Henry Kissinger and Yitzhak Rabin, two of the most important public figures of the 20th century, had been friends since they first met in the 1960s

Henry Kissinger and Yitzhak Rabin, two of the most important public figures of the 20th century, had been friends since they first met in the 1960s.

“I met Rabin even before I was Henry Kissinger”, joked the noted diplomat, recalling his long friendship with the former Israeli prime minister, during the annual Yitzhak Rabin Commemorative Ceremony. The event was hosted by the Consulate General of Israel in New York on Monday night at The New School in New York, with an audience of over 100, many of them students.

This year marked the 15^th anniversary of Rabin’s assassination, and the consulate chose to honor the memory of the late prime minister in an on-stage intimate conversation between Dr. Henry Kissinger and Mr. Dan Rather. The two shared stories from their personal encounters with the Israeli leader who became the driving force of Israel’s pursuit of peace with the Palestinians.

“People now talk about 1967 borders, but no Arab country accepted even the ’67 borders at that time. We worked together in a period that was very difficult for Israel”, said Kissinger. “The day he was assassinated I was in Hong Kong, and couldn’t make it on time to his funeral. But it was tremendous personal pain and great sadness for Israel and for the region. You can see his legacy in his funeral – the assemblage of so many international leaders, including from the Arab world. It was absolutely astonishing testimony to the impact of a person who never tried to make that kind of an impact”.

Watching one legendary statesman share his memories and thoughts on another was a beautiful way to commemorate Yitzhak Rabin’s accomplished career, one that was cut tragically short.