Rabin Square

Rabin Square (Kikar Rabin) is a large public plaza in Tel Aviv, Israel. Formerly called Israel Kings’ Square, it was renamed Rabin Square after Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin, who was assassinated there in 1995.

History of Rabin Square

Originally known as the Kings of Israel Square, it was designed alongside Tel Aviv’s city hall in 1964. For the first 30 years of its existence, the square was a site for political demonstrations and allies. Most famously, it was used on Israel’s Independence Day (Yom Ha’atzmaut) as a military exhibition ground for the Israeli Defence Force.

In 1995, Prime Minister Rabin was assassinated here on 4 November, just after he had given a speech at a peace rally. People flocked to mourn Rabin in the days after his death, and particularly young people, who were nicknamed the ‘Candle Youth’. Rabin’s speech is now engraved at the top of the stairs at Rabin Square in Hebrew, English and Arabic.

The fate of the square came under much criticism around this time, mainly due to its run down appearance. After years of deliberation, minor renovations were carried out in 2010.

Rabin Square today

Today Rabin Square has a memorial to Yitzhak Rabin and still bears much of the pro-peace graffiti which was created following his death. It also has a small memorial scuplture at its southern end commemorating the Holocaust. Centrally located in Tel Aviv, Rabin Square still serves as a popular spot for demonstrations, peace rallies, exhibitions and public gatherings however on most days it looks like a typical city plaza.

Getting to Rabin Square

Rabin Square is located in central Tel Aviv: City Hall is on the northern side of it. Assorted buses stop here: it’s easy to access from anywhere else in the city. Walking or public transport is the best means of access: parking this centrally is a nightmare. The beach is about a 20 minute walk away.