Yitzhak Rabin

“Even before Yitzhak Rabin was assassinated, I always saw him as an enigmatic hero,” writes the author, and this enigma only intensified afterwards. Rabin’s appearances in the media and the testimony given by those close to him reflected a complexity that could not be ignored. Always surrounded by others, he stood out as a distant loner. A politician who projected unease with the political norms, and basically a man of integrity and morality, he was nevertheless willing to stray from his ideals in the interests of national security. Despite his undiplomatic image, he became a senior diplomat and national leader.



Rabin, emotionally withdrawn, shy and blunt throughout his formative years, demanded uncompromising perfection from himself and others. Blessed with impressive analytic capabilities, he demonstrated the qualities of leadership, even when not quite ready to assume the onerous mantle of military leadership when that role was forced on him by circumstances beyond his control.