Biography – Yitzhak Rabin » The Prime Ministers Biography – Yitzhak Rabin Following Golda Meir’s resignation in April 1974, Yitzhak Rabin was elected party leader, after he defeated Shimon Peres. The rivalry between these two labour leaders remained fierce and they competed several times in the next two decades for the leadership role. Rabin succeeded Golda Meir as Prime Minister of Israel on 3 June 1974. This was a coalition government, including Ratz, the Independent Liberals, Progress and Development and the Arab List for Bedouins and Villagers. This arrangement, with a bare parliamentary majority, held for a few months and was one of the few periods in Israel’s history where the religious parties were not part of the coalition. The National Religious Party joined the coalition on 30 October 1974 and Ratz left on 6 November. In foreign policy, the major development at the beginning of Rabin’s term was the Sinai Interim Agreement between Israel and Egypt, signed on 1 September 1975. Both countries declared that the conflict between them and in the Middle East shall not be resolved by military force but by peaceful means.

This agreement followed Henry Kissinger’s shuttle diplomacy and a threatened ‘reassessment’ of the United States’ regional policy and its relations with Israel. Rabin notes it was, “an innocent-sounding term that heralded one of the worst periods in American-Israeli relations”. The agreement was an important step towards the Camp David Accords of 1978 and the peace treaty with Egypt signed in 1979. Operation Entebbe was perhaps the most dramatic event during Rabin’s first term of office. On his orders, the IDF performed a long-range undercover raid to rescue passengers of an airliner hijacked by militants belonging to the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine’s Wadie Haddad faction and the German Revolutionary Cells (RZ), and had been brought to Idi Amin’s Uganda. The operation was generally considered a tremendous success, and its spectacular character has made it the subject of much continued comment and study.

Towards the end of 1976 his coalition government with the religious parties suffered a crisis: A motion of no confidence had been brought by Agudat Yisrael over a breach of the Sabbath on an Israeli Air Force base when four F-15 jets were delivered from the US and the National Religious Party had abstained. Rabin dissolved his government and decided on new elections, which were to be held in May 1977. Following the March 1977 meeting between Rabin and U.S. President Jimmy Carter, Rabin publicly announced that the U.S. supported the Israeli idea of defensible borders; Carter then issued a clarification. A “fallout” in U.S./Israeli relations ensued. It is thought that the fallout contributed to the Israeli Labour Party’s defeat in the May 1977 elections. On March 15, 1977, Haaretz journalist Dan Margalit revealed that a joint dollar account in the names of Yitzhak and Leah Rabin, opened in a Washington, D.C., bank during Rabin’s term of office as Israel ambassador (1968-73), was still open, in breach of Israeli law.

According to Israeli currency regulations at the time, it was illegal for citizens to maintain foreign bank accounts without prior authorisation. Rabin resigned on April 8, 1977, following the revelation by Maariv journalist Shraga Mekel that the Rabins held two accounts in Washington, not one, containing $10,000, and that a Finance Ministry administrative penalty committee fined them IL150,000. Rabin withdrew from the party leadership and candidacy for prime minister, an act that earned him praise as a man of integrity. On the evening of 4 November 1995 (12th of Heshvan on the Hebrew Calendar), Rabin was assassinated by Yigal Amir, a radical right-wing Orthodox Jew who opposed the signing of the Oslo Accords. Rabin had been attending a mass rally at the Kings of Israel Square (now Rabin Square) in Tel Aviv, held in support of the Oslo Accords. When the rally ended, Rabin walked down the city hall steps towards the open door of his car, at which point Amir fired three shots at Rabin with a semi-automatic pistol.

Two shots hit Rabin, and the third lightly injured Yoram Rubin, one of Rabin’s bodyguards. Rabin was rushed to nearby Ichilov Hospital, where he died on the operating table less than 40 minutes later due to blood loss and a punctured lung. Amir was immediately seized by Rabin’s bodyguards. He was later tried, found guilty, and sentenced to life imprisonment. [Source: Wikipedia ] Yitzhak Rabin: A Life of Public Service - Google Arts & Culture Yitzhak Rabin: A Life of Public Service Yitzhak Rabin Center Childhood, Soldier, Statesman and Prime Minister The Yitzhak Rabin Center in Tel Aviv is the national institute established in 1997 by the Government of Israel – the Knesset – that advances the legacy of the late Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin, a path-breaking, visionary leader whose life was cut short in a devastating assassination. The Center, in a similar vein to a presidential library, presents Yitzhak Rabin’s remarkable life and tragic death, pivotal elements of Israeli history, through its Israeli Museum, archives and educational programs.

The Center’s mission is to ensure that the vital lessons from this story are remembered, and are used to shape an Israeli society characterized by open dialogue, democratic values and social cohesion. The centerpiece of the Yitzhak Rabin Center experience is The Israeli Museum. Comprised of nearly 200 short documentary films, visitors explore the history and makings of the State via exhibit halls, each focused on historical turning points in the country’s development. The exhibits – presented chronologically from 1922-1995 – present the conflicts, social challenges and dilemmas the country faced, as well as her successes. Along the inner corridor and interwoven with the exhibits’ narratives is the life story of Yitzhak Rabin, the connecting thread in the country’s history and development. The milestones of Yitzhak Rabin's life – Childhood, Soldier, Statesman and Prime Minister – are aptly illustrated in the on-line exhibition entitled “Yitzhak Rabin: A Life of Public Service”. We invite you to visit us during your next trip to Tel Aviv, Israel.

A Sabra, a native-born Israeli Jew - 1922-1941 Yitzhak Rabin was born in Jerusalem, raised in Tel Aviv and educated at the School for Workers’ Children and in the Hanoar Haoved youth movement. He was the eldest child of Third Aliyah immigrants to Israel, pioneers Rosa Cohen and Nehemia Rabin. His mother, “Red Rosa,” served in the Histadrut (General Federation of Labor), on the City Council and in the Haganah, an underground military organization set-up by a group of Jewish immigrants during the British Mandate (1920-1948). His father was active in the trade union and the Haganah. At the age of fifteen, Yitzhak Rabin realized his dream of attending the prestigious Kadoorie Agricultural School where he first met Yigal Allon and Haim Guri, legendary military figures that he admired. He completed his studies in the summer of 1939, graduating with honors. During his studies , he was recruited to the Haganah.When it seemed as though World War II would reach Palestine, Rabin gave up a university scholarship and committed himself to defense work.

With his mother Rosa, 1923 At the Kadoorie School,1938 School Football Team, 1940 With his father Nechemia and sister Rachel, 1934. IDF.Arc "In those childhood years [...] I developed an inner sense of responsibility for the task at hand, a love of the land and its landscapes, a sense of comradeship.“ Yitzhak Rabin Ready to Serve - 1941-1947 Yigal Allon, a commander of the Palmach, the elite combat force of the Haganah , recruited Rabin to serve as a fighter. Rabin served in command and training positions. He headed the strike force that liberated Jewish refugees being held at the Atlit detention facility. During the struggle against the British, he was imprisoned in the Rafah detention camp. Upon his release, he served as a commander during Palmach maneuvers in preparation for the possibility of war.

Official portrait from the Palmach years, 1946 Combat Exercise, Palmach, 1942 Together with Company A of the Palmach, 1942 “The Palmach way of life reflected [...] a true and innocent readiness on our part to sacrifice ourselves for our people.” Yitzhak Rabin, 1991 Defending Jerusalem - 1947-1949 Yitzhak Rabin was elated and joyous on the historic night of November 29, 1947, following the United Nations vote in favor of the Partition Resolution the calling for Palestine to be partitioned between Arabs and Jews, allowing for the formation of the Jewish state of Israel The next day he was at war. At 25 years of age, he was responsible for guarding the supply convoys to Jerusalem and commanded the Harel brigade that fought hard for many months. The Brigade’s battalions operated in Jerusalem and its surroundings from the outbreak of the War of Independence, its losses were among the highest in this cruel war. As second-in-command to General Yigal Allon in Operation Dani, Rabin took part in the conquest of Lydda-Ramle.

As operations officer on the southern front, Rabin was involved in planning the major campaigns to crush the Egyptian forces and liberate the Negev ,Israel’s southern region . David Ben-Gurion, the prime minister and defense minister, disbanded the Palmach, a move that distressed Rabin and attended the Palmach convention in defiance of Ben-Gurion’s orders. Motivated by a sense of national responsibility, Rabin decided to remain in the military, a decision that determined the course of his life. With Yigal Alon, during Israel’s War of Indpendence, 1948. IDF.Arc Members of the Harel Brigade, 1948. GPO Together with Palmach Commanders, 1948 With Israel’s first prime minister David Ben Gurion, 1948. GPO “The most difficult moments of my life were as commander of the Harel Brigade.” Yitzhak Rabin Home and Family: In August 1948, Yitzhak Rabin married Lea Schlossberg. The couple lived with her parents in Tel Aviv where their daughter, Dalia, was born.

Four years later, they purchased their first home in Zahala, an IDF subsidized neighborhood, where their son, Yuval, was born. Lea Rabin was wholly devoted to her family. With his daughter Dalia in Kimberly, UK, 1950 With Lea Schlossberg (Rabin), 1948. GPO With his grandson Yonathan, 1977. GPO With his daughter Dalia, 1970. GPO “When I look back on our twenty-four-year marriage... among those we know, [I am hard put] to find a finer couple.” Yitzhak Rabin, 1972 Chief of General Staff - 1964-1967 During his years in the military, Rabin filled a variety of staff, training and command positions. He was among those who determined the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) war theory, drawing on the experiences of the Palmach, the British Army and other armed forces around the world. He worked to equip the IDF and raise the standards of training for what he regarded as the “citizen army”. His appointment to deputy chief of general staff marked him as a candidate for the top position.

At the age of forty-one Rabin became chief of general staff. His term was marked by the growing might of Egypt and Syria due to the supply of advanced Soviet arms, Syria’s attempts to divert Israel’s water sources and its sponsorship of terrorist activity. Rabin increased the IDF’s deterrent power, both quantitatively and qualitatively, to avoid war while formulating a strategy to deal with possible escalation. IDF Commanders, 1964. IDF Arc. Yitzhak Rabin and David Ben Gurion, 1953. IDF Arc. Military exercise,1959. IDF Arc. With kids living by the border, 1966. IDF Arc. “Our might, which has sustained us until now, will continue to sustain and ensure our survival.” Yitzhak Rabin Six Days in June 1967 When Egyptian armor advanced to the Sinai Peninsula , Chief of General Staff Yitzhak Rabin called up Israel’s reserve forces. The government discussed the possibility of going to war. Rabin found himself torn between the military advantage of a preemptive strike and his recognition of the government’s duty to exhaust diplomatic channels. The weight of the responsibility was utterly exhausting.

However, after a 24-hour rest, he recovered and returned to work. The army he commanded was ready to go to war. During the battles, Rabin commanded the battleground from “the Bunker”, IDF headquarters, where he updated combat plans according to the continually shifting situation. He also toured and inspected the battle fronts. One of the greatest moments of his life was when he entered the Old City of Jerusalem together with General Moshe Dayan and General Uzi Narkiss. Following the War, the Hebrew University awarded Rabin an honorary Doctorate of Philosophy in recognition of his achievements as chief of general staff. In his address, without pride or glee, Rabin spoke of the heavy price paid by both the victors and the vanquished in this war. Love and support from wounded IDF soldiers, 1967. IDF Arc. Entering the old city of Jerusalem, with Minister of Defense Moshe Dayan and General Uzi Narkiss, 1967. GPO With PM Eshkol & Shimon Peres, 1967. IDF Arc. At the Wailing Wall, Jerusalem, 1967.

IDF.Arc “Our soldiers’ deeds, above and beyond the call of duty, did not spring from force of arms, but from their awareness of a higher mission, from their recognition of the rightness of our cause, from a deep love of their homeland and from the realization of the great task they faced to protect the existence of their people in their land.” Yitzhak Rabin Discovering America - 1968-1973 In February 1968, after twenty-seven years of military service in the IDF, Yitzhak Rabin retired and was appointed Israel’s ambassador to the United States. During his term of office, he strengthened Israel’s bond with the American Jewish community and laid the foundations for the special relationship between Israel and the United States. He learned to appreciate the U.S. system of government, as well as America’s economic and social capabilities. Upon his return to Israel, Rabin joined the Labor Party and was elected to the Knesset. He served as Minister of Labor in Prime Minister Golda Meir’s government. With his wife Lea, 1968. GPO At a govt. press conference 1970.

GPO “I became convinced [...] that our relations with the US and with the myriad Jewish communities in the mightiest country in the Western world would only increase in importance.” Yitzhak Rabin, 1973 Prime Minister - 1974-1977 Following the political turmoil caused by the 1973 Yom Kippur War, Yitzhak Rabin, who had not been involved in that “blunder”, was appointed prime minister. Interim agreements that he reached with Egypt and Syria were the first steps toward a peace. Rabin also sought to reach an agreement with Jordan and opposed the idea of “political settlements”, but refrained from evacuating the settlers of Sebastia. During his three-year term of office, he also made a major effort to rehabilitate the country’s war-torn economy. Israel’s international image improved significantly following Operation Entebbe, the IDF’s successful rescue of an Air France passenger plane hijacked to Uganda. Operation Entebbe, 1976 With Minister of Defense Shimon Peres, 1975.

GPO With Henry Kissinger finalizing the interim agreement with Egypt, 1975 “Peace will come when Arab leaders finally cross the Rubicon and move from belligerent confrontation to peaceful coexistence.” Yitzhak Rabin Resignation - 1977-1984 Following a coalition crisis with the National Religious Party, and believing that new elections would strengthen his position, Rabin resigned as prime minister. During the ensuing election campaign, the press revealed details of a then-prohibited US bank account in his wife’s name. Rabin decided to stand by his wife, sharing responsibility for the offense, and withdrew his candidacy for premiership. After the election victory of the political party of Likud, Yitzhak, a member of the Labor party, Rabin found himself in the Opposition. During this period, he published The Rabin Memoirs, in which he attacked his party rival, Shimon Peres. Rabin supported the peace treaty with Egypt, viewing it as an extension of his earlier policy.

Deeply worried by the PLO’s entrenchment in Lebanon, he supported “Operation Peace for Galilee” (the Lebanon War), but when the IDF deviated from the original battle plan, he adamantly opposed it. Election day, 1977. GPO With MK Shimon Peres, 1990. GPO “The Opposition is a very important institution in democratic states, certainly in ours. If there is no alternative, one must bide one’s time in the Opposition and do the work from there.” Yitzhak Rabin, 1991 A Statesman Again - 1985-1991 As defense minister in the National Unity Government, Yitzhak Rabin regarded the conflict with the Arab states as the key threat facing Israel. Despite this, routine internal security concerns occupied most of his attention. He did not shirk from forceful action against terrorism, while simultaneously easing the daily lives of Palestinians. Despite public criticism, the “Jibril Deal” went through, leading to the release of 1,150 Palestinian prisoners in exchange for three Israeli prisoners of war.

He also instructed the IDF to carry out a phased withdrawal in Lebanon to a security strip along the border. The Palestinians’ uprising convinced Rabin that the Israeli-Palestinian conflict could not be resolved by force. The Intifada’s negative impact on Israeli society, soldiers and the IDF’s status as a “citizen army” persuaded Rabin to pursue a political track. In the peace initiative which he published, he called for elections in the territories to be followed by final-status negotiations with the newly elected government. After the dissolution of the National Unity Government, Rabin attacked Prime Minister Yitzhak Shamir's government for diplomatic foot-dragging. In tandem, he saw the collapse of the Soviet Union as an historic turning point for the Middle East, one which could possibly provide the region with unprecedented opportunity. He also saw a threat to Israel’s existence in the efforts by some regional states to acquire nuclear arms. Israeli public’s fear and anxiety during the Gulf War intensified and reinforced Rabin’s perception that the nation was ready for peace and its price. With Chief of Staff Moshe Levi on a tour of Lebanon, 1984. IDF.Arc On a tour of the Gaza Strip, 1987.

GPO Meeting about the establishment of a national Unity Government, 1984. GPO With Haim Bar Lev, Minister of Police,1988. GPO “We are in a dangerous period during which non-conventional weapons […] will enter [...] the Middle East. Therefore, looking ahead seven to ten years, we must advance the political process.” Yitzhak Rabin I Will Lead - 1992 After winning the elections, Rabin once again became prime minister and defense Minister and hastened to include Israel in the process of international reconciliation. He changed national priorities by cutting the settlement budget and increasing the budgets for education, welfare, infrastructure, the Arab sector and peripheral communities. Resources were allocated for absorbing the mass of immigrants from the former Soviet Union as well as for creating jobs. Rabin resumed multilateral talks in Washington with Palestinian delegates and with representatives from Syria and Lebanon. He advanced negotiations along the Syrian track even though he was convinced that the Palestinian problem lay at the heart of the conflict. Although he tried to ease the daily lives of the Palestinian population, Rabin employed firm measures to quash the Palestinian uprising, the Intifada, imposing closures and deporting hundreds of Hamas terrorists.

In retaliation for the “Katyusha” rockets fired at Israel, he launched Operation Reckoning in Lebanon. Despite his doubts, Rabin approved back-channel talks with the Palestinians in Oslo. He signed the Declaration of Principles that laid the groundwork for a permanent settlement, including the establishment of a Palestinian national entity alongside Israel. Aware of the risks inherent in an agreement, yet utterly believing in its opportunities for peace, he recognized the PLO as the representative of the Palestinian people. With neg. team enroute to D.C., 1995. GPO Minister Deri in Kiryat Shmona, 1992. GPO Labor Party volunteers, 1992. GPO With students in the Jezreel Valley,1995. GPO “One makes peace with one’s enemies." Yitzhak Rabin The Historic Handshake - 1993-1994 The Declaration of Principles known as the “Oslo Accord” was signed on the White House lawn and sealed by Rabin’s historic handshake with Arafat. The DOP intensified the dispute between supporters and opponents of the peace process in Israel.

The massacre by an Israeli extremist of Muslim worshipers at the Tomb of the Patriarchs in Hebron reflected the mounting tension in Israeli society. However, Rabin rejected calls to dismantle Hebron’s Jewish community after the massacre in order to avoid intensifying internal discord. The Oslo Accord paved the way for a peace treaty with Jordan. Bilateral relations developed over many years through clandestine contacts matured into a treaty that defined the final borders between the two states. For Israel, the treaty opened a door to ties with other Arab and Muslim states. With King Hussein of Jordan, 1994. GPO At the Nobel Peace Prize Ceremony,1994. GPO With President Clinton and Eitan Haber,1995. GPO Signing the Oslo Agreement, U.S.A., 1995. GPO “There is no agreement that satisfies everyone.

There is no agreement without concessions on both sides, and there is no agreement free of dangers [...]” Yitzhak Rabin BBC News | PROFILES | Yitzhak Rabin Tuesday, April 21, 1998 Published at 10:37 GMT 11:37 UK Yitzhak Rabin By Gerald Butt Yitzhak Rabin was a born soldier, dedicated and brave. Equally, he was a clumsy politician, moody, and blunt to the point of rudeness. Yet his military background and his openness as a politician endeared him to many Israelis. Above all, they trusted him. In making peace with the Palestinians, they felt confident he would not compromise Israel's security. Few Israeli leaders have enjoyed the same trust. Public confidence in Rabin stemmed from his military career which began when he was a young man. He was born in Palestine in 1922, of a Russian mother and Ukrainian-American father. In his mid-twenties he was in the Palmach, an elite Jewish commando force, fighting the British.

Later, during the war against the Arabs after Israel was created in 1948, Rabin distinguished himself by leading a force that kept open the road between Tel Aviv and Jerusalem, thus preventing an Arab blockade of the latter. Yitzhak Rabin, Chief of Staff of the Israeli forces during the '67 war By 1964 Rabin had risen to chief-of-staff, and the 1967 Middle East war was the finest hour of his military career. Israel annihilated its enemies in six days and captured vast areas of Arab land. The reward for the military hero was a spell in Washington as Israel's ambassador. Freely flouting diplomatic convention, Rabin won friends in the Nixon administration and secured practical American help for Israel's strategic role as a defender of Western interests in the Middle East. In 1974, Rabin defeated Shimon Peres in a vote for a Labour leader to replace Golda Meir. Rabin became the youngest Israeli prime minister, and the bitter rivalry between him and Peres intensified. Rabin's coalition fell apart in 1977, and the subsequent election brought the right-wing Likud bloc to power.

Rabin returned to prominence in 1984 as defence minister in a government of national unity. Three years later Palestinian anger against the Israeli occupation of the West Bank and Gaza Strip erupted with the start of the Intifada (uprising). Rabin ordered the army to put down the Intifada. But tough military force did not work. Nor did mass arrests and deportations. Rabin realised that 1.7 million Palestinians under occupation could not be ruled by force. A negotiated peace was the only solution. Back in office as prime minister in 1992 he prepared the Israeli public for compromise with the Palestinians. But years in politics had not softened Rabin's abrasive manner. He needed a statesman to work alongside him. His old rival Shimon Peres fitted the bill exactly. A hesitant handshake The climax of secret negotiations with the Palestinians came on September 13, 1993. On the White House lawn, in the presence of President Clinton, Rabin shook hands with Yasser Arafat. Even at that historic moment Rabin could not assume the guise of a statesman and hide his feelings. His grimace and his hesitation showed that he was reluctant to shake the hand of the PLO leader.

His reluctance stemmed, perhaps, from the knowledge that many right-wing Israelis considered him a traitor. Rabin knew he had a tough political fight on his hands back home. And that battle was still under way when a young Israeli called Yigal Amir assassinated the 73-year-old prime minister after a peace rally in Tel Aviv in November 1995. It was the only battle that Rabin, the born soldier, failed to win. Yitzhak Rabin Yitzhak Rabin Yitzhak Rabin (1922 - 1995) Israeli statesman and soldier who, as prime minister of Israel (1974-77, 1992-95), led his country toward peace with its Palestinian and Arab neighbours. He was chief of staff of Israel's armed forces during the Six-Day War (June 1967). Along with Shimon Peres, his foreign minister, and Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) chairman Yasir Arafat, Rabin received the Nobel Prize for Peace in 1994.

Rabin graduated from Kadourie Agricultural School in Kfar Tabor and in 1941 joined the Palmach, the Jewish Defense Forces' commando unit. He participated in actions against the Vichy French in Syria and Lebanon. During the Israeli war of independence (1948), he directed the defense of Jerusalem and also fought the Egyptians in the Negev. He graduated (1953) from the British staff college, became chief of staff in January 1964, and conceived the strategies of swift mobilization of reserves and destruction of enemy aircraft on the ground that proved decisive in Israel's victory in the Six-Day War. In 1968, on retirement from the army, Rabin became his country's ambassador to the United States, where he forged a close relationship with U.S. leaders and procured advanced American weapons systems for Israel. He drew fire from Israeli hard-liners because he advocated withdrawal from Arab territories occupied in the 1967 war as part of a general Middle East peace settlement. Returning to Israel in March 1973, Rabin became active in Israeli politics.

He was elected to the Knesset (parliament) as a member of the Labour Party in December, joining Prime Minister Golda Meir's cabinet as minister of labour in March 1974. After Meir resigned in April 1974, Rabin assumed leadership of the party and became Israel's fifth (and first native-born) prime minister in June. As Israel's leader he acted as both dove and hawk--securing a cease-fire with Syria in the Golan Heights but ordering a bold raid at Entebbe, Uganda, in July 1976, in which Israeli and other hostages were rescued after their plane was hijacked by Palestinian terrorists. Rabin was forced to call a general election for May 1977, but in April, during the electoral campaign, he relinquished the prime ministership and stepped down as leader of the Labour Party after it was revealed that he and his wife had maintained bank accounts in the United States, in violation of Israeli law. He was replaced as party leader by Shimon Peres.

Rabin served as defense minister in the Labour-Likud coalition governments from 1984 to 1990, responding forcefully to an uprising by Palestinians in the occupied territories. In February 1992, in a nationwide vote by Labour Party members, he regained leadership of the party from Peres. After the victory of his party in the general elections of June 1992, he again became prime minister. As prime minister, Rabin put a freeze on new Israeli settlements in the occupied territories. His government undertook secret negotiations with the PLO that culminated in the Israel-PLO accords (September 1993), in which Israel recognized the PLO and agreed to gradually implement limited self-rule for Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza Strip. In October 1994 Rabin and King Hussein of Jordan, after a series of secret meetings, signed a full peace treaty between their two countries. The territorial concessions aroused intense opposition among many Israelis, particularly settlers in the West Bank. While attending a peace rally in November 1995, Rabin was assassinated by a Jewish extremist. BIBLIOGRAPHY.

Robert Slater, Rabin of Israel: Warrior for Peace (1996), is a biography. Main Page | About Us | All text is available under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License. Timeline of Nobel Prize Winners is not affiliated with The Nobel Foundation . External sites are not endorsed or supported by Copyright © 2003 All Rights Reserved. Ynetnews News - Yitzhak Rabin Yitzhak Rabin At the signing of the peace agreement with Jordan Photo: AP send to friend Yitzhak Rabin A decorated general, revered defense minister, a PM dubbed the 'architect of peace' and a winner of the Noble Peace Prize; Yitzhak Rabin was also the first prime minister in Israeli history to be assassinated Ynetnews |Published: 03.06.08 , 00:21 Yitzhak Rabin (1922-1995) was one of Israel's leading military figures and political leaders. He was the seventh IDF chief of staff and was later elected prime minister twice, in 1974 and in 1992.

As prime minister, he led Israel during the period of the Oslo Accords, which attempted to set the groundwork for a peace agreement with the Palestinians. On November 4, 1995, right-wing extremist Yigal Amir shot and killed Rabin following a peace rally in Tel Aviv. Rabin was born in Jerusalem, when the British controlled Palestine, and grew up in Tel Aviv. He attended the Kaduri Agricultural High School and hoped to become an irrigation engineer. In 1940 he graduated with honors and in 1941, he joined the Haganah, and quickly rose to the senior ranks. In 1948 he married Leah Schlossberg, his sweetheart of five years. Military and political career Rabin had an illustrious military career: During the 1948 War of Independence, he directed the defense of Jerusalem and headed battles against the Egyptian army in the Negev. In 1950 he was named chief of military operations and in 1953 rose to the rank of brigadier-general. In 1956 he was named Northern Command Chief and in 1959 made head of the IDF's Operations Branch.

In 1964 he was appointed IDF Chief of Staff. It was under Rabin's command that the IDF defeated Egypt , Syria and Jordan in the 1967 Six Day War. In 1968 Rabin left the IDF and was appointed Israel's ambassador to the US. His tenure ended in 1973 and he returned to Israel. Later that year he was elected to the Knesset for the first time, as a member of the Labor Party. Meeting with field commanders in 1964 (Archive photo: Avraham Vered, BaMahane) In the aftermath of the Yom Kippur War and the subsequent resignation of them-Prime Minister Golda Meir in 1974, Rabin was elected Labor Party Chairman - beating Shimon Peres – and became prime minister. In June 1974, Rabin's Labor won the general elections, making him the first prime minister to be born in Israel. During his premiership he ordered the Israeli commandos to carry out the famed Operation Entebbe (July 1976) – the rescue mission of a plane hijacked by Palestinian terrorists that was being held in Uganda.

The end of 1976 saw a political crisis brew, as Rabin's coalition broke down. Rabin resigned, bringing forth a transitional government, which he led. In 1977 he was elected Labor chief again, and named the party's nominee for prime minister. In mid-1977 Rabin resigned from office after it was reported that his wife, Leah, had maintained a bank account in the US. At the time, Israeli law made it a misdemeanor for state officials to have foreign bank account. Peres was elected Labor chief in his place. Between 1977 and 1984 Rabin served as MK and member of the Knesset's Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee. When the first unity government was formed in 1984, he wad named defense minister. When the second unity government was formed in 1988, he retained office. His tenure as defense minister ended in 1990. The final years In 1992, Rabin led Labor to another election win and was named prime minister for the second time.

In 1993, after a clandestine negotiation with the PLO (Palestine Liberation Organization) Rabin and then-PLO leader Yasser Arafat, signed the Oslo Accords, which created the Palestinian Authority and granted it partial control in areas of the Gaza Strip and West Bank. In 1994 Rabin signed a peace agreement with Jordan. Later that year he was awarded the Noble Peace Prize, along with Shimon Peres and Yasser Arafat. Signing the Oslo Accords (Archive photo: Reuters) Rabin and Peres' – who he named foreign minister – tireless efforts to achieve peace in the Middle East boosted Israel's stand in the world, resulting in the official lift of the pan-Arab ban on Israel and in an unprecedented rate of foreign investments in the economy. Israel's pursuit of peace with the Palestinians brought about renewed diplomatic relation between Jerusalem and dozens of countries around the world. Contrary to the success he met in the international arena, Rabin faced raging opposition to the Israeli-Palestinian peace process from his political rivals and many in the Israeli public. As PM, he also had to deal with dozens of bloody, gut-wrenching terror attack which tore through Israel.

The public atmosphere seemed more and more heated and Rabin began getting death threats. The threats became more and more frequent as time went by, and some of his last public appearances turned into violent riots. On Saturday night, November 4, 1995, Rabin attended a peace rally in Tel Aviv's Kings of Israel Square. "Violence," he told those attending, "Is the very thing eroding Israeli democracy." Moments later, as he was walking back to his car, he was assassinated, gunned down by Yigal Amir. For more on the assassination of Yitzhak Rabin click here Yitzhak Rabin | prime minister of Israel | Britannica.com prime minister of Israel Chaim Herzog Yitzhak Rabin, (born March 1, 1922, Jerusalem —died Nov. 4, 1995, Tel Aviv–Yafo , Israel), Israeli statesman and soldier who, as prime minister of Israel (1974–77, 1992–95), led his country toward peace with its Palestinian and Arab neighbours.

He was chief of staff of Israel’s armed forces during the Six-Day War (June 1967). Along with Shimon Peres , his foreign minister, and Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) chairman Yāsir ʿArafāt , Rabin received the Nobel Prize for Peace in 1994. Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin speaking at the White House following the signing of an accord … J. David Ake—AFP/Getty Images After the signing of the Declaration of Principles on Palestinian self-government (1993), U.S. … CNN ImageSource Yāsir ʿArafāt, left, Shimon Peres, centre, and Yitzhak Rabin with their Nobel … Copyright T. Bergsaker/Sygma Rabin graduated from Kadourie Agricultural School in Kfar Tabor and in 1941 joined the Palmach, the Jewish Defense Forces’ commando unit. He participated in actions against the Vichy French in Syria and Lebanon. During the first of the Arab-Israeli wars (1948–49), he directed the defense of Jerusalem and also fought the Egyptians in the Negev .

He graduated (1953) from the British staff college, became chief of staff in January 1964, and conceived the strategies of swift mobilization of reserves and destruction of enemy aircraft on the ground that proved decisive in Israel’s victory in the Six-Day War . In 1968, on retirement from the army, Rabin became his country’s ambassador to the United States , where he forged a close relationship with U.S. leaders and procured advanced American weapons systems for Israel. He drew fire from Israeli hard-liners because he advocated withdrawal from Arab territories occupied in the 1967 war as part of a general Middle East peace settlement. Returning to Israel in March 1973, Rabin became active in Israeli politics. He was elected to the Knesset (parliament) as a member of the Labour Party in December and joined Prime Minister Golda Meir ’s cabinet as minister of labour in March 1974. After Meir resigned in April 1974, Rabin assumed leadership of the party and became Israel’s fifth (and first native-born) prime minister in June.

As Israel’s leader he indicated his willingness to negotiate with adversaries as well as to take firm action when deemed necessary—securing a cease-fire with Syria in the Golan Heights but also ordering a bold raid at Entebbe , Uganda , in July 1976, in which Israeli and other hostages were rescued after their plane was hijacked by members of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine and the Red Army Faction (a West German radical leftist group). Britannica Stories Ringling Bros. Folds Its Tent Rabin was forced to call a general election for May 1977, but in April, during the electoral campaign, he relinquished the prime ministership and stepped down as leader of the Labour Party after it was revealed that he and his wife had maintained bank accounts in the United States, in violation of Israeli law. He was replaced as party leader by Shimon Peres . Rabin served as defense minister in the Labour- Likud coalition governments from 1984 to 1990, responding forcefully to an uprising by Palestinians in the occupied territories. In February 1992, in a nationwide vote by Labour Party members, he regained leadership of the party from Peres.

After the victory of his party in the general elections of June 1992, he again became prime minister. As prime minister, Rabin put a freeze on new Israeli settlements in the occupied territories. His government undertook secret negotiations with the PLO that culminated in the Israel-PLO accords (September 1993), in which Israel recognized the PLO and agreed to gradually implement limited self-rule for Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza Strip . In October 1994 Rabin and King Ḥussein of Jordan , after a series of secret meetings, signed a full peace treaty between their two countries. U.S. President Bill Clinton looks on as Yitzhak Rabin (left) shakes hands with Yāsir … William J.

Clinton Presidential Library/NARA Israel and the PLO signing the Declaration of Principles on Palestinian Self-Rule, Washington, … Stock footage courtesy The WPA Film Library Excerpt from Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin’s address to the United States Congress shortly … Stock footage courtesy The WPA Film Library Yitzhak Rabin Biography (Prime Minister of Israel/Soldier) Died: 4 November 1995 (assassination) Birthplace: Palestine(now Israel) Best known as: Prime Minister of Israel, 1974-1977 and 1992-1995 Yitzhak Rabin became chief of staff for the Israeli military in 1964, and directed the armed forces during the Six-Day War of 1967. He succeeded Golda Meir as Prime Minister in 1974, but resigned in 1977. He became the leader of the Labour Party, served as Defense Minister in the late 1980s and was elected Prime Minister in 1992.

A proponent of Middle East peace, Rabin shared the 1994 Nobel Peace Prize with Yasser Arafat and Shimon Peres. In 1995 he was shot to death by an Israeli law student who claimed Rabin intended to "give our country to the Arabs." Copyright © 1998-2017 by Who2?, LLC. All rights reserved.

Question: Yitzhak Rabin was the prime minister of which country between 1974 and 1977?
Answer: Israel