Assassination of Yitzhak Rabin

The assassination of Yitzhak Rabin took place on November 4, 1995, at 21:30, at the end of a rally in support of the Oslo Accords at the Kings of Israel Square in Tel Aviv.

The assassination

After the rally, Rabin, the Israeli prime minister and defense minister, walked down the city hall steps towards the open door of his car. Three shots were fired towards Rabin, who chose to not wear a bulletproof vest when asked to before the rally Fact|date=May 2008.

The assassin was Yigal Amir, a former Hesder student and Orthodox far-right law student at Bar-Ilan University, who had strenuously opposed Rabin's peace initiative and especially the signing of the Oslo Accords. He was subdued and arrested immediately with the murder weapon, a Beretta 84F semi-automatic pistol .380 ACP caliber. He also shot and slightly wounded Yoram Rubin, a security guard, with a third bullet that missed Rabin.Barak T: [http://tam.co.il/28_10_2005/magazin1.htm Ten years have past, friend] . "Tel Aviv Newspaper" he icon] [Perry D: "Israel and the Quest for Permanence", page 216.] Incidentally, Rubin was also a geography student at Bar-Ilan University at the time.

Rabin was rushed to the Ichilov General Hospital at Tel Aviv Medical Center, where he died from his wounds within 40 minutes. Rabin's bureau chief, Eitan Haber, announced outside the gates of the hospital: "The government of Israel announces in dismay, in great sadness, and in deep sorrow, the death of prime minister and minister of defence Yitzhak Rabin, who was murdered by an assassin, tonight in Tel Aviv. May his memory be blessed."

In Rabin's pocket was a blood-stained sheet of paper with the words to Shir Lashalom ("Song to Peace"), which ironically dwells on the impossibility of bringing a dead person back to life and therefore the need for peace.

Reactions and funeral

The assassination of Rabin was a shock to the Israeli public. Rallies and memorials took place near Kings of Israel Square—later renamed Rabin Square in his honor—as well as near Rabin's home, the Knesset building, and the home of the assassin. Many other streets and public buildings around the country were named for Rabin as well.

The funeral of Rabin took place on November 6, the day after the assassination, at the Mount Herzl cemetery in Jerusalem, where Rabin was buried. Hundreds of world leaders, including about 80 heads of state, attended the funeral. [" [http://www.mfa.gov.il/MFA/MFAArchive/1990_1999/1995/11/World%20Leaders%20at%20PM%20Rabin-s%20 "World Leaders in Attendance at the Funeral of the Late Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin] ." 6 November 1995. Ministry of Foreign Affairs.] Russian Prime Minister Viktor Chernomyrdin, [" [http://www.mfa.gov.il/MFA/MFAArchive/1990_1999/1995/11/Rabin%20Funeral-%20Eulogy%20by%20Viktor%20Chernomyrdin Eulogy for the Late Prime Minister and Defense Yitzhak Rabin by Russian Prime Minister Viktor Chernomyrdin] ." 6 November 1995. Ministry of Foreign Affairs.] Spanish Prime Minister and European Council President-in-Office Felipe González [" [http://www.mfa.gov.il/MFA/MFAArchive/1990_1999/1995/11/Rabin%20Funeral-%20Eulogy%20by%20Felipe%20Gonzalez Eulogy for the Late Prime Minister and Defense Minister Yitzhak Rabin by Felipe Gonzalez, Prime Minister of Spain and Current EU President] ." 6 November 1995. Ministry of Foreign Affairs.] acting Israeli Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Shimon Peres, [" [http://www.mfa.gov.il/MFA/MFAArchive/1990_1999/1995/11/Rabin%20Funeral-%20Eulogy%20by%20PM%20Peres Eulogy for the Late Prime Minister and Defense Minister Yitzhak Rabin by Acting Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Shimon Peres] ." 6 November 1995. Ministry of Foreign Affairs.] United Nations Secretary-General Boutros Boutros-Ghali, [" [http://www.mfa.gov.il/MFA/MFAArchive/1990_1999/1995/11/Rabin%20Funeral-%20Boutros-Ghali%20Eulogy Eulogy for the Late Prime Minister and Defense Minister Yitzhak Rabin by Boutros Boutros-Ghali, Secretary-General of the United Nations] ." 6 November 1995. Ministry of Foreign Affairs.] President of the United States Bill Clinton, [" [http://www.mfa.gov.il/MFA/MFAArchive/1990_1999/1995/11/Rabin%20Eulogy-%20President%20Clinton Eulogy for the Late Prime Minister and Defense Minister Yitzhak Rabin by U.S. President Bill Clinton] ." 6 November 1995. Ministry of Foreign Affairs.] King Hussein of Jordan, [" [http://www.mfa.gov.il/MFA/MFAArchive/1990_1999/1995/11/Rabin%20Funeral-%20Eulogy%20by%20King%20Hussein Eulogy for the Late Prime Minister and Defense Yitzhak Rabin by His Majesty King Hussein of Jordan] ." 6 November 1995. Ministry of Foreign Affairs.] Rabin's granddaughter Noa Ben-Artzi Filosof, [" [http://www.mfa.gov.il/MFA/MFAArchive/1990_1999/1995/11/Rabin%20Eulogy%20by%20Noa%20Ben-Artzi Eulogy by Noa Ben-Artzi Filosof for Her Grandfather, the Late Prime Minister and Defense Yitzhak Rabin] ." 6 November 1995. Ministry of Foreign Affairs.] former director-general of the prime minister's office Shimon Sheves, [" [http://www.mfa.gov.il/MFA/MFAArchive/1990_1999/1995/11/Rabin%20Funeral-%20Eulogy%20by%20Shimon%20Sheves Eulogy for the Late Prime Minister and Defense Yitzhak Rabin by Former Dir-Gen PM's Office Shimon Sheves] ." 6 November 1995. Ministry of Foreign Affairs.] Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak, [" [http://www.mfa.gov.il/MFA/MFAArchive/1990_1999/1995/11/Rabin%20Funeral-%20Eulogy%20by%20Hosni%20Mubarak Eulogy for the Late Prime Minister and Defense Yitzhak Rabin by Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak] ." 6 November 1995. Ministry of Foreign Affairs.] director of the Prime Minister's Bureau Eitan Haber, [ [http://www.mfa.gov.il/MFA/MFAArchive/1990_1999/1995/11/Rabin%20Funeral-%20Eulogy%20by%20Eitan%20Haber Eulogy for the Late Prime Minister and Defense Minister Yitzhak Rabin by Director of PM's Bureau Eitan Haber] ." 6 November 1995. Ministry of Foreign Affairs.] and President of Israel Ezer Weizman. [ [http://www.mfa.gov.il/MFA/MFAArchive/1990_1999/1995/11/Rabin%20Funeral-%20Eulogy%20by%20President%20Weizman Eulogy for the Late Prime Minister and Defense Yitzhak Rabin by President Ezer Weizman] ." 6 November 1995. Ministry of Foreign Affairs.]

A national memorial day for Rabin is set on the date of his death according to the Hebrew calendar.

Reggae singer Alpha Blondy has recorded a single named 'Yitzhak Rabin' in memory of the Israeli prime minister.

Conspiracy theories

Some people reject the conclusions of the Israeli court system, inquiry committee, government, and the major Israeli newspapers and posit alternative conspiracy theories of Rabin's assassination.

Further reading

*Karpin, Michael and Friedman, Ina, "Murder in the Name of God - The Plot to Kill Yitzhak Rabin", ISBN 0-8050-5749-8.

References

External links

* [http://newsrss.bbc.co.uk/olmedia/1155000/video/_1158643_rabin_assassinated_vi.ram The Assassination of Rabin] , television news report, BBC
* [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/4431728.stm "Israel marks Rabin assassination"] , BBC, Nov 12, 2005
* [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/4432332.stm "A sombre night in Rabin Square"] , BBC, Nov 12, 2005
* [http://www.professors.org.il/docs/20000204-haa-rabin-doctors.txt Could He Have Been Saved? An article by Ronen Bergman in Haaretz]
* [http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-7368409094401324350&q=rabin+murder 10-minute video of Rabin's assassination] hosted on Google Video
* [http://www.cnn.com/WORLD/9512/israel_rabin/rabin_assasination.mov Assassination part of the Kempler video on CNN (10 seconds)]
* [http://koenraadelst.bharatvani.org/articles/fascism/2murders.html Koenraad Elst on Yitzhak Rabin's Assassination ]