Rabin Square

Rabin Square is the largest public plaza in Tel Aviv, a broad civic space in the centre of the city that has long been the stage for its rallies, celebrations and moments of national mourning. Fronted by the modernist slab of city hall, it is the default gathering place whenever Tel Avivans take to the streets in large numbers.

Its name commemorates a defining tragedy. Formerly Kings of Israel Square, it was renamed after Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin was assassinated here in November 1995 while leaving a peace rally attended by hundreds of thousands of people. A stark, sunken memorial of rough black basalt blocks marks the spot where he was shot, and it still draws quiet visitors, wreaths and candles decades later.

The square itself is deliberately plain and open. A large paved expanse with a long reflecting pool and a small ecological pond, it is dominated by the city hall on its northern side and edged with trees and cafés. Its sheer scale, unusual in the dense city around it, is precisely what allows it to hold the vast crowds that periodically fill it.

For visitors it is both a historical site and a window on civic life. Come to see the Rabin memorial and the surrounding commemorative plaques, then watch the everyday rhythm of skaters, dog-walkers, food stalls and children's fountains that fills the space between the big events. It is central, flat and fully accessible, a short walk from Dizengoff Street and the boulevards of the White City. Entry is free, and the square is at its most atmospheric during the frequent festivals, memorials and demonstrations it continues to host. Interpretive plaques in several languages explain the assassination and its aftermath for those visiting the sunken memorial.