On November 4, 1995, the assassination of Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin on November 4, 1995, sent shockwaves through Israel and the rest of world, forever altering the course between Israel and Palestine. Rabi was a pivotal figure in the Israeli-Palestinian peace process, “forging the Oslo accords, sealed in September 1993 by a handshake on the White House lawn between Rabin and the Palestinian leader, Yasser Arafat” (The Guardian). However, his efforts to achieve peace with the Palestinians were met with opposition from within Israeli society, particularly among Israelis who viewed the accords with the Palestinians as a betrayal of Israel’s security and territorial integrity. As a result, an Israeli extremist, “Yigal Amir, made up his mind to kill the prime minister… he had reached his own decision that Rabin – through his willingness to cede territory and to allow the creation of a Palestinian Authority, with its own armed police force – was therefore a legitimate target (The Guardian). In the weeks leading up to Rabin’s murder, “three extremist rabbis from the West Bank issued a written opinion suggesting that it would be acceptable to kill Rabin, on the ground that he had betrayed the Jewish people”(The New Yorker). On the day of November 4 1995, Rabin and the rest of his advisory spoke at a peace rally in Tel Aviv’s Kings of Israel Square, where Rabin delivered a speech advocating for peace and reconciliation. As Rabin was leaving the rally, Amir approached him and fired three shots at close range, fatally wounding him. The cold-blooded murder shook the entire country of Israel, sending them into a state of mourning and uncertainty. After the murder, Israel searched for a new prime minister, and in 1996, Benjamin Netanyahu won the election and became the current prime minister. Netanyahu, “the man who had watched those crowds chanting ‘Death to Rabin’”(The Guardian), navigated the nation through tough times, having to grapple with the aftermath of Rabin’s assassination, the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, and the broader political challenges facing Israel.
Images:
This was the moment Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin was shot and killed during a peace rally in Tel Aviv, November 4, 1995. The murder sent the country into a state of grief and uncertainty that ultimately led to the violent conflict between Israel and Hamas today.
Picture of Rabin, 1992.
Israelis mourn the assassination of Rabin, 2020
Quotes and Creative Element
Quote from US office: “Today, he gave his life to bring it a lasting peace. His last act, his last words were in defense of that peace he did so much to create. Peace must be and peace will be Prime Minister Rabin’s lasting legacy. Tonight, the land for which he gave his life is in mourning.”
Website: https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/PPP-1995-book2/html/PPP-1995-book2-doc-pg1720-2.htm#:~:text=Today%2C%20he%20gave%20his%20life,his%20life%20is%20in%20mourning.
Quote from Prime Minister Shimon Peres: “You can hit a body. You cannot kill the noble and great idea of peace.”
Website: http://www.cnn.com/WORLD/9511/rabin/reaction/index.html
Creative Element: Video showing Yigal Amir reenacting his murder on TV. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v1_sjFEpHFg