected to address a memorial at the site of the assassination after speaking at the a conference kickoff dinner sponsored by the Saban Center for Middle East Policy, both on Nov. 12.
Clinton attended Rabin's 1995 funeral in Jerusalem, delivering an emotional speech.
Clinton was deeply involved in Mideast peace efforts during his presidency. The original Israel-Palestinian interim peace accord was signed on the lawn of his White House in 1993 by Rabin and Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat.
In July 2000, Clinton brought a Rabin successor, Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak, and Arafat to his Camp David resort for a last attempt at resolving the conflict, but failed.
The Saban Center, fearing the memorial gathering would deflect attention from its conference, objected to the Rabin center's rescheduling its event to coincide with Clinton's visit. The Saban Center is paying for Clinton's trip.
After learning of the conflict between the two groups, a Clinton aide contacted the Rabin center and an agreement was reached, Debby said.
Clinton is also expected to participate in official memorials for Rabin which begin on Nov. 14, including a visit to Rabin's burial site on Mt. Herzl in Jerusalem and the opening of a new Rabin Center in Tel Aviv. Israel marks the date of the assassination according to the Hebrew calendar. |
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