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“Rabin in His Own Words” is a testament to peace

“Rabin in His Own Words” is a testament to peace

Last updated on: May 7, 2016 at 12:04 pm by Sister Rose

“Rabin in His Own Words” is a testament to peace 2016-05-07T12:04:25-06:00 Sister Rose

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At the Venice Film Festival last September, the SIGNIS (Catholic) Jury placed filmmaker Amos Gitai’s “Rabin: The Last Day” on our short list for the SIGNIS Prize as soon as we saw it. The film is a captivating docudrama form of a political essay that explores the last day in the life of the famed peace-seeking Israeli Prime Minister and Defense Minister Yitzhak Rabin (1922 – 1995) who was assassinated during a peace rally on November 4, 1995. Integrating actual footage of the shooting by a 25-year old law student and recreating hearings in front of a panel assembled to investigate the facts, twenty years on it is still not clear whether or not this murder was part of a conspiracy or not. (Although we chose another film for the SIGNIS Prize, “Rabin: the Last Day” won the Human Rights Award.)

Now a second film about Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin opens today: “Rabin in His Own Words.” It is a fascinating documentary, blending Rabin’s life narrative that he shared in many interviews and speeches, with photographs and clips from film and video.

Rabin was born in Israel in 1922. His mother had arrived in Israel via ship from Russia in 1919. His father was born in Russia then emigrated to the United States. During World War I he joined the Jewish brigade of the British Army and went to Israel where he remained for the rest of his life.

Rabin thought he would become a farmer and received a scholarship from the British Mandate to attend university in the United States to study water management. But World War II broke out, and to his surprise, Rabin became a soldier, part of the Palmach Brigade of commandos. One of his first actions was to rescue Jews, refugees from the Holocaust, from British internment camps, because they were due to be deported from British occupied Palestine. He rose in rank to become a major military player in Israel’s war of independence to the Chief of Staff of the Israeli Defense Force, capping his military career with victory in the Six Day War in 1967.

He then became Ambassador to the United States and Prime Minister of Israel for the first time in 1974. He was forced to resign three years later over a financial impropriety. However, from the very beginning of his political career, Rabin worked for peace, through negotiation and compromise. In 1994, along with Yasser Arafat, head of the PLO, Shimon Perez and Rabin received the Nobel Peace Prize.

After signing the Oslo Peace Accord II with Egypt, Jordon, and the PLO, Rabin was assassinated.

This moving film tells the story of a man who died too soon. A man who was dedicated to peace making because the alternative was and is unacceptable. It is filled with his own words, and how even his views of dialogue would change. He met with much political resistance for his efforts to secure Israel and make peace with the Palestinians. He was against the small settlements that encroached on Palestinian lands if for no other reason than the high financial cost of protecting the small clusters of settlements that provoked the Palestinians as well.

The most moving parts are when he talks about the death of his mother when he was only 16, his own personality (an introvert) and meeting his wife, Leah.

Yet for all Rabin’s efforts, violence and terrorism continue in Israel today. While there is no vision evident for a way forward to achieving peace in Israel, perhaps the memory of this great man, who gave his life for the peace, security and well being of Israel, will influence Israeli politicians today to plan for peace.

On this 20th anniversary of Rabin’s assassination, watch “Rabin: The Last Day” as well as this latest testament to a great man: “Rabin, In His Own Words.” It is a true first-hand account of Rabin’s life by Israeli director Erez Laufer.

“A strong nation makes peace.” Yitzhak Rabin

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