Yitzhak Rabin the complete biography

Yitzhak Rabin, how his influence changed our world

Yitzhak Rabin was a modest, quiet, timid, shy, and for most of his life lonely child. These are the qualities that made up Israel’s greatest Prime Minister, friend, and companion. His numerous biographies do nothing to really explain who this man was, but we can only try.

Early Life

On March 1, 1992 in Jerusalem Yitzhak Rabin was born into a normal family without high expectations for their beautiful son, yet. His father, who was a large supporter of the Israeli Labor Party, was a United States immigrant who had served in theJewish Legion in World War One. His mother was on of the first members of the Haganah which was the underground defense force before Israel became an independent state. Rabin was sent to the Beit Hinuch Leyaldei Ovidim elementary school in Tel Aviv when the family moved their shortly after he was born. After graduating in 8th grade Rabin studied at Givat Hashlosha regional high school for two years as a quiet student immersed in his work not interested about the latest gossip. Not long after that at age 15 he started his studies at Kadoorie Agricultral school thinking that the best way to serve his country was as a farmer. After his schooling Rabin joined the Plamach, an elite section of the Haganah, and continued in the Israeli Defense Force (IDF) for 20 years using that as the building blocks for his later careers in the army.

Important Incidents

• At Kadoorie school Yitzhak Rabin made his first real friend with Yigal Alon.• Rabin’s mother died of cancer when he was only 16 years old• He married Leah Shlosberg on August 23, 1948But his most life changing event occurred a few months before school started.Yitzhak Rabin failed the entrance exam in math. He was forced to take extensive private lessons with a tutor to pass the second time. “The hit on the head that I got when I failed the first exam, was what really pushed me during my life. The feeling of how could it be that I failed spurred me on more than anything else in life…The most important lesson I ever learned was to come to conclusions about myself.

Yitzhak Rabin’s imprint on the world

I.D.F.

After Israel became an independent state Yitzhak Rabin served as O.C. Northern Commander and then as Chief of Operations and Deputy Chief of staff for 20 years. As a commander, Rabin was a big part of setting up advanced training programs and he himself went to Staff College in Britain until 1953. During the War of Independence he served a large roll as commander of the Harel Brigade protecting Jerusalem. From 1964-1968 Rabin served as the hero of the Six Days war ending his military career.

Politics

Retiring from the military on January 1, 1968 he was immediately appointed Israeli ambassador to the United States. In America he played an influential role in repairing ties to Israel’s current best friend. Upon returning to Jerusalem in 1973 Yitzhak Rabin became interested in the Labor party and five years later he had made his way up the political later to be elected to the Knesset. When the Golda Meir government came to power in mid 1974 Rabin became Minister of Labor, but shortly after the Golda Meir resigned in favor of Rabin on June 2, 1974. As Prime Minister, Rabin placed a special emphasis on solving social problems, improving the economy, and strengthening the IDF. He was the youngest Prime Minister and first Sabra (Israeli born) to be elected. With American reflection Rabin settled the interim agreement with Egypt in 1975 and shortly thereafter the United States singed the first Memorandum of Understanding with Israel. After being thrown out of office when it was revealed that Leah Rabin (Yitzhak Rabin’s wife) had illegally maintained a bank account in America worth $3,000 Shimon Peres, also of the Labor party, took his place. Following the defeat of the Labor Party in 1977 Rabin served as a member of the Knesset Foreign affairs and Defense Committee and when the national Unity Government was formed he was promoted to Minister of Defense. Before the 1992 elections the Labor Party held its first nationwide primaries and in February Yitzhak Rabin came from behind and won. On June of 1992 he was voted Prime Minister of the Independent State of Israel again. As Prime Minister again he focused on creating peace and friendship with other countries and on September 13, 1993 he singed the Declaration of Principles on the White House lawn in Washington D.C. with his worst enemy; Yasser Arafat. Following the meeting in Washington the Gaza-Jericho First agreement was signed in Cairo addressing the implantation of the first stage of the Declaration of Principles. Being rewarded for this latest ordeal Rabin shared the 1994 Nobel Peace Prize with PLO chairman Yasser Arafat and Israeli Foreign Minister Shimon Peres. On October 26, 1994 Yitzhak Rabin and King Hussein singed the Israel- Jordan peace treaty after Jordan was moved to sign after the PLO agreed with peace in Israel.

What Happened Later

November 4, 1995 Yitzhak Rabin organized a peace rally in Tel Aviv called Yes to Peace, No to Violence after many people had been doubting his ability to keep peace in Israel. After the rally Rabin was walking to his car when a right wing extremist broke through the lax security and shot five shots to Rabin in the back. Rabin was immediately rushed to the hospital where he died a few hours later. Rabin was the third middle-east peace-maker to be gunned down by an extremist who claimed to be acting in “the light of God”, after Anwar Sadat of Egypt and King Abdullah of Jordan. Many famous world leaders attended his funeral on Mount Hertzel. Most famously king Hussein of Jordan and President Clinton who made the phrase (farewell friend) famous.