Members of the Knesset,
The murderous operation at Zion Square - which is another link in a chain of criminal operations - has an address. Its perpetrators are not anonymous. Their identity is manifest. The terrorist organizations, headed by Yasser Arafat, were quick to claim responsibility for this bloodshed. This is the face of the man who led the U.N. General Assembly astray - so easily - with the olive branch in his hand and the pistol strapped to his waist. This is the act of those whose principles are designed to liquidate Israel and deny sovereign Jewish national existence.
The murder at Zion Square must serve as a grave warning against dangerous illusions as regards the aims of the terrorist organizations. The killers at Zion Square and those who sent them, the heads of the terrorist organizations -who were so quick to claim, with their characteristic vainglory, full responsibility - testify to the true intentions of these organizations. Hence, we must continue to firmly adhere to Israel's policy of not entering into any negotiations with the terrorist organizations. The only language they understand is that of the sword - and it is in that language that we shall talk to them.
The intention of the terrorist organizations is to go on shedding blood - especially in Jerusalem. They want to cause violent brawls between Jews and Arabs living in the united city. They exploit the special conditions of a mixed city.
These bloody deeds fill us with mourning and grief, but they have not succeeded in attaining their goal. United Jerusalem continued to live its life - a life of labour and culture, of work and learning - despite the bloodshed. Notwithstanding the constant efforts of the killers, the city is developing - Jerusalem is being increasingly built up from day to day, to the chagrin of all our enemies.
Members of the Knesset,
The government is firm in its determination to continue an unrestricted war against Arab terrorism, and to take all the measures it deems appropriate and effective to combat it. The security forces have succeeded in frustrating more than a few criminal attempts. Some of them on the very brink of implementation. The security forces have in many instances succeeded in discovering the killers - though not all of them. The forces and branches in charge of the war on terrorism expend much thought on its improvement from the intelligence and operational points of view alike. We shall spare no effort in order to increase the sophistication of our methods of operation against terrorism.
[ . . . ]
The international community, has reached a new peak in its rapid decline towards appeasement when its representatives - so it is reported - are giving sympathetic consideration to the application of representatives of the Arab murder organizations to take part at the U.N. conference for the prevention of crime and terrorism, which is shortly to take place in Toronto, Canada.
The government will continue to expose every manifestation of tolerance towards terrorism, and the appeasement of its perpetrators. The government regards every expression, direct or indirect, of encouragement for Arab terrorism in the international decisions of the U.N.'s institution, leading to the moral bankruptcy of the United Nations, fraught with danger to the survival of a free, enlightened human society.
Israeli Prime Minister Yizhak Rabin
July 7, 1975
On the occasion of the terrorist attack at Zion Square in Jerusalem perpetrated by Chairman Arafat's newest "special advisor," Ahmed Jbarra, in which 14 people were murdered and 62 injured.
Archived, in full, at IMRA
