Thirty years since the assassination of former Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin, Jewish Federations of North America dedicated a plenary on Monday afternoon at the 2025 General Assembly to honor his legacy as a peacemaker and reflect on how much has changed in the region, and the world, over the intervening years.

 

Rabin’s granddaughter, Noa Rothman, spoke to an audience of thousands of Jewish leaders from across the United States and Canada about her late grandfather’s commitment to achieving peace between Israelis and Palestinians, and what his legacy means amidst the uncertainty of our current age.

 

“[My grandfather] taught me that disagreement is nothing to fear. On the contrary, it is the oldest Jewish sport to engage in debate. One must stand firmly by one's convictions and lay things cut clear before the other side,” Rothman said. “Agreement is not required. Respect is.”

 

“I am optimistic, not only because my late grandfather remains profoundly relevant and deeply missed even 30 years later, but because his spirit and his model of leadership still holds true,” she continued. 

 

Following Rothman’s remarks, Israeli journalist Tamar Ish-Shalom moderated a SAPIR journal debate between John Podhoretz, Editor of Commentary magazine, and Dr. Michael Koplow, Chief Policy Officer of the Israel Policy Forum, about the future of the two-state solution. Podhoretz argued that the two-state solution is not realistic at this time, while Koplow argued that, despite current events, the two-state solution must still be pursued. In the wake of the October 7th attacks - the single deadliest day for Jews since the Holocaust - and two years of war, the debate grappled with the reality that Israeli support for a two state-solution continues to drop while skepticism that peace is achievable continues to grow.

 

Watch the full debate below.