Yizchak Rabin

Yitzhak Rabin was born in Jerusalem in 1922 and grew up in Tel Aviv.

1941 – Rabin Joins the Palmach In year 1941 the British were ruling over the land of Israel. In that year, the British feared the German Nazi’s will manage to conquer Palestine. The Jews in Israel were interested in helping the British protect this area from the Nazi threat. This is why the “Palmach“ was established. It was a Jewish army force that was trained by the British.

The word “Palmach” – is an acronym for Plugot Maḥatz which means: Strike Companies.

Yigal Alon Yizchak Rabin Yizchak Rabin hears about this army from his friend Yigal Alon, and decides to join.

In 1943, the British ordered the dismantling of Palmach. The fighters who felt the Jews in Israel need their own army, decided to continue their training underground.

1947 – Rabin becomes chief officer In October 1947 Rabin became the Palmach’s chief operations officer. It was a time in which Jerusalem was sieged by the Arabs, and it was very hard to supply food and water to the city. Rabin was responsible of convoys to Jerusalem, who bravely delivered the supplies to, while risking their own lives.

A bullet proof vehicle, that remained on the way to Jerusalem until today.

1948 – Israel’s War of Independence The day the state of Israel was established, was a festive day of happiness and dancing. But everyone knew the state wouldn’t be born without a war against the Arabs living in the land. Palmach units took a major part in this war. At the beginning of the war, Palmach units were responsible for holding Jewish settlements against Arab fighters.

Rabin’s family Leah Schlossberg, was a young lady Rabin met already in high school. Leah was working as a reporter for a Palmach newspaper. Although these were days of war, Yizchak and Leah marry. They had two children – Daliah and Yuval. Leah Rabin accompanying her husband

IDF Promoted to colonel in 1949, Rabin was appointed commander of the I.D.F.’s first course for battalion commanders.

In 1950 he was named head of the General Staff’s Operations Division. One of the most important tasks they had, was organizing transit camps for over 100,000 new immigrants who began streaming into Israel immediately after independence.

1964 – Rabin becomes head of the IDF The Chief of General Staff is the supreme commander and of the Israel Defense Forces. The Chief of Staff is the only active Israeli officer with the highest rank in the IDF, equivalent to the rank of Lieutenant General (or General) in Western armies.

1967 – Six day war Under his command, the IDF achieved victory over Egypt, Syria and Jordan in the Six-Day War in After the Old City of Jerusalem was captured by the IDF, Rabin was among the first to visit the Old City.

Yizchak Rabin was one of the first soldiers who entered the old city of Jerusalem, after 19 years in which the city was captured by the Jordanians

1968 – Retiring from the IDF Rabin didn’t rest for one moment. Immediately after retiring from the military, he became Israel’s Ambassador to the US. Later he became a Knesset member, and in 1974 he became Israel’s Prime Minister.

Second Term as Prime minister In year 1992 – Rabin becomes Prime minister for the second time.

Rabin played a leading role in the signing of the Oslo Accords, which created the Palestinian National Authority and granted it partial control over parts of the Gaza Strip and West Bank.

The Peace agreement aroused intense opposition among many Israelis Who claimed peace shouldn’t involve territorial concessions.

Nobel Prize On December 10, 1994, the Nobel Peace Prize was awarded to Yitzhak Rabin, Shimon Peres and Yasser Arafat.

On Saturday night, November 4, 1995, at the close of a peace rally at Kings of Israel Square in Tel Aviv attended by tens of thousands, Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin was assassinated by gunshots of a young Jewish student.

“ Rabin Murdered – Israel is hurting and crying”

The assassination of Rabin came as a great shock to the Israeli public. Hundreds of thousands of grieving Israelis thronged the square where Rabin was assassinated to mourn his death. Young people, in particular, turned out in large numbers, lighting memorial candles and singing peace songs.

Rabin's funeral was attended by many Israeli citizens and world leaders

Yizchak Rabin’s story is part of the ongoing disagreement within Israeli society, regarding the peace agreements and territorial compromises

We must always remember that our nation Survived all the hard times, and suffering Thanks to our unity and solidarity

We are obligated to remember, the importance of respecting other opinions, and showing our disagreement only by legitimate protests

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