The Media and Collective Memory of Yitzhak Rabin's Remembrance

Since the assassination of Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin in November 1995, a fierce struggle have taken place over his commemoration. This is a mnemonic dispute between interpretive communities about the process of commemoration and the forms of remembrance. The media, especially television, took part in this memory dispute. They became the main mnemonic site and the most influential mnemonic agent. Promoting commemorative ceremonies served several professional and functional needs. These ceremonies project desired social cohesiveness and solidarity. In return, the media, as the major agent of meaning, received legitimacy. Rabin's assassination was especially significant because Rabin's myth is a nation-constituting myth, and his assassination took place on the backdrop of a deeply divided society.