Israel Assassination of Rabin in 1995: Tens of thousands commemorate in Tel Aviv
30 years after the murder of Izchak Rabin, according to Israeli media estimates, around 150,000 people in Tel Aviv commemorated the former prime minister. "Those were different times, when leaders still took responsibility - in words and deeds. Responsibility - that is exactly what Israel longs for today," said former Chief of General Staff Gadi Eisenkot to the applause of the participants in the central Rabin Square. He was alluding to the criticism by many Israelis of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who denies responsibility for mistakes in connection with the Hamas massacre on October 7, 2023.
01.11.2025, 21:44
SDA
A Jewish fanatic shot Rabin in the center of Tel Aviv on November 4, 1995, in order to prevent territorial concessions to the Palestinians. In Israel, commemorative events are always held according to the date in the Hebrew calendar.
Shots fired at Rabin also hit the peace process
"Thirty years ago, at the terrible height of an unrestrained smear campaign, Izchak Rabin was walking down the stairs when a despicable assassin fired three bullets, murdering the prime minister and destroying the peace process," explained the organizers of the commemoration, as the Times of Israel newspaper wrote. Opposition leader Jair Lapid expressed similar sentiments. "The three bullets that were fired here in the square were not just meant to kill a leader, but to extinguish an idea," said Lapid.
Two-state solution now a long way off
The Oslo peace process agreed with the Palestinians in 1993 was already in crisis before the assassination. Nevertheless, Rabin's death marked a decisive turning point that severely damaged the Oslo peace process politically. The two-state solution sought by Rabin is now considered difficult to achieve and is rejected by Netanyahu.
The assassination was preceded by right-wing extremist agitation. Netanyahu is repeatedly accused of having contributed to the political climate that made the crime more likely. One month before the assassination, for example, he spoke at a demonstration in Jerusalem where protesters held up posters depicting Rabin in a Nazi uniform. "Rabin's assassination was the direct result of polarization and incitement," Eisenkot said.
In a TV interview shortly before Rabin's assassination, the current far-right police minister Itamar Ben-Gvir showed an emblem broken off the head of government's official limousine and threatened: "We can reach Rabin."
Under Netanyahu, Israel has moved further and further to the right
One year after Rabin's death, Netanyahu became head of government for the first time. Since then, he has led the country's destiny with only brief interruptions. In the meantime, Israeli society has moved steadily to the right. Today, the most right-wing government in Israeli history is in power.
