The Last Handshake: The Assassination of Yitzhak Rabin

Episode 1: A Man of War Learns Peace

Our new series on The Ides of April begins with the remarkable life of Yitzhak Rabin—a soldier shaped by war who ultimately became one of the most controversial advocates for peace in modern Israeli history.

Born in Jerusalem in 1922 during the British Mandate, Rabin grew up in a land already defined by conflict. As a young man he joined the Palmach, the elite Jewish strike force that would later form the backbone of Israel’s military, and spent decades fighting in the wars that defined the early years of the Israeli state.

Over time Rabin rose to become one of Israel’s most respected military leaders and eventually Prime Minister. But by the early 1990s, after a lifetime of war, he came to believe that military victories alone could not resolve the conflict with the Palestinians.

That belief led to one of the most iconic—and controversial—moments in modern diplomacy.

In 1993, Rabin stood on the White House lawn and shook hands with Yasser Arafat, formalizing the Oslo peace process. The gesture stunned the world and deeply divided Israel. Supporters saw courage and possibility. Critics saw betrayal.

As political tensions escalated and extremist rhetoric intensified, Rabin continued pressing forward with negotiations.

The episode ends on November 4, 1995, at a massive peace rally in Tel Aviv where Rabin joined the crowd in singing the “Song for Peace.”

Minutes later, he would be shot.

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