Assassination of Yitzhak Rabin home of the assassin. Many other streets and public buildings around the country were named for Rabin as well. The assassination has been described as emblematic of a "kulturkampf" ("cultural struggle") between religious right-wing and secular left-wing forces within israel. Ilan Peleg of the Middle East Institute has described Rabin's assassination as "reflecting a deep cultural divide within Israel's body politic [...] intimately connected with the peace process" which illustrates both increased polarization and political conflict in the country. On 28 March 1996, the Shamgar Commission issued its final report into the assassination. It was critical of Shin Bet for
Prime Minister of Israel in power until 1992. Rabin became prime minister for the second time when he led Labour to victory in the 1992 elections. After his assassination on 4 November 1995, Peres took over as prime minister. During the thirteenth Knesset (1992–1996) it was decided to hold a separate ballot for prime minister modeled after American presidential elections. This system was instituted in part because the Israeli electoral system makes it all but impossible for one party to win a majority. While only two parties—Mapai/Labour and Likud—had ever led governments, the large number of parties or factions in a typical Knesset usually