Two Israelis and an American touristidentified later as Joan Davenny, a Connecticut teacher on a sabbaticalwere among those killed in the blast, part of a violent campaign to end peace negotiations between Rabin and Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat.

The extremists managed to delay the talks as Rabin temporarily suspended negotiations while grieving families bury their dead.

But the prime minister insisted, as he has after previous attacks, that he would push forward with the peace process.

Advertisement

This is a hard and painful day, but we are determined to fight the Hamas and Islamic Jihad (another militant group) terrorism and to continue to build peace with the Palestinians who want peace with us, Rabin said.

Israel and Arafat’s Palestinian Authority are on the verge of an agreement for expanding Palestinian rule in the Israeli-occupied West Bank.