Yitzhak Rabin: Soldier, Leader, Statesman

by Itamar Rabinovich

An insider’s perspective on the life and influence of Israel’s first native-born prime minister, his bold peace initiatives, and his tragic assassination

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.
 
An awkward politician who became a statesman, a soldier who became a peacemaker, Rabin is best remembered for his valiant efforts to resolve the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and for the Oslo Accords. Itamar Rabinovich provides extraordinary new insights into Rabin’s relationships with powerful leaders including Bill Clinton, Jordan’s King Hussein, and Henry Kissinger, his desire for an Israeli-Syrian peace plan, and the political developments that shaped his tenure. The author also assesses the repercussions of Rabin’s Netanyahu’s ensuing election and the rise of Israel’s radical right wing.

Genres: Israel, Biography, History, Middle East, Nonfiction, Politics, Jewish

272 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2017

About the author

Itamar Rabinovich (Hebrew: איתמר רבינוביץ or איתמר רבינוביץ') is the president of the Israel Institute (Washington and Jerusalem). He was Israel's Ambassador to the United States in the 1990s and former chief negotiator with Syria between 1993 and 1996, and the former president of Tel Aviv University (1999–2007). Currently he is professor emeritus of Middle Eastern History at Tel Aviv University, distinguished global professor at New York University and a distinguished fellow at the Brookings Institution.

Reviews

[Erin · Rating 3 out of 5]

My last couple of reviews in fiction have talked about how authors have had strong political views. I actually feel silly that I keep bringing it up because I actually like talking about politics or at least listening to people talk about politics. Because I am an introvert..... Well, in this case, reading Yitzhak Rabin: Soldier, Leader, Statesman, I had the general assumption that politics was going to be the focus. Itamar Rabinovich had a working relationship( that he mentions really briefly) with Israel's 5th Prime Minister and his general focus surrounds the "adult" years of the man's life. I would imagine if readers were looking for a more intimate portrait of the man known for his peace policies, you might find Rabin's memoir (1979) to be more to your taste.

Before going into this biography, my knowledge of Israel's history was a mix of biblical text, Leon Uris, and my time spent visiting Israel two years ago.( OMG, it was the best experience of my life and the three weeks I spent there changed my life forever and my heart longs to go back pretty much everyday.) My knowledge of Yitzhak Rabin was fairly limited because I was 13 years old when he was ( SPOILER ALERT) assassinated. My image of the man to this day can be sized up in one photo- the famous one with Rabin, Bill Clinton, and Yasser Arafat and they're all smiling and shaking hands. Awww... the innocence of youth! Of course, it was a lot more complicated than that and there were many divided people on whether it was a good thing.

The biography itself is pretty dry and a knowledge( even if partial) is a good fit to getting the most out of the book. Or at the least have the internet handy so that you can put a face to all the names that are dropped in this book. My research continues.......


Thanks to Netgalley for a digital galley of this book in exchange for an honest review.

[Yossi Khebzou · Rating 5 out of 5]

Short, albeit wonderful. A perfect example of when less is more. Rabinovich’s work on Rabin is one of the few objective, serious books about this controversial Prime Mimister. The book goes through the traditional narrative on Rabin, but emphasizes key aspects of his life, such as his role on the 1967 war or his 1974-1977 administration (which is rarely covered when talking about him). What I liked the most, though, was his non-romantization of the character (a common sin on biographies), he covers him through his flaws, unties him from his “dovish” figure and remarks his importance on Israel’s turn rightward. Rabinovich’s text should be treated as Rabin’s definite biography.

[ManOfLaBook.com · Rating 5 out of 5]

Yitzhak Rabin: Soldier, Leader, Statesman by Itamar Rabinovich is a biography of the famous Israeli politician. Mr. Rabinovich is a political operative who worked with Mr. Rabin.

This biography of the Israeli persona, an account of Mr. Rabin’s career and life as a solider and statesman. Mr. Rabinovich worked with Mr. Rabin late in his career and even held the same post, that of Israel’s ambassador to the United States.

The book’s most impressive part comes as a first-person account of Mr. Rabin’s second term as the Israeli Prime Minister. The author was witness to history and his narrative is fascinating, the insights are thoughtful , and the deductions are enlightening.

I still remember the day that Mr. Rabin passed away from an assassin’s bullet. I was not in Israel, but on a comfortable couch in New Jersey, however I felt as if I was in another world. After all Israel, “the light to be cast unto the nations” as David Ben-Gurion (Israel’s first Prime Minister) said, is not a country where political leaders are assassinated. At the time no one understood how such a tragedy could happen. A Jewish Prime Minister, assassinated by a Jewish man, in a Jewish state, surrounded by bodyguards and an adoring crowd.

Mr. Rabinovich wrote an outstanding summary which attempts to inform the reader of the complex circumstances which allowed a man to feel as if he was permitted to pull the trigger and murder a person in cold blood. Putting his emotions to the side, the author’s analysis is straightforward and thoughtful.

The author talks about Mr. Rabin’s many achievements, as well as his failures, his personality traits (both positive and negative), and the person he was, not just the public figure. The book is engrossing and an important primary source for future generations to study.

For more reviews and bookish posts please visit: http://www.ManOfLaBook.com

[Sami · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book was a disappointing tribute to a giant of a man. Yitzhak Rabin lived through so many transformations in the land he lived in and loved as home, and his role in many of those changes was instrumental. It was frustrating to read a biography, especially one written by a friend of the man himself, that did so little to celebrate all the Rabin brought to the world.

Superficially, the book was poorly written. Every fourth page included either the word hawkish or dovish to describe Rabin or his political and military contemporaries. The English language is replete with synonyms for aggressive, timid, determined, and hesitant; to use the same two words again and again was distracting and decreased their impact.

More significantly, however, the biography was boring. Rather than as a portrait of a man, the book read like a timeline, a list of events in Rabin’s life that led from his birth to his assassination. Only in the last thirty pages did I start to understand Rabin as a character, as a man. In the descriptions of the final stages of the peace process, in the days before Rabin’s assassination, Rabinovitch included some dialogue and some detail on Rabin’s character, who liked him, who loved him, who hated him. Prior to that, there was next to nothing. I learned nothing about Rabin’s courtship with his wife; I had to Google the names of his children; I never discovered precisely what Rabin contributed to the Palmach and what his responsibilities were in the IDF beyond his impressive title.

The founding fathers of a nation deserve more than a detailed timeline of their lives. Their proud descendants should learn to understand them as humans, and their biographers should take this responsibility of portrayal seriously.

[Brooke · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a very detailed biography of Yitzhak Rabin's career, and the author personally worked with Rabin. The book covers Rabin's achievements, career path, failures, personality, who he was behind the public persona, and his assassination. I thought it was cool to read first-hand accounts from the author of Rabin's second term as prime minister.

I will say, this book felt a lot slower than the other Jewish Lives books I've read, but I think that's because this book was very politics-heavy and had a lot of small details, whereas the other ones I've read so far were more entertainment. Reading this was still very interesting and informative. However, the reader definitely needs prior background knowledge in order to fully understand everything discussed.

I do wish the author wrote the book a little more as a book about who Rabin was as a person. Instead, it was written as sort of a timeline, which made it feel a little boring and mundane at many points. I went back and forth between being so into the book and wanting to push through the details. The chapters were separated into years, making it a timeline-centric book. I felt that there was opportunity for a more interesting biography.

[Yehudit Reishtein · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's really worth three and a half stars. The book is well-written and draws on the author's involvement in Israeli politics in the 1980's and 90's as well as his working relationship with Rabin. The only problem I see in the book is that is seems to assume all readers are fairly familiar with modern history of the Middle East. The descriptions of the period of rising tension and threat prior to the 1967 Six Day War and that leading up to the 1973 Yom Kippur War don't give enough detail, nor is enough attention paid to Rabin's last four years in office prior to his assassination. Rabin's assassination is mentioned in the very first paragraph of the book, as if his entire life should be looked at as having led to this end. Rabinovich does try to describe steps that could have prevented the shooting, but given the acrimonious divisions at the time he does make it seem as if the assassination was inevitable. The descriptions of Rabin's early life, however do give a good picture of life under the British Mandate and the rise of the state.

[Larkin Tackett · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this as part of my adult bar mitzvah d'var torah about leadership. PM Rabin got Israel closer to peace with the Palestinians than any other Israeli leader. An engineer, talented military officer, diplomat, and national leader, Rabin was convinced "that the intifada could not be quashed an needed to be settled through negotiations." Rabin did that and it ultimately cost his life.

[Jim Jaqcobs · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rigorous, detailed, almost too much; however, a fascinating view into Rabin and his impact at home and internationally. Indeed, his assassination changed the Israeli State internally and its approach to abroad.

Well worth the effort to read.

Jim

[Douglas Graney · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is generally very good, impressive research and writing. My complaint is how little attention was given to the 1973 October war and the handshake on South Lawn if the White House. Short shrift on those key topics.

[Steve Brown · Rating 4 out of 5]

A concise view of a complex situation and character. It explains the dilemmas Rabin faced at the time from a person who knew him. A great start to understanding the complex situation of creating peace in the Middle East.

[Elka · Rating 3 out of 5]

A close up look at Rabin's political career, written by someone who knows. We get a good look at what happened, but no sense of the man himself.

[Zach Opsitnick · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very well researched and presented book that's laid out for the reader in such a way that they're able to make their own decisions on Rabin and his politics and career.

[Joakim Laksman · Rating 4 out of 5]

very good book about Israel.

[Gordon Kwok · Rating 4 out of 5]

There are not too many books on PM Rabin at least those that are objective and of reasonable length. A very good and concise biography of a legendary figure that has a lot of historians and commentators wondering "what if" had he survived and whether the Middle East would look different today. Recommended for those with an interest in the subject matter of Israel-Palestine.

[Barbara Saunders-adams · Rating 4 out of 5]

Itamar Rabinovich, a close associate of Yitzhak Rabin, gives the reader an up close and personal account of the soldier, leader and statesman. Of particular interest are the descriptions of relationships between Rabin and world leaders, including President Bill Clinton. We learn how Rabin's "out-of the box" thinking lead him to seek peace with the Palestinians. Rabin intuited that the situation on the ground could not continue if Israel is to be a democratic and Jewish state. His efforts, the Oslo Accords, died with his assassination by an right-wing Orthodox settler. Rabinovitch details how Rabin's assassination lead directly to Netanyahu's reactionary, anti-democratic government.

[Sharon · Rating 3 out of 5]

An interesting and well-written book about Yitzhak Rabin's life and assassination.

[Mills College Library]

Biog R1163r 2017

[catechism]

I didn't make it very far into this before I gave up, thinking, "this is the kind of book that makes people hate history." It was a lot of names and dates without any sense of Rabin himself; we were constantly told that the fighting on the road to Jerusalem was awful and scarred him for life but nothing about what or why or how it was awful, or in what ways it scarred him. All tell, no show; not remotely the kind of biography I enjoy reading.