Rabin In His Own Words utilizes archival footage, home movies, and private letters to deliver Yitzhak Rabin’s cinematic autobiography. Okay, an autobiography of sorts as filmmaker Erez Laufer describes it. After all, he’s the guy choosing what to put into the film. All in all, it makes for a full portrait of the late Israeli prime minister.

Laufer had a goal of finishing the film to premiere it in Israel for the 20th anniversary of Rabin’s assassination. Rather than having talking heads appear on camera to discuss Rabin, the filmmaker gives Rabin back his voice by digging into the archives. Laufer goes back to Rabin’s childhood in order to tell his story. It allows us to see both sides of Rabin throughout the 100-minute film: the warrior and the Israeli politician in search of peace with the Palestinians. Is 20 years after his death enough time to reflect on his life? What about 30 years? We’re approaching 29 years in the fall, even as Israel will mark one year since the most barbaric attack on Jews since the Holocaust. What would Rabin have to say if he were alive right now? It’s a really good question that I cannot answer.

Rabin’s bio is rather expansive. But to put it in simple terms, he joined the Haganah’s commando unit, Palmach, in 1941 and fought with the British during World War II. He later fought during the 1948 War of Independence, staying in the military and being named the IDF Chief of Staff in 1964. It was in this position that he led the IDF during the 1967 Six-Day War. His political career would start after his military service. First up was serving as the Israeli Ambassador to the U.S. He would follow this with being elected to the Knesset, holding several cabinet posts, and serving two terms as prime minister. He held eleven cabinet posts, three of which were while serving as the Israeli prime minister.

It was in 1993 that Rabin sought out peace with Yasser Arafat and the PLO. This came two decades after his earlier efforts working towards the foundation of a peace treaty with Egypt. Unfortunately, he could not see it through as prime minister because of a scandal involving joint bank accounts in the U.S. But back to peace efforts with the PLO, there were those in favor and those against. The people against him referred to him as a traitor. To say that things got rather ugly would not be an understatement. We see the footage on screen especially when it comes to some of the violence. And yet, he fully believed in Oslo.

Rabin did not take kindly to settlements, thinking they were an obstacle to peace. Here he is delivering a speech sometime in 1974:

“We mustn’t tolerate provocative, unauthorized initiatives in the occupied territories. Settlements is not a demonstration and is not in keeping with the law. The IDF should not be burdened with tasks that result from irresponsible acts. And the IFC should not be out in a position where it must use force to prevent unauthorized settlement.”

Not everyone was in agreement, least of all Menachem Begin, who responded that they “mustn’t leave Samaria barren of Jews.” The government ended up approving the removal of settlers from Nablus.

Not much had changed entering the early 1990s. However, it did not stop him from seeking peace.

“I made a difficult decision. It was hard for me to grasp it. I believe it was hard for many citizens to grasp. But if we ever want to give the solution to the Palestinian-Israeli problem a serious chance, today is the day and the PLO is the partner which has divested itself of the things I despised.”

He knew that his efforts to make peace would upset families who saw loved ones lose their lives because they were murdered by the PLO.

“If we can’t get our heads around the fact that peace is made with enemies, sometimes very cruel enemies–after all, it’s easy to make peace with friends. When the Jewish people decided that the Jewish State would be established here in Israel, it also decided who our neighbors would be, the Arab states and nations, including the Palestinians. And there are two ways to live here, either in peace or in a state of ‘Shall the sword forever devour?’ I want to take this chance for peace.”

At the time, Rabin saw nothing wrong by meeting with Arafat. His actions ultimately led Arafat to renounce violence and officially recognize Israel. Rabin similarly recognized the PLO. Their efforts in signing the Oslo Accords in Washington, DC would lead to sharing the Nobel Peace Prize with then-Israeli Foreign Affairs Minister Shimon Peres. A number of former U.S. presidents were on hand for the occasion. But again, the Olso Accords did not sit well with part of the Israeli population, believing Rabin was a traitor. It used to bother him but not as so much as time passed by.

“Sometimes I think that their extremism is so absurd that I’ve simply accepted the fact that some people are crazy and they don’t understand what the word ‘traitor’ means, that someone sticks it in their mouths and they repeat it. What is a traitor? Did I betray anything?”

He had even more words to say about the settlements.

“I think it was a grave mistake to build settlements in densely populated areas. These settlements have no purpose but to undermine any chance of a diplomatic solution.”

Rabin also pointed out that providing security at home and on the road for people living in settlements came at the price of $250,000 per family. One can only wonder how much it costs today.

When people think of Rabin and his legacy, one thing that comes to mind is the 1993. Oslo Accords. There are those who think it is a failure and those who still believe in Rabin and his cause. Will there ever be a day when there is a true and lasting peace? My honest answer is that I do not know. What I do know is that his belief in wanting peace is what led to his assassination on November 4, 1995.

Rabin In His Own Words brings the Israeli statesmen back to life–if only for a moment–with all of his complexities on display. The film is essential viewing for anyone that wants to learn about the Middle East and especially the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

DIRECTOR/SCREENWRITER: Erez Laufer
NARRATOR: Dan Shapira
FEATURING: Yitzhak Rabin

Menemsha Films released Rabin In His Own Words in theaters on May 6, 2016. Grade: 4/5

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