Rabin, Yitzhak (1922-1995)

Israeli Labour politician, prime minister 1974-77 and 1992-95. As a former soldier, he was a national hero in the Arab-Israeli Wars. His policy of favouring Palestinian self-government in the occupied territories contributed to the success of the centre-left party in the 1992 elections. In September 1993 he signed a historic peace agreement with the Palestinian Liberation Organization (PLO), providing for a phased withdrawal of Israeli forces. He shared the Nobel Prize for Peace in 1994 with Israeli foreign minister Shimon Peres and PLO leader Yassir Arafat for their agreement of an accord on Palestinian self-rule. He was shot and killed by a young Israeli extremist while attending a peace rally in Tel Aviv in November 1995.

Rabin was minister for defence under the conservative Likud coalition government 1984-90.