Yitzhak Rabin - Opposition Knesset Member and Minister of Defence

Opposition Knesset Member and Minister of Defence

Following his resignation and Labour Party defeat at the elections, Likud's Menachem Begin was elected in 1977. Until 1984 Rabin was a member of Knesset and sat on the Foreign Affairs and Defence Committee. From 1984 to 1990, he served as Minister of Defence in several national unity governments led by prime ministers Yitzhak Shamir and Shimon Peres.

When Rabin came to office, Israeli troops were still deep in Lebanon. Rabin ordered their withdrawal to a "Security Zone" on the Lebanese side of the border. The South Lebanon Army was active in this zone, along with the Israeli Defence Forces.

When the first Intifada broke out, Rabin adopted harsh measures to stop the demonstrations, even authorising the use of "Force, might and beatings," on the demonstrators. Rabin the "bone breaker" was used as an International image. The combination of the failure of the "Iron Fist" policy, Israel's deteriorating international image and Jordan cutting legal and administrative ties to the West Bank with the U.S.'s recognition of the PLO as the representative of the Palestinian people forced Rabin to seek an end to the violence through negotiation and dialogue with the PLO.

In 1990 to 1992, Rabin again served as a Knesset member and sat on the Foreign Affairs and Defence Committee.

Read more about this topic:  Yitzhak Rabin

Famous quotes containing the words opposition, member, minister and/or defence:

    To die proudly when it is no longer possible to live proudly. Death freely chosen, death at the right time, brightly and cheerfully accomplished amid children and witnesses: then a real farewell is still possible, as the one who is taking leave is still there; also a real estimate of what one has wished, drawing the sum of one’s life—all in opposition to the wretched and revolting comedy that Christianity has made of the hour of death.
    Friedrich Nietzsche (1844–1900)

    If another member of the church sins against you, go and point out the fault when the two of you are alone. If the member listens to you, you have regained that one.
    Bible: New Testament, Matthew 18:15.

    He had a gentleman-like frankness in his behaviour, and as a great point of honour as a minister can have, especially a minister at the head of the treasury, where numberless sturdy and insatiable beggars of condition apply, who cannot all be gratified, nor all with safety be refused.
    Philip Dormer Stanhope, 4th Earl Chesterfield (1694–1773)

    Mankind have such a deep stake in inward illumination, that there is much to be said by the hermit or monk in defence of his life of thought and prayer.
    Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803–1882)