The Israel Situation » Prime Ministers in History

Meeting the Ben-Gurions

Andyboy — Fri, 16 Dec 2011 18:18:11 +0000

This is a post from contributor Andyboy. You can visit him at the Andyboy blog.

Some background

It happened 47 years ago, on my first visit to Israel.

In 1964 I participated in what was euphemistically called a “study mission”, organised by the Jewish National Fund. It was a forerunner of the “Taglit”programme, in that it brought young people to Israel on a 10 day subsidised tour whose prime purpose was to inform and motivate.

We were a small group of voluntary workers in our early twenties, identified by the JNF as having the potential for future leadership. Incidentally,the El-Al flight from London to Tel Aviv was the first time I had ever been on an aeroplane! Surprisingly, the experience did not deter me from ever flying again.

Actually the trip itself was quite hard work, not really a holiday. We stayed in cheap hotels and used buses without air-conditioning – and this was in July!

During the day we travelled the country exploring various JNF projects. We had guides, who explained in excruciating detail the mechanics of tree planting, swamp draining,and infrastructure development. Every evening, after dinner, we had guest speakers and forums on a whole range of related subjects.

The meeting

Towards the end of the trip we were in Herzlia. David Ben-Gurion and his wife were on holiday in the old Sharon Hotel. Somehow, through “protectzia” or arm twisting or calling in some favour, (I never discovered which) Ben-Gurion was persuaded to meet us.

So, at the appointed time, we trooped into small room arranged in theatre fashion. Ben-Gurion entered and sat down. He did not appear to be exactly overjoyed at the fact that we were interrupting his holiday.

Our leader introduced us and tried to explain who we were, and why we were in Israel. Almost before he could get the words out, Ben -Gurion exclaimed : “Hebrew!Hebrew!” That was impossible, because none of spoke or understood a word.

The JNF was not (and is not) an Aliyah orientated organisation. Our involvement in the UK was in fund raising and social activities. The thought of actually LIVING in Israel had never entered our heads. That was the responsibility of Zionist pioneering youth movements. We were just middle class Jews who thought that raising money was the best contribution we could make.

Eventually, the “old man” relented and spoke to us in English. Considering that the purpose of the mission was motivation, his words didn’t help much in that direction. He said what we were doing was a waste of time and effort. The only meaningful way we could be of value was to live in Israel. His remarks fell on stony ground, but we were too embarrassed to admit it. So our leader mouthed a few platitudes along the lines of “we would seriously consider it” and everyone made a pledge to at least learn Hebrew.

Whilst we were wondering how to extract ourselves painlessly from the situation, in strode Paula and started berating her husband. It wasn’t necessary to understand Hebrew; the body language and tone of voice were sufficient. It was yet another embarrassment to witness this colossus, this icon, this “saviour of the Jewish people” being treated as if he was a little child. The stories about the nature of their relationship came to life before our eyes. Somewhat shamefacedly, Ben-Gurion shuffled out.

And we were left with uncomfortable memories of the difference between real life and legend.

The aftermath

As a postscript, perhaps I should add that the mission was not a total failure in JNF terms. Most of the participants did subsequently take on executive positions. Many years later I was elected to the Presidency of the JNF in the UK. And 21 years after this ill fated meeting with Ben-Gurion I DID make aliyah.

But my Hebrew is still lousy!

Image from Wikipedia.

Meeting the Ben-Gurions is a post from: The Israel Situation

Is Barak Really Part of the Left?

Anthony Reich — Sun, 23 Jan 2011 22:27:14 +0000

One of the aspects of Israeli politics which has surprised me over the years, is the extent to which former military men have decided to become politicians for the Labour Party after retiring from the IDF. In my eyes, being a career soldier conjures up the vision of right-wing leanings, even though many of the most famous of Israel’s military men have a kibbutz background. Despite this fact, there are a number of examples of former generals who have joined the Labour party, and even a few who have gone on to serve as Labour prime ministers. The most famous of these is the late Yitzchak Rabin who previously served as military chief of general staff (ramatkal in Hebrew). Another former ramatkal who went on to become prime minister is Ehud Barak. His true political views have, however, been brought into sharp focus due to events over the past week.

Barak announced last week that he has left the Labour party and resigned as its chairman. Instead, he has decided to form his own new party, the Atzmaut (independence) party. Were it not for the fact that he decimated Labour’s Knesset faction by taking 5 out of Labour’s 13 Knesset seats (including his own) out of the party and into the new Atzmaut Knesset faction, there may have been a small cheer from Labour faithful that Barak has left the party. For the Labour party, this Knesset has been characterised by splits and divisions over whether the party’s true place is in the coalition government led by Benjamin Netanyahu. Ehud Barak has been at the centre of this controversy.

Immediately following his unsuccessful term as prime minister which ended in 2001, Barak left the political arena for 6 years. Since returning to politics in 2007, he has served as minister of defence and a member of the cabinet. For Barak, this seems to be the position that he desires most, and it seems as though he is prepared to do almost anything to retain it. A number of Labour’s Knesset faction were unhappy when Barak took Labour into the coalition led by Benjamin Netanyahu. The main source of the dissatisfaction was the fact that the Labour party ministers are forced to sit around the cabinet table with Avigdor Lieberman, and other members of his Yisrael Beiteinu party. Less likely bed fellows would be difficult to find, and Labour party members certainly felt it.

Despite this fact, the Labour ministers have continued to serve in the government. In terms of government policies, the least comfortable aspect of serving in this government has related to the way in which the peace negotiations have been managed. It has been clear that many of the Labour party Knesset members have been extremely unhappy about being part of a government that has managed the peace negotiations in a way which is so opposite to that in which they would choose. A great deal of pressure has been exercised on the Labour leadership to withdraw from the government as a protest. Because this has not been the unanimous view of all members of the faction, it has resulted in a great deal of in-fighting and lack of unity amongst the 13 Knesset members. Interestingly, it has been party leader and defence minister Ehud Barak who has been one of those most eager to stay in the government.

By choosing to stay in the government, Barak has been accused of not remaining true and loyal to Labour party basic beliefs. He has preferred to bring about Labour’s influence from within the ranks of the government, rather than from the opposition benches. There are those who have accused Barak of selling out on Labour’s principles, and putting his own personal agenda ahead of the party and the country. He stands accused of keeping Labour in the government only to ensure that he is able to continue serving in a senior government role. This disagreement has proved too much for Barak, and is ultimately what led him to walk away from Labour to form the Barak Atzmaut party.

What is noticeable about the Atzmaut party is that it has only been presented as a “centrist Zionist party”. We know little else about the party, its policies and what its election platform would be. Despite this fact, the party holds five Knesset seats and four government portfolios, including minister of defence. This is surely a highly unusual situation in a democratic country. For Barak, it is ideal. He can continue to be minister of defence without having to continuously answer to the Labour party faithful as to why he is not acting in a way which is true to the party’s beliefs and policies. He is now able to act almost as he wishes. without having to account to any particular constituency.

Israel’s political middle ground has become a very crowded space. Tzipi Livni’s Kadima party is also in the centre, although I imagine probably to the right of the Atzmaut party. Both Labour on the left and Likud on the right have shown signs of encroaching on the middle ground. Under the circumstances, it is hardly surprising that Avigdor Lieberman’s Yisrael Beiteinu attracted the support that it received. It is the only truly right-wing party in Israeli politics, and accordingly receives support of those on the right side of centre.

I would be surprised if Atzmaut has a long-term future in Israeli politics. It feels like a niche party to satisfy the whims of Ehud Barak. I feel more confident that Labour will recover from the act of decimating the party which has been carried out by its former leader. This is a party which has a history of fighting for its values, principles and ideals. It has a substantial base of support in the kibbutz movement and the trade union movement. Although I have never been a great supporter of Labour policies, I do respect and recognise the important role the party has played in building the State of Israel.

As for Ehud Barak, he will go down in history as a traitor and a person who used public office for the promotion of his personal status and agenda, rather than for the greater good. This is an enormous tragedy for him personally, and for Israel.

Is Barak Really Part of the Left? is a post from: The Israel Situation

Prime Ministers in History: Ehud Olmert

Eric — Mon, 20 Apr 2009 16:47:00 +0000

Now that Olmert is history, we can wrap up the Prime Ministers in History series on The Israel Situation. The most recent Prime Minister is harder to look at in a historical perspective, but has no lack of controversy to add to the post.

Olmert was born in 1945 near Binyamina in what would shortly become Israel. Olmert attended Hebrew University (my study abroad school) and earned degrees in psychology, philosophy, and law. Olmert grew up in a Zionist home and became affiliated with the Beitar Youth Movement at a young age.

After spending time in the Golani Brigade of the IDF and practicing law, Olmert was elected to the Knesset as a member of Likud and held several portfolios before being elected mayor of Jerusalem in 1993. As mayor, Olmert worked on mass transportation projects including the now under construction Light Rail line. His term lasted until 2003.

Olmert was elected to the Knesset again in 2003 and held several ministerial portfolios. He became acting finance minister in 2005 when Benjamin Netanyahu resigned in protest of the Gaza pullout.

When Ariel Sharon left Likud to form the Kadima party, Ehud Olmert was one of the first high profile MKs to join him. This put Olmert in a high position in the new party, which he eventually became leader of when Sharon suffered a career ending stroke. Olmert was subsequently elected Prime Minister.

Olmert will be remembered for overseeing the Gaza Pullout which was engineered by Ariel Sharon. Olmert was also Prime Minister during the 2006 Lebanon war and Operation Cast Lead in the Gaza Strip. These operations, primarily the Gaza withdrawal, changed Israel’s political and social landscape and the shock waves will be felt for generations.

His term as Prime Minister came to a quick end as Olmert was investigated for corruption charges. As it became apparent that the suspicions were correct, Olmert resigned as Prime Minister paving the way for Tzipi Livni to take over as party chair and the eventual 2009 election that brought Benjamin Netanyahu back to power.

Olmert remains in Israel married to his wife, Aliza. He has four grown children living in Israel and the United States.

This is the final post of a series titled Prime Ministers in History. The series focuses on the lives and careers of the men and women who have held Israel’s highest office.

Prime Ministers in History: Ehud Olmert is a post from: The Israel Situation

Prime Ministers in History: Ariel Sharon

Eric — Tue, 10 Feb 2009 16:35:00 +0000

Ariel “Arik” Sharon was born on Moshav Kfar Malal in 1928. Sharon has a lengthy and controversial history in Israeli politics. His political career fell short when Sharon suffered from a series of debilitating strokes leading to a persistent coma since January, 2006.

Sharon was involved in the Haganah and later the Israel Defense Forces. He fought in the 1948 War of Independence, The 1967 Six Day War, and the Yom Kippur War. Sharon is viewed as a war hero by many Israelis for his actions in the Sinai Peninsula in the Yom Kippur War in 1973.

Although he grew up in a community that strongly supported Mapai, Sharon was instrumental in the merging of several parties to create the Likud Party. He remained affiliated with the right and was a strong supporter of settlement expansion for much of his career.

Sharon held many Ministerial positions during his career. He ultimately became Prime Minister of Israel in 2001 after the collapse of Ehud Barak’s Labor led coalition.

As Prime Minister, Sharon spent time working with US President George W. Bush and PA President Mahmoud Abbas on the United States’ Road Map for Peace. As a result, Sharon endorsed and began steps that led to a complete removal of all Israelis from the Gaza Strip. Though the actual “disengagement” did not take place during Sharon’s tenure, the experience was heart wrenching for many Israelis and the idea split the Likud Party.

Sharon, many prominent Likud leaders, and many prominent Labor party leaders joined together in 2005 to form the centrist Kadima party. This altered the political landscape of Israel and led to a battered Likud losing ground in the next election. Kadima ultimately aligned with Labor after the next election.

On December 18, 2005, Sharon suffered a stroke that put him in the hospital. Doctors scheduled a surgery for January 5th to clear up several cardiovascular ailments, though Sharon suffered major stroke on January 4th that caused major brain damage. While Sharon is not dead, he has been in a persistent vegetative state ever since.

Ehud Olmert took over as acting Prime Minister at the time of Sharon’s incapacitation. Ariel Sharon’s term officially ended April, 2006.

This post is part of a series titled Prime Ministers in History. The series focuses on the lives and careers of the men and women who have held Israel’s highest office.

Prime Ministers in History: Ariel Sharon is a post from: The Israel Situation

Prime Ministers in History: Ehud Barak

Eric — Mon, 09 Feb 2009 04:54:00 +0000

Ehud Barak was the 10th Prime Minister of Israel. Barak was born in 1942 on Kibbutz Mishmar in what would become Israel six years later. Barak is the Chair of the Labor (Avodah) Party.

Barak joined the Israeli military in 1959 and moved through the ranks while working on many high profile operations including Entebbe. In 1983 Barak became head of Aman, the Israeli military intelligence wing. He later was head of Central Command, Deputy Chief of Staff, and Chief of Staff of the IDF.

Barak began his career in politics after retirement from the Israel Defense Forces. He held several ministerial portfolios before becoming head of the Labor Party in 1996. He became Prime Minister of Israel in 1999, defeating Benjamin Netanyahu.

Barak lived up to a campaign promise leading the withdrawal from Lebanon in 2000. Barak’s failed negotiations with the PLO at Camp David led to the Second Intifada. Barak’s extensive negotiations with the Palestinians ultimately led to nothing beyond proof that Arafat and his PLO had no intention of joining in a peace deal. Barak’s term ended in 2001 as Likud’s Ariel Sharon won the next election.

In 2001 Barak left politics for a business career. He returned to politics in 2007, defeating Amir Peretz in a Labor Party election. He has held the Defense Minister position ever since.

Ehud Barak remains the chair of Labor and hopes to regain his role as Prime Minister in the elections next week.

This post is part of a series titled Prime Ministers in History. The series focuses on the lives and careers of the men and women who have held Israel’s highest office.

Prime Ministers in History: Ehud Barak is a post from: The Israel Situation

Prime Ministers in History: Benjamin Netanyahu

Eric — Fri, 06 Feb 2009 20:48:00 +0000

Benjamin Netanyahu was the 9th Prime Minister of Israel and is current chair of the Likud Party. Netanyahu was born in Tel Aviv in 1949, one year after Israeli independence.

Netanyahu, often called “Bibi” by the Israeli public (and this blog), moved to the United States with his family when he was 14. He entered politics in 1982 when he was appointed Deputy Chief of Missionary at the Israeli Embassy in Washington, DC. He became Israel’s ambassador to the United Nations in 1984 and retained the post until 1988.

Bibi was first elected to the Knesset in 1988, and he held his post until Yitzhak Shamir retired in 1992. At that time, the Likud party held its first primary and Bibi became the party chair.

In 1996 Bibi was elected Prime Minister in the first ever direct election of a Prime Minister in Israel’s history. He was the youngest person to hold the position of Prime Minister. As Prime Minister, Bibi held to the positions of not negotiating on the Golan and not negotiating on the status of Jerusalem. In 1999, Netanyahu was defeated by Ehud Barak and took a hiatus from politics.

Since 2000, Bibi has again raised in the Likud ranks. Under Ariel Sharon, Bibi was Israel’s Finance Minister. When Sharon left Likud to form the Kadima party, Netanyahu regained his position at Likud party chair.

Bibi is a hopeful Prime Minister candidate in the upcoming Israeli election scheduled for this month.

The Netanyahu family is also known for Benjamin’s older brother, Yonatan Netanyahu, who was killed in the rescue of innocent Israelis in the Entebbe Operation in 1976.

This post is in a series called Prime Ministers in History. The series covers the lives and influence of those who have held Israel’s highest office.

Prime Ministers in History: Benjamin Netanyahu is a post from: The Israel Situation

Prime Ministers in History: Shimon Peres

Eric — Wed, 21 Jan 2009 20:27:00 +0000

Shimon Peres was the eight elected Prime Minster of Israel. He currently serves as President of Israel. He has held his current office since July 2007.

Peres was born in Poland (now Belarus) in 1923. Peres moved to the British Mandate of Palestine in 1934. Peres grew up in a non-religious home but was grandson of a Haredi Rabbi. This instilled strong Jewish values that persist through today.

From 1932 through high school Peres lived in Tel Aviv. He later spent time on several Kibbutzim and became affiliated with the Labor party through involvement in a Labor youth movement.

Peres had a fruitful military career as well. Peres joined Ben Gurion’s Haganah in 1947 and worked his way up to Deputy Minister General of the Ministry of Defense in 1952 and General Director of Military and Defense in 1953. Peres is credited with a major purchase of French Dassault Mirage III fighter aircraft, establishing the Israeli nuclear facility, and working toward an agreement during the 1956 Suez Crisis.

Peres was elected to the Knesset for the first time in 1959 as a member of Mapai. He was Defense Minister from that time until 1965 when he left Mapai with Moshe Dayan and David Ben Gurion to form the Rafi party. Rafi eventually joined in the Alignment party and formed the Labor party of today.

After holding a slew of Ministerial roles, Peres took the place of Yitzhak Rabin when he was forced to step down as Prime Minister due to a scandal. Peres was only acting Prime Minster at this time, but was able to lead Alignment to the first ever left wing defeat in 1977.

In 1984, Peres’ Alignment defeated Likud in general elections, but was uanble to form a majority coalition. Instead, Alignment and Likud joined into a “unity government” where Prime Minister was rotated between the two parties. This was where Peres was first officially made Prime Minister of Israel. He continued in this capacity until 1992 when Rabin beat Peres in a party leadership election.

After Rabin was assasinated in 1995, Peres regained party chairmanship of the new Labor party and held the Prime Minister position until 1996 when Benjamin Netanyahu led Likud to defeat Peres yet again.

In 2000, Peres was defeated in a run for President of Israel by Likud’s Moshe Katsav. He remained involved in Labor party politics until 2005, at which point he left Labor to join Ariel Sharon’s centrist Kadima party.

In June 2007, Peres was elected President of the State of Israel. He holds the position to this day.

Peres has written 11 books and maintains many projects in Israel including the well known Peres Center for Peace. He is a Nobel Peace Prize winner for his involvement in the Oslo Accords.

This post is in a series called Prime Ministers in History. The series covers the lives and influence of those who have held Israel’s highest office.

Prime Ministers in History: Shimon Peres is a post from: The Israel Situation

Prime Ministers in History: Yitzhak Shamir

Eric — Fri, 02 Jan 2009 23:29:00 +0000

One of the lesser known Prime Ministers of Israel is Yitzhak Shamir. Shamir took office in October, 1983 and held office for 11 months. He was again elected Prime Minister in October, 1986 and held office until July, 1992. While he held the office for longer than most other Prime Ministers, you do not hear his name come up as often. Maybe that is why he lasted longer?

Shamir, born Yitzhak Jaziernicki, was originally from Russia in an area that is now Belarus. He later moved to Warsaw where he earned a law degree from the Warsaw University. He became affiliated with Beitar at a young age.

In 1935, Shamir moved to Israel and joined the Irgun, a right wing military organization that was later incorporated into the IDF. At the Irgun split in 1940, Shamir sided with the more right wing Lechi Brigade. (I lived on R”H Lechi in Jerusalem). Shamir was in a British Mandate prison from 1941-1943 for his affiliation with the group, and was a top leader when Lechi reformed in 1944. Shamir looked up to Irish Republican Army (IRA) leaders for inspiration in what he saw as a similar fight against the British.

After Israeli Independence, Shamir joined the Mossad for ten years followed by a long political career. Shamir joined Herut in 1969, which later became the Likud party of today. Shamir acted as Speaker of the Knesset and Foreign Minister before becoming Prime Minister in 1983.

Shamir worked with Egypt for peace quite a bit during his first run as Prime Minister. Economic decline led to a mixed election in 1984 and a unity government, led by Shamir (Likud) and Shimon Peres (Alignment), was formed. This allowed both parties to split the top job in Israel for the elected term.

Shamir presided over major events including Operation Solomon, the rescue of Jews from Ethiopia, and the Madrid Peace Talks.

Likud lost the 1992 election and Shamir stepped down as party chair. He stayed in the news as a critic of Benjamin Netanyahu, his successor, and even endorsed a far right wing party in 1998. He endorsed Ariel Sharon in the 2001 election and ceased making public comments after that time.

Shamir is still alive today and remains in Israel. His political career gave him the reputation as an honest politician who always told the truth.

This post is in a series called Prime Ministers in History. The series covers the lives and influence of those who have held Israel’s highest office.

Prime Ministers in History: Yitzhak Shamir is a post from: The Israel Situation

Prime Ministers in History: Menachem Begin

Eric — Wed, 03 Dec 2008 17:36:00 +0000

The sixth Prime Minister of Israel was Menachem Begin. Begin was the first Prime Minister not affiliated with the left wing Mapai/Alignment/Labor party. Begin was a member of the Likud, the current right wing party seeking a majority in the Knesset.

Begin was born in 1913 in the Russian Empire (now Belarus). His parents were passionate Zionists, and he grew to feel the same way about a Jewish state. He attended law school in Poland and became close with Ze’ev Jabotinsky, founder of Revisionist Zionism and Betar. Begin moved quickly through the ranks of Betar, becoming the the Poland/Czechoslovakia chair in 1937.

In 1939, at the time of the Nazi invasion, Begin escaped to the Soviet Union, where he was exiled to the gulags in Siberia. Upon his release Begin joined the Polish National army, and fought against the occupying forces there. He was released in 1942 and took a high ranking position in the Irgun, a nationalist military force that was later incorporated into the Israel Defense Forces.

In the Irgun, Begin was known for organizing against the British forces and using guerrilla tactics to fight the British army. The Irgun is well known for an attack on the King David Hotel in Jerusalem that killed many British soldiers, though the Irgun gave warning that the command post there would be blown up.

Begin’s Irgun joined forces with the Haganah (affiliated with Ben Gurion and the Mapai party) and the Lechi Brigade in 1948 for the War of Independence.

After Israel’s establishment was secured, Begin joined other high ranking Irgun officers to form the Herut (freedom) party, which later became Likud. Many outsiders said that the Herut party was fascist and equated the party to the Nazis. Begin was first made a Minister in 1967 when Herut (as a member of the Gahal bloc) joined in a national unity government. This agreement lasted until 1970.

In 1973, a plan by Ariel Sharon led to the formation of Likud, consisting of Herut, Gahal, the Free Center, and other small parties. Begin became the party chair and was elected Prime Minister in 1977 after 8 consecutive failures.

Begin’s era is best remembered for signing into a lasting (so far) peace with Egypt. Under the encouragement of Jimmy Carter, Begin and Anwar Sadat signed a peace treaty at Camp David in 1978 (for which he won the Nobel Peace Prize). He was also the Prime Minister when Operation Opera, the bombing of the Iraqi nuclear reactor in 1981, and the 1982 Lebanon Invasion. The Lebanese Invasion is still looked on as a very controversial and unpopular moment in Israel’s short history.

Begin retired from politics in 1983 and passed away nearly ten years later in 1992. He is burred on the Mount of Olives facing the Old City in Jerusalem. His namesakes include the Begin Heritage Center and the Begin Highway in Jerusalem.

This post is seventh in a series called Prime Ministers in History. The series covers the lives and influence of those who have held Israel’s highest office.

Prime Ministers in History: Menachem Begin is a post from: The Israel Situation

Prime Ministers in History: Yitzhak Rabin

Eric — Fri, 07 Nov 2008 16:53:00 +0000

Yitzhak Rabin was the fifth Prime Minister of Israel. He held office twice over his career. Rabin is known for his involvement in the Oslo Accords. He was assassinated while in office in 1995.

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.

This post is part of a series called Prime Ministers in History. The series covers the lives and influence of those who have held Israel’s highest office.

Prime Ministers in History: Yitzhak Rabin is a post from: The Israel Situation