Israeli Labour politician and prime minister from 1974 to 1977 and 1992 to 1995.
As a former soldier, Rabin was a national hero in the Arab-Israeli Wars (he also served as minister for defence under the conservative Likud coalition government between 1984 to 1990).
His policy of favouring Palestinian self-government in the occupied territories contributed to the success of the centre-left party in the 1992 elections.
In September 1993 he signed a historic peace agreement with the Palestinian Liberation Organisation (PLO), providing for a phased withdrawal of Israeli forces.
He was awarded the 1994 Nobel Prize for Peace jointly with Israeli foreign minister Shimon Peres and PLO leader Yassir Arafat.
Rabin was shot and killed by a young Israeli extremist while attending a peace rally in Tel Aviv in November 1995.