Uploaded March 2026 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
Yitzhak Rabin spent his life on Israel’s front lines, first as a teenage fighter in the pre-state militias, then as the IDF commander behind Israel’s stunning 1967 victory, and later as prime minister. This story follows Rabin’s journey from warrior to peacemaker through the Altalena Affair, the First Intifada, and the Oslo Accords, ending with the 1995 assassination that shocked Israel and exposed how the country’s deep internal divisions could turn deadly.
To learn more about Yitzhak Rabin's life, identity, and legacy, see Yitzhak Rabin: Soldier, Leader, Statesman by Itamar Rabinovich, from Yale University's Jewish Lives series at https://unpacked.bio/4ae670 and use promo code RABINYT to get 30% off"
00:00 Intro
01:18 Early years
02:08 Underground era
03:19 1947 and independence
04:05 Altalena clash
05:46 Six Day War
07:28 In Washington
08:33 Settlements debate
09:26 1977 shift
10:09 First Intifada
11:18 Turning point
11:59 Arafat and Oslo
13:24 Oslo backlash
15:29 Assassination
17:01 What has changed
Sources
Itamar Rabinovich, Yitzhak Rabin: Soldier, Leader, Statesman (Yale UP, 2017)
Sari Nusseibeh, Once Upon a Country: A Palestinian Life (Picador, 2008)
Ronen Bergman, Rise and Kill First: The Secret History of Israel's Targeted Assassinations (Random House, 2018)
“Arafat’s Johannesburg Speech” (IRIS)
Netanyahu, Rabin and the Assassination That Shook History (FRONTLINE PBS, 2016)
Rabin: The Day of the Murder (Shlichim Metrowest, 2009)
William J. Clinton: Yitzhak Rabin Eulogy (AmericanRhetoric, 2012)
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youtube.com/UNPACKED?sub_confirmation=1
Recommended video — What If BOTH Israelis & Palestinians Are Right? youtu.be/gFHUot8A40c?si=UcRXZdWwJ9VJ6ZEy
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Twitter — /unpackedmedia
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Facebook — /unpackedmedia
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Image and footage credits:
-----------
Executive Producers:
Michael Steinhardt
Co-Executive Producers:
Marc Shmuel Levine
Iris & Shalom Maidenbaum
Gold Level:
The Steinhardt Foundation for Jewish Life
-----------
Translation credits:
Portuguese: Saymon Pires
About Explainers: From ancient Jewish traditions to the modern State of Israel, we explain it all. Diving into anything and everything related to Jewish culture, history, and even religion.
Understand Jewish holidays, Israeli politics, Jewish diasporic communities, and more. Learn about Judaism in pop culture, debunking myths about Jews, and explore obscure Israeli landmarks. We’re asking questions as basic as “What is the Talmud?”, and as obscure as “How did hip-hop boost Kosher wine sales?”, and everything in between.
About Unpacked: We provide nuanced insights by unpacking all things Jewish. People are complex and complicated — yet we’re constantly being pushed to oversimplify our world. At Unpacked we know that being complex makes us more interesting. Because of this, we break the world down with nuance and insight to drive your curiosity and challenge your thinking.
#history #idf #israel
Yitzhak Rabin spent his life on Israel’s front lines, first as a teenage fighter in the pre-state militias, then as the IDF commander behind Israel’s stunning 1967 victory, and later as prime minister. This story follows Rabin’s journey from warrior to peacemaker through the Altalena Affair, the First Intifada, and the Oslo Accords, ending with the 1995 assassination that shocked Israel and exposed how the country’s deep internal divisions could turn deadly.
To learn more about Yitzhak Rabin's life, identity, and legacy, see Yitzhak Rabin: Soldier, Leader, Statesman by Itamar Rabinovich, from Yale University's Jewish Lives series at https://unpacked.bio/4ae670 and use promo code RABINYT to get 30% off"
00:00 Intro
01:18 Early years
02:08 Underground era
03:19 1947 and independence
04:05 Altalena clash
05:46 Six Day War
07:28 In Washington
08:33 Settlements debate
09:26 1977 shift
10:09 First Intifada
11:18 Turning point
11:59 Arafat and Oslo
13:24 Oslo backlash
15:29 Assassination
17:01 What has changed
Sources
Itamar Rabinovich, Yitzhak Rabin: Soldier, Leader, Statesman (Yale UP, 2017)
Sari Nusseibeh, Once Upon a Country: A Palestinian Life (Picador, 2008)
Ronen Bergman, Rise and Kill First: The Secret History of Israel's Targeted Assassinations (Random House, 2018)
“Arafat’s Johannesburg Speech” (IRIS)
Netanyahu, Rabin and the Assassination That Shook History (FRONTLINE PBS, 2016)
Rabin: The Day of the Murder (Shlichim Metrowest, 2009)
William J. Clinton: Yitzhak Rabin Eulogy (AmericanRhetoric, 2012)
Subscribe and turn on your notifications so you don’t miss future uploads!
youtube.com/UNPACKED?sub_confirmation=1
Recommended video — What If BOTH Israelis & Palestinians Are Right? youtu.be/gFHUot8A40c?si=UcRXZdWwJ9VJ6ZEy
We have merch! – http://shop.Unpacked.media/?utm_medium=youtube&utm_source=video-description&utm_campaign=merch
Let’s connect:
Website — https://www.Unpacked.media
Instagram — /unpackedmedia
Twitter — /unpackedmedia
TikTok — /unpackedmedia
Facebook — /unpackedmedia
-----------
Image and footage credits:
-----------
Executive Producers:
Michael Steinhardt
Co-Executive Producers:
Marc Shmuel Levine
Iris & Shalom Maidenbaum
Gold Level:
The Steinhardt Foundation for Jewish Life
-----------
Translation credits:
Portuguese: Saymon Pires
About Explainers: From ancient Jewish traditions to the modern State of Israel, we explain it all. Diving into anything and everything related to Jewish culture, history, and even religion.
Understand Jewish holidays, Israeli politics, Jewish diasporic communities, and more. Learn about Judaism in pop culture, debunking myths about Jews, and explore obscure Israeli landmarks. We’re asking questions as basic as “What is the Talmud?”, and as obscure as “How did hip-hop boost Kosher wine sales?”, and everything in between.
About Unpacked: We provide nuanced insights by unpacking all things Jewish. People are complex and complicated — yet we’re constantly being pushed to oversimplify our world. At Unpacked we know that being complex makes us more interesting. Because of this, we break the world down with nuance and insight to drive your curiosity and challenge your thinking.
#history #idf #israel
