1995. Two years after the signing of the Oslo peace accord between Israel and the Palestinians, protesters fill the streets of Tel Aviv. One holds a placard showing a man washing blood from his hands. Nearby, another protest sign declares, "Cursed be he who uproots Israel from her land."

The object of the protesters' wrath is Yitzhak Rabin - a man whose Zionist credentials ought to have been beyond reproach: the first general to serve as prime minister of Israel, the son of a legendary figure in the Jewish underground, the brigade commander who in 1948 evicted 60,000 Palestinians and destroyed their villages in an effort to keep open the road from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem.

Through interviews with Rabin's sister and daughter, as well as with close political advisers and friends, this documentary traces Rabin's transformation from general to self-proclaimed "soldier in the army of peace." Striking footage from the 1995 anti-Rabin campaign that would culminate in his assassination by a Jewish religious zealot shows the political and personal cost to Rabin of that transformation.

SLAVES OF THE SWORD: YITZHAK RABIN also offers insights into the extraordinary significance of the Israeli military for Rabin and the others of his generation who abandoned dreams of civilian careers in favor of lives in uniform. Their decisions would not only affect their careers, but the course of the country itself over the next several decades.

"Highly Recommended! A key strength... is its effort to provide a balanced view of these Israeli leaders. Friends, family members, allies, and critics provide their perspectives... In addition, the films are visually appealing. Overall, this [film] provides greater insight into the foreign and domestic policy choices of the Israeli government. It assists in understanding the mindset and decisions made by these political leaders."—Educational Media Reviews Online