Yitzhak Rabin

Rodef Shalom Hero: Yitzhak Rabin

Child of Zion

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Yitzhak Rabin was born in Jerusalem in March 1922. His father immigrated to Israel from the United States, and he served in World War I as a volunteer in the Jewish Legion. His mother, Rosa, was one of the first members of the Haganah, the Jewish defense organization.

Military Car eer

After completing his schooling at Kadoorie Agricultural High School, Rabin volunteered for the Palmah, the commando unit of the Jewish community. He served in the Palmah and the Israeli army for twenty-seven years, becoming IDF (Israeli Defense Forces) Chief of Staff. Retiring from the army in 1968, he was appointed Israeli ambassador to the United States.

Life in Pol itics

Rabin returned to Jerusalem in 1973 and became active in the Israel Labor Party. In the December elections he was elected to the Knesset and he became minister of labor. In 1974 Rabin became prime minister. As prime minister Rabin placed an emphasis on improving the economy, solving social problems and strengthening the IDF. Following the Labor Party’s defeat in 1977, Rabin served as a member of Knesset. In 1984 he served as minister of defense.

Rodef Shalom

In 1992 he was elected prime minister again. For many years Israel had been in conflict with the Palestinians, a group of Arabs who lived in Eretz

Yisrael before the state of Israel was established. On September 13, 1993, after working with President Clinton, Rabin and PLO (Palestinian Liberation Organization) Chairman Yasir Arafat signed the Declaration of Principles in Washington, D.C. This document outlined a peace agreement between Israel and the PLO and said that Israel would work with the Palestinians to establish their own government. After a famous picture shaking hands with Arafat, Rabin commented that one has to make peace with one’s enemies, not with one’s friends. Rabin received the 1994 Nobel Peace Prize together with Israeli Foreign Minister Shimon Peres and Chairman Arafat. He began negotiations with the Palestinians on self-rule in Gaza and some areas of the West Bank and on the creation of a Palestinian authority. In October of that year Rabin and King Hussein of Jordan signed the Israel–Jordan peace treaty. On November 4, 1995, Yitzhak Rabin was assassinated by a Israeli who was against the peace process. Rabin was attending a mass rally for peace with the slogan “Yes to Peace, No to Violence.” Prime Minister Rabin was laid to rest on Mount Herzl in Jerusalem. His funeral was attended by many world leaders, among them U.S. president Bill Clinton, Egyptian president Hosni Mubarak and King Hussein of Jordan. Bill Clinton delivered a eulogy whose memorable final words were in Hebrew: “Shalom haver (Goodbye, friend).” Rabin was both a warrior and a rodef shalom. While much of his life was devoted to creating and defending the State of Israel, he also worked hard to bring peace between Israel and her neighbors.

Rodef Shalom Text: Accepting the Nobel Prize

Here is a small part of the speech Yitzhak Rabin gave when he accepted the Nobel Peace Prize. Ladies and Gentlemen, The profession of soldiering embraces a certain paradox. We take the best and the bravest of our young men into the army. We supply them with equipment which costs a virtual fortune. We rigorously train them for the day when they must do their duty—and we expect them to do it well. Yet we fervently pray that that day will never come—that the planes will never take off, the tanks will never move forward, the soldiers will never mount the attacks for which they have been trained so well. We pray that it will never happen, because of the sanctity of life… In the coming days, a special commission of the Israel Defense Forces will finish drafting a Code of Conduct for our soldiers. The formulation regarding human life will read as follows, and I quote: “In recognition of its supreme importance, the soldier will preserve human life in every way possible and endanger himself, or others, only to the extent deemed necessary to fulfill this mission…” For many years ahead—even if wars come to an end, after peace comes to our land—these words will remain a pillar of fire which goes before our camp, a guiding light for our people. And we take pride in that.

1. What is a paradox? 2. What does Rabin mean by “the sanctity of life”? 3. What does this speech tell us about Rabin’s commitment to be a rodef shalom?

Rodef Shalom in a Small Way

A rodef shalom can be like Yitzhak Rabin and help to make peace between nations. He or she can also be like Aaron and make peace between neighbors. What are three things you can do to make peace in your community?

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