October 17 2001 – 30 Tishrei 5762
Terrorists from the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine assassinated Israeli Minister of Tourism Rehavam (Gandhi) Ze’evi. Born in Jerusalem in 1926, Ze’evi was an Israeli military icon who’d fought in the paramilitary organisations that pre-dated the State of Israel, the Hagana Home Guard and its striking force, the Palmah, where he served as an intelligence officer. Rising through the IDF ranks until his retirement in 1974, he commanded a platoon in the War of Independence in 1948, and served as director of operations in the Six Day War. He created a dedicated anti-terrorist unit to combat frequent terrorist attacks in the Jordan Valley in 1968 and served as Central District Commander until 1973. He came out of retirement for the Yom Kippur War to be assistant to the Chief of Staff, David Elazar, retiring again in 1974 with the rank of major general.
Ze’evi entered politics after leaving the army, founding and spearheading Moledet (Homeland) in 1998, a party which advocated population transfer of Arabs from Judea, Samaria and Gaza to neighboring countries.
He was a regular guest at the Hyatt Hotel in East Jerusalem, a fact which the terrorists exploited to find out when he’d arrive for his next visit. They lay in wait for him at the door of his hotel room and shot him three times in the head at close range.