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Yitzhak Rabin Facts & Worksheets

Yitzhak Rabin was a leader of the Arab-Israeli war of 1948 and served as chief-of-staff of Israel’s armed forces during the Six-Day War of 1967

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Rabin was a leader of the Arab-Israeli war of 1948 and served as chief-of-staff of Israel’s armed forces during the Six-Day War of 1967. After serving as Israel’s ambassador to the United States, Rabin entered the Labour Party and became prime minister in 1974.

See the fact file below for more information on Yitzhak Rabin or alternatively, you can download our 26-page Yitzhak Rabin worksheet pack to utilise within the classroom or home environment.

Key Facts & Information

Early Life & Military Career

  • Yitzhak Rabin was born in Jerusalem on March 1, 1922, to Rosa and Nehemia Rabin (Rubitzov), during the British Mandate over Palestine. 
  • His father had immigrated from the United States and served as a volunteer in the Jewish Legion during World War I. 
  • His mother was one of the first members of the Haganah, the mainstream Jewish defense organization in Palestine.
  • He attended Beit Hinukh Leyaldei Ovdim (Worker’s Children School) in Tel Aviv, then Kadourie agricultural school, achieving academic excellence.
  • After completing basic education, Rabin volunteered for the Palmach, the elite strike force of the Haganah underground defense organization. 
  • During Israel’s War of Independence, he was part of an operation that freed 200 illegal immigrants from the Atlit detention camp.
  • Later, as the commander of the Harel Brigade, Rabin took part in operation Nahshon to defend Jerusalem in 1948.
  • Seven years later, the unit was disbanded after the establishment of the State of Israel.
  • Once the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) were founded, Yitzhak pursued a 20-year military career culminating as IDF Chief of Staff.
  • He was best known in the IDF for developing the IDF fighting doctrine – based on movement and surprise – which was employed during the victorious 1967 Six-Day War.
  • Following the war, Rabin retired from the Army in 1968.
  • He was then appointed Israeli Ambassador to the United States and served for five years, gaining political experience and relations.

Political Career

  • Rabin returned to Jerusalem in 1973 and became an active member of the Israel Labor Party. 
  • Following the Yom Kippur War in 1973, he was elected to the Knesset.
  • Under Prime minister Golda Meir, he was appointed Minister of Labor.
  • The following year, however, the government resigned so the Knesset voted confidence in a new government headed by Yitzhak Rabin – the youngest in the history of Israel and the first native-born Israeli (Sabra).

First Term: 1974-1977 Prime Minister

  • As Prime Minister, Rabin placed emphasis on improving Israel’s economy, solving social problems, and strengthening the IDF. 
  • Under his term, the first Memorandum of Understanding was signed between the Government of Israel and the United States in relation to the interim agreement in Egypt in 1975.
  • The following year, the Rabin government ordered the Entebbe Operation (Operation Thunderbolt), a successful overseas rescue of 103 Israeli passengers from a hijacking that sent them to Uganda in June 27, 1976.
  • In 1977, Rabin resigned as Prime Minister and head of the Labor party after it was revealed that his wife, Leah, had illegally maintained foreign currency in the United States.
  • The Labor Party also lost in that same year’s election.

Defense Minister

  • After resignation, Rabin served as a Member of Knesset in the opposition.
  • He was also a member of the Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee, until the formation of the National Unity Government in September 1984. 
  • From 1984 to March 1990, Rabin served as Minister of Defense. He was responsible for the withdrawal from most of Lebanon, and for Israeli policy during the [first] Intifada.
  • After his term, Rabin served for another two years as a Member of Knesset in the opposition while the Labor Party regained its popularity among the Israeli citizens.

Second Term: 1992-1995 Prime Minister

  • In 1992, Rabin was again elected prime minister and his immediate act was to create secret negotiating channels with the Palestinians that led to the signing of the Oslo Accords.
  • Rabin and PLO Chairman Yasser Arafat signed the Declaration of Principles in Washington, outlining the proposed interim self-government arrangements, beginning with the “Gaza-­Jericho First” agreement.
  • Following the progress in the negotiations, PM Rabin, Israeli Foreign Minister Shimon Peres, and Yasser Arafat, received the 1994 Nobel Peace Prize.
  • That same year, Rabin and King Hussein signed the Israel-Jordan peace treaty, but these agreements did not sit well with many Israelis.

Assassination

  • Despite the Oslo agreement, the Israeli Right and the citizens of the West Bank and Gaza suffered more as the Palestinian groups Hamas and Islamic Jihad had shown opposition by detonating suicide bombs in Israel, blowing up buses, and killing civilians.
  • Due to the resulting attacks, Rabin was condemned for betraying his own people. He was branded a traitor in many anti-government rallies.
  • Ultra-nationalist rabbis also branded Rabin a rodef, a murderer who, under Jewish law, could be killed to prevent further acts of murder. 
  • At a peace rally in Tel Aviv’s Kings of Israel square on November 4, 1995, Yitzhak Rabin joined President Shimon Peres to promote peace.
  • Minutes later, however, Israeli Yigal Amir jumped out of the crowd and shot Rabin twice while on his way to leave the rally.
  • Less than an hour later, the Prime Minister was pronounced dead in a Tel Aviv area hospital.

Legacy

  • Yitzhak Rabin was a decorated soldier who led Israel to many war victories and rescues of Israeli citizens.
  • As Prime Minister, his government expanded the privatization of business, offered tax incentives to foreign venture capital funds to invest in Israel, approved universal health care, increased the education budget, and many more.
  • His attempt to promote peace with the Palestinians may have been met by opposition, but future attempts were reintroduced in the following decades.

Yitzhak Rabin Worksheets

This is a fantastic bundle that includes everything you need to know about Yitzhak Rabin across 26 in-depth pages. These are ready-to-use worksheets that are perfect for teaching students about Yitzhak Rabin who after serving as Israel’s ambassador to the United States, Rabin entered the Labour Party and became prime minister in 1974.

Complete List Of Included Worksheets

  • Yitzhak Rabin facts
  • Israel
  • Prime Ministers
  • Rabin’s Career
  • Being a Leader
  • Six-Day Strategy
  • Think Like a Leader
  • Solution for Peace?
  • Deciding Like a PM
  • Words with Wisdom
  • Reflection

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Link will appear as Yitzhak Rabin Facts & Worksheets: https://kidskonnect.com - KidsKonnect, October 20, 2021

Use With Any Curriculum

These worksheets have been specifically designed for use with any international curriculum. You can use these worksheets as-is, or edit them using Google Slides to make them more specific to your own student ability levels and curriculum standards.