Rabin Square (formerly Kings of Israel Square) is the main public square of Tel Aviv and the place where Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin was assassinated on November 4, 1995, at the end of a peace rally. The square, renamed in his memory, is both Tel Aviv’s civic center and a monument to the moment when Israel’s pursuit of peace was shattered by a bullet from within.
Assassination
On the evening of November 4, 1995, Rabin addressed a massive peace rally in the square, organized to show public support for the Oslo peace process with the Palestinians. As Rabin descended the stairs from the stage toward his car, a Jewish extremist named Yigal Amir stepped forward and fired three shots at point-blank range. Rabin died shortly after at Ichilov Hospital. The assassination shocked Israel and the world, and it remains the most traumatic political event in the country’s history.
The Memorial
The spot where Rabin was shot, at the corner of the city hall building, is marked by a memorial designed by the sculptor Yael Ben-Artzi (who also designed the Rabin memorial). The memorial consists of rough-cut basalt stones arranged at the exact location of the assassination, with Rabin’s last words and the text of the song “Shir LaShalom” (Song for Peace), which he had been singing moments before he was killed, engraved in the stone. A folded page of the song’s lyrics, stained with Rabin’s blood, was found in his jacket pocket.
Square Today
Rabin Square continues to serve as Tel Aviv’s main gathering place for public events, demonstrations, and celebrations. The city hall building dominates the eastern side, and the square hosts concerts, markets, and holiday events throughout the year. On the anniversary of the assassination, a memorial rally is held in the square, drawing thousands.
Visit with Hoshen Tours
Rabin Square tells the story of Israel’s most painful internal wound. Hoshen Tours visits the memorial and tells the story of the peace process, the rally, and the assassination that changed Israel’s political trajectory.