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"Don't be deterred from peace efforts, even under difficult circumstances," Peres told dignitaries gathered at Jerusalem's Mount Herzl cemetery, saying those peace efforts were "Rabin's legacy."
Wednesday's ceremony marked the anniversary in accordance with the Jewish lunar calendar.
Rabin is revered as a national hero, both for his legendary career as army chief and for peace efforts in the 1990s that earned him a Nobel peace prize shared with Peres and the late Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat.
The agreements engineered by Rabin, Peres and Arafat have largely been undone by the violence of the past decade.
Israel and the Palestinian leadership started new US-brokered direct talks on September 2.
But Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who was in the audience, and Palestinian leader Mahmud Abbas have not met since September 15, with the Palestinians refusing to talk until Israel reimposes a moratorium on settlement building in the occupied West Bank.
On October 9, the Arab League gave the United States a month to try to bridge differences over Jewish settlements, one of the thorniest obstacles to peace in the Middle East.
"I don't make light of the difficulties facing us but it is no excuse to be deterred from the effort. I am convinced the whole nation wants peace," said Peres. "I am convinced that we can make peace."
Next at the podium was Netanyahu who said he saw himself as continuing Rabin's cautious-but-practical approach to peace making.
"I am a partner to your approach that we must always continue pushing for peace," said Netanyahu, who defeated Peres in an election following Rabin's murder to secure a first term as premier.
The right-wing leader also said that he believed the sharp divisions in Israeli society that led to Rabin's killing had diminished over the years.
"There is less screaming, people listen to each other more, and gaps are narrowing," he said, adding that the right now recognised the need for compromise with the Palestinians while the left had become more realistic.
A mass rally to mark the anniversary will be held on Saturday evening in Tel Aviv in the square where Rabin was gunned down on November 4, 1995 after attending a peace demonstration.
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Wednesday's ceremony marked the anniversary in accordance with the Jewish lunar calendar.
Rabin is revered as a national hero, both for his legendary career as army chief and for peace efforts in the 1990s that earned him a Nobel peace prize shared with Peres and the late Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat.
The agreements engineered by Rabin, Peres and Arafat have largely been undone by the violence of the past decade.
Israel and the Palestinian leadership started new US-brokered direct talks on September 2.
But Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who was in the audience, and Palestinian leader Mahmud Abbas have not met since September 15, with the Palestinians refusing to talk until Israel reimposes a moratorium on settlement building in the occupied West Bank.
On October 9, the Arab League gave the United States a month to try to bridge differences over Jewish settlements, one of the thorniest obstacles to peace in the Middle East.
"I don't make light of the difficulties facing us but it is no excuse to be deterred from the effort. I am convinced the whole nation wants peace," said Peres. "I am convinced that we can make peace."
Next at the podium was Netanyahu who said he saw himself as continuing Rabin's cautious-but-practical approach to peace making.
"I am a partner to your approach that we must always continue pushing for peace," said Netanyahu, who defeated Peres in an election following Rabin's murder to secure a first term as premier.
The right-wing leader also said that he believed the sharp divisions in Israeli society that led to Rabin's killing had diminished over the years.
"There is less screaming, people listen to each other more, and gaps are narrowing," he said, adding that the right now recognised the need for compromise with the Palestinians while the left had become more realistic.
A mass rally to mark the anniversary will be held on Saturday evening in Tel Aviv in the square where Rabin was gunned down on November 4, 1995 after attending a peace demonstration.
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