Yitzhak Rabin

Winner of the Los Angeles Times Book Prize in History and one of the New York Times’s 100 Notable Books of the Year. The assassination of Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin remains the single most consequential event in Israel’s recent history, and one that fundamentally altered the trajectory for both Israel and the Palestinians. In Killing a King, Dan Ephron relates the parallel stories of Rabin and his stalker, Yigal Amir, over the two years leading up to the assassination, as one of them planned political deals he hoped would lead to peace, and the other plotted murder. "Carefully reported, clearly presented, concise and gripping," It stands as "a reminder that what happened on a Tel Aviv sidewalk 20 years ago is as important to understanding Israel as any of its wars" (Matti Friedman, The Washington Post).

More than two decades have passed since prime minister Yitzhak Rabin’s assassination in 1995, yet he remains an unusually intriguing and admired modern leader. A native-born Israeli, Rabin became an inextricable part of his nation’s pre-state history and subsequent evolution. This revealing account of his life, character, and contributions draws not only on original research but also on the author’s recollections as one of Rabin’s closest aides.

Examines how Israeli society has commemorated Yitzhak Rabin.

The memoirs of the late Israeli prime minister cover his role in the war of Israeli independence

Prologue. Yitzhak Rabin's death, Yitzhak Rabin's life -- The making of a soldier, 1922-1948 -- From Independence Day to the Six-Day War, 1949-1967 -- Ambassador to Washington, 1968-1973 -- First tenure, 1974-1977 -- Fall and rise, 1977-1992 -- Rabin's peace policy, 1992-1995 -- Politics, policy, incitement, and assassination, 1992-1995 -- Epilogue

The assassination of Israel's prime minister, Yitzhak Rabin, in November 1995 was a blow to the country's social body. In this book, 15 contributors from a range of disciplines—history, psychology, anthropology, political science, and cultural theory—survey the various reactions to the assassination and analyze its ramifications and repercussions.

This biography opens at the drama of the night peace rally in Israel, where Yitzhak Rabin was assassinated by a young, Jewish las student. Then the book begins a flashback to Rabin's Russian-Jewish parents. There are vivid descriptions of his boyhood years in Tel Aviv, his military career, and his romance with his future wife, Leah. The transition from a military man to a politician was not an easy one for this shy man. But his ambassadorship to Washington, D.C., and his role as prime minister, prepared him for peace negotiations with Palestinian leader, Chairman Arafat. His risk for peace assured his place in history. Many American leaders were devastated by his assassination and mourned his loss.