Prime Ministers in History: Yitzhak Rabin

Rabin was the first Prime Minister to be born in Israel. He was born in Jerusalem in 1922. He grew up in Tel Aviv. His wedding took place during the 1948 War of Independence.

Rabin became involved in the Palmach division of the Haganah, the predecessor to the IDF today. He rose to be the leader of the Harel Brigade and led the Israeli front in Jerusalem in the 1948 war. He was involved in many major operations before being promoted to Chief of Staff of the Israeli Defense Forces in 1964. In the position, Rabin led the IDF to victory in the 1967 war.

Upon retirement from the IDF, Rabin was appointed Ambasador to the United States. He held this position for five years. Rabin rose through the ranks of the Alignment party and became Prime Minister in 1974. Rabin became engulfed in a cloud of controversy when he authorized military operations on Shabbat, worsened relations with the United States, and was caught up in a scandal regarding a US dollar bank account. He resigned in June 1977 and paved the way for his party to lose the next election. This was the first time a Mapai/Alignment loss occurred.

Rabin remained involved in the government in several positions in the Knesset and his party. He became Chair of the Labor Party in 1992. Labor won the election the same year and Rabin again became Prime Minister of Israel.

In his second reign as Prime Minister, Rabin worked toward peace and signed the controversial Oslo Accords. This agreement gave the PLO (under Yasser Arafat) partial control of Gaza and the West Bank. This agreement angered many Israelis, particularly religious Zionists who support keeping all of Israel as Jewish land. Rabin, along with Arafat, was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for his part in the process.

On November 4, 1995, Yitzhak Rabin was assassinated by an Israeli Jew. This was the first assassination of an Israeli Prime Minister and the second time a Prime Minister died in office. Rabin was assassinated while leaving a rally in Tel Aviv. The location of the rally is now known as Rabin Square. Yigal Amir was convicted of the murder and sentenced to life in prison.

Rabin has many namesakes around Israel and the Jewish world. He has over 14 neighborhoods, 24 streets, 36 schools, 11 gardens, 7 parks, 13 memorials, a youth hostel, two government complexes, three community centers, and two synagogues named in his honor. He is buried on Mount Herzel next to his wife.