Day 759 - Israel marks 30 years since Rabin's death

5 snips

Nov 3, 2025

Guest

Sue Surkes

Guest

Tal Schneider

Tal Schneider, a political correspondent with a knack for Israeli affairs, reflects on the significance of the 30th anniversary of Yitzhak Rabin's assassination and the return of the memorial rally after five years. He also dives into the complex legal case of ex-IDF chief Tomer-Yerushalmi, who faced scrutiny from both sides of the political spectrum. Meanwhile, environmental reporter Sue Surkes discusses serious pollution issues, detailing the health impacts of garbage burning in the West Bank and Hadera's struggles with toxic emissions from its notorious power station.

Ask episode

AI Snips

Chapters

Transcript

Episode notes

ANECDOTE

Return To Rabin Square

Tal Schneider recalled attending the original Rabin rally as a student and supporting the peace effort.
He noted a new, younger crowd returned to Rabin Square after a five-year lapse in commemorations.

INSIGHT

Why Commemorations Faltered

Fundraising failures, COVID, protests over the judicial overhaul and the war stopped annual Rabin commemorations for years.
This combination shows how civic rituals can be disrupted by political polarization and crises.

INSIGHT

Rabin's Complex Legacy

Schneider argued Rabin's legacy mixes security credentials with peacemaking efforts and deserves nuanced treatment.
He urged moving beyond blaming Rabin for past terror to focus on his attempts at change.

Get the Snipd Podcast app to discover more snips from this episode

Get the app

Welcome to The Times of Israel's Daily Briefing, your 20-minute audio update on what's happening in Israel, the Middle East and the Jewish world.

Political correspondent Tal Schneider and reporter Sue Surkes join host Jessica Steinberg for today's episode.

As Israel marks 30 years since the assassination of former Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin, Schneider reflects on the Saturday night rally held near the square where he was shot and why the annual event commemorating him wasn't held for the last five years.

After the frenzied hours on Sunday evening when police searched for and then found IDF legal chief Major General Yifat Tomer-Yerushalmi alive and well -- the advocate general who resigned last week after admitting to leaking an abuse video at the Sde Teiman military detention facility -- Schneider discusses the complexities of the case, as Tomer-Yerushalmi was often blamed by liberal politicians for not prosecuting enough and conservative lawmakers for putting too much pressure on soldiers.

Surkes examines two situations of growing pollution, first in the northern West Bank, where Palestinians often burn garbage, resulting in clean air complaints, and in Hadera, known as Israel's most polluted city because of the massive power station in its midst.

Check out The Times of Israel's ongoing liveblog for more updates.

For further reading:

‘The shots still resonate’: 150,000 mourn at protest rally 30 years after Rabin’s murder

Ex-IDF legal chief Tomer-Yerushalmi found alive after frantic beachside search

As trash burns in the West Bank, NGO sees huge jump in reports of smoke, foul smells

Residents of most-polluted city fight bid to extend life of coal-fired power station

Subscribe to The Times of Israel Daily Briefing on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts. This episode was produced by the Pod-Waves.

IMAGE: A rally marking 30 years since the assassination of Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin, with participants holding signs that read, 'Rabin was right,' near Rabin Square on November 1, 2025 (Photo by Avshalom Sassoni/Flash90)

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.