On November 4th, 1995 Israel’s Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin was murdered by a right wing extremist. Twenty years later in 2015, Technion honors the memory of this most courageous pioneer of science, peace and humanity.

“The Technion has proven itself through its graduates who have taken key positions in every aspect of life in Israel.” 

Yitzhak Rabin.

Israel’s late Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin was deeply interested in the Technion and was a frequent visitor to campus, both due to his appreciation of Technion’s contribution to the prosperity of the young country, and due to his personal friendship with Amos Horev, who served as Technion President from 1973-1982.

In 1990, Rabin was awarded an Honorary Doctorate by the Technion, on the reception of which he declared: “Such a unique award from this great institute is one of the highlights of my life.”

Addressing a large Technion audience in December 1993, Rabin expounded on his appreciation of Technion’s contributions: “More than anyone else, you, the people of the Technion, lead the way for the wider public in technology, science and engineering – in both civilian and defense areas,” he said.

On June 13th, 1994, Rabin addressed the opening session of the Technion Board of Governors and called attention to the fact that in all fields of technology, from the top to the bottom, “You’ll find people of the Technion. The Technion was for 70 years, not just a school but a center of thinking, research and development in technology and management.

After a peace rally in Tel aviv on November 4th, 1995, Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin walked down the city hall steps towards the open door of his car, at which time the Jewish terrorist Yigal Amir fired three shots at Rabin with a Beretta 84F .380 ACP caliber semi-automatic pistol. He was immediately subdued by Rabin’s bodyguards and arrested with the murder weapon. 

The Prime Minister was rushed to nearby Ichilov Hospital at the Tel Aviv Sourasky Medical Center, where he died on the operating table from blood loss and a punctured lung within 40 minutes. Rabin’s bureau chief, Eitan Haber, announced outside the gates of the hospital:

The government of Israel announces in consternation, in great sadness, and in deep sorrow, the death of prime minister and minister of defense Yitzhak Rabin, who was murdered by an assassin, tonight in Tel Aviv. The government shall convene in one hour for a mourning session in Tel Aviv. Blessed be his memory.

In Rabin’s pocket was a blood-stained sheet of paper with the lyrics to the well-known Israeli song “Shir LaShalom” (“Song for Peace”), which was sung at the peace rally of that evening and which dwells on the impossibility of bringing a dead person back to life and, therefore, the need for peace.

As a young man, Yitzhak Rabin wanted to become a water engineer. He received an Honorary Doctorate from Technion in 1990:

“In recognition of his invaluable contribution to the defense of the State of Israel and for his endeavors to strengthen the state of Israel and its image at home and abroad.”