Kempler video
Encyclopedia
The Kempler video is a film made by Roni Kempler while standing initially at the crime scene at the northeast side of the Tel Aviv City Hall
and later on the roof of the "Gan Ha'ir"-mall overlooking the crime scene before and during the assassination
of Prime Minister of Israel
Yitzhak Rabin
on November 4, 1995.
photographer Roni Kempler, who frequently filmed events with his handy video camera
looking for a special angle. It has been described as "essentially the only video documentation of the killing."
The Kempler video shows Yigal Amir
lounging about or sitting on a cement planter situated at the bottom of the stairs that officials, participating in the rally in support of Yitzhak Rabin
's policies, would pass by on their way back to their cars. At one point, Shimon Peres
, the Foreign Minister, passed by Amir, greeting supporters. The video
then shows Rabin descending a stairway and walking towards his car. Amir can be seen reaching for his gun, circling behind the Prime Minister and extending his arm, followed by flash and three bursts. The last image is of Rabin disappearing under a pile of security men to screams of horrified onlookers, after which the photographer stopped filming and hit the ground.
Immediately after the assassination Kempler submitted the video
to the Shamgar National Inquiry Commission, which was tasked with researching the security failures. 45 days after the Rabin assassination and after the Shamgar commission granted permission to release the video to the public, the Israeli TV showed the non-static parts of this video with commentary. The public was shocked by the ease of access that the murderer had and by the security gaps. In his sole television appearance the night his video was broadcast, Kempler reflected on the thoughts and feelings that he experienced during and after taking the video.
The Kempler video was shown three times on the Israeli TV Channel 2
in late December 1995, after it acquired the rights and edited it for broadcasting. The video received international publicity and parts of it were shown in many countries. According to reports Kempler received $350,000 from Israeli News Company
and Yedioth Ahronoth
, a major newspaper in Israel, for his video footage. The sum or most of it was recovered by selling the rights for broadcasting to other news agencies.
The Kempler video was used as evidence
during the trial of Yigal Amir
as well as by the independent judicial Shamgar commission. Partially based on the Kempler video, the Shamgar commission concluded that Amir was guilty and that Carmi Gillon
, head of the Shabak should be removed from his position.
Proponents of the Yitzhak Rabin assassination conspiracy theories
also make use of this video.
Tel Aviv City Hall
The Tel Aviv City Hall is the center of the government of Tel Aviv, Israel, and houses the mayor's office and the meeting chambers and offices of the Tel Aviv City Council.- History :...
and later on the roof of the "Gan Ha'ir"-mall overlooking the crime scene before and during the assassination
Assassination
To carry out an assassination is "to murder by a sudden and/or secret attack, often for political reasons." Alternatively, assassination may be defined as "the act of deliberately killing someone, especially a public figure, usually for hire or for political reasons."An assassination may be...
of Prime Minister of Israel
Prime Minister of Israel
The Prime Minister of Israel is the head of the Israeli government and the most powerful political figure in Israel . The prime minister is the country's chief executive. The official residence of the prime minister, Beit Rosh Hamemshala is in Jerusalem...
Yitzhak Rabin
Yitzhak Rabin
' was an Israeli politician, statesman and general. He was the fifth Prime Minister of Israel, serving two terms in office, 1974–77 and 1992 until his assassination in 1995....
on November 4, 1995.
The video and its maker
The filmmaker was the Israeli amateurAmateur
An amateur is generally considered a person attached to a particular pursuit, study, or science, without pay and often without formal training....
photographer Roni Kempler, who frequently filmed events with his handy video camera
Video camera
A video camera is a camera used for electronic motion picture acquisition, initially developed by the television industry but now common in other applications as well. The earliest video cameras were those of John Logie Baird, based on the electromechanical Nipkow disk and used by the BBC in...
looking for a special angle. It has been described as "essentially the only video documentation of the killing."
The Kempler video shows Yigal Amir
Yigal Amir
Yigal Amir is the Israeli assassin of Prime Minister of Israel Yitzhak Rabin. The assassination took place on November 4, 1995 at the conclusion of a rally in Tel Aviv. Amir is currently serving a life sentence for murder plus six years for injuring Rabin's bodyguard, Yoram Rubin, under...
lounging about or sitting on a cement planter situated at the bottom of the stairs that officials, participating in the rally in support of Yitzhak Rabin
Yitzhak Rabin
' was an Israeli politician, statesman and general. He was the fifth Prime Minister of Israel, serving two terms in office, 1974–77 and 1992 until his assassination in 1995....
's policies, would pass by on their way back to their cars. At one point, Shimon Peres
Shimon Peres
GCMG is the ninth President of the State of Israel. Peres served twice as the eighth Prime Minister of Israel and once as Interim Prime Minister, and has been a member of 12 cabinets in a political career spanning over 66 years...
, the Foreign Minister, passed by Amir, greeting supporters. The video
Video
Video is the technology of electronically capturing, recording, processing, storing, transmitting, and reconstructing a sequence of still images representing scenes in motion.- History :...
then shows Rabin descending a stairway and walking towards his car. Amir can be seen reaching for his gun, circling behind the Prime Minister and extending his arm, followed by flash and three bursts. The last image is of Rabin disappearing under a pile of security men to screams of horrified onlookers, after which the photographer stopped filming and hit the ground.
Immediately after the assassination Kempler submitted the video
Video
Video is the technology of electronically capturing, recording, processing, storing, transmitting, and reconstructing a sequence of still images representing scenes in motion.- History :...
to the Shamgar National Inquiry Commission, which was tasked with researching the security failures. 45 days after the Rabin assassination and after the Shamgar commission granted permission to release the video to the public, the Israeli TV showed the non-static parts of this video with commentary. The public was shocked by the ease of access that the murderer had and by the security gaps. In his sole television appearance the night his video was broadcast, Kempler reflected on the thoughts and feelings that he experienced during and after taking the video.
The Kempler video was shown three times on the Israeli TV Channel 2
Channel 2 (Israel)
Channel 2 is an Israeli commercial television channel.- History :In 1990, after 13 years of deliberations, the Knesset passed a law that paved the way for the establishment of commercial television in Israel. The goal was to enhance pluralism and create competition. Channel 2 began broadcasting on...
in late December 1995, after it acquired the rights and edited it for broadcasting. The video received international publicity and parts of it were shown in many countries. According to reports Kempler received $350,000 from Israeli News Company
Israeli News Company
Israeli News Company is an Israeli company producing the Prime time news program on the Israeli commercial Channel 2, and most of its current affairs and news programs and items for that commercial channel....
and Yedioth Ahronoth
Yedioth Ahronoth
Yedioth Ahronoth is a daily newspaper published in Tel Aviv, Israel. Since the 1970s, it has been the most widely circulated paper in Israel. In a TGI survey comparing the last half of 2009 with the same period in 2008, Yedioth Ahronoth retained the title of most widely read newspaper in Israel...
, a major newspaper in Israel, for his video footage. The sum or most of it was recovered by selling the rights for broadcasting to other news agencies.
The Kempler video was used as evidence
Evidence (law)
The law of evidence encompasses the rules and legal principles that govern the proof of facts in a legal proceeding. These rules determine what evidence can be considered by the trier of fact in reaching its decision and, sometimes, the weight that may be given to that evidence...
during the trial of Yigal Amir
Yigal Amir
Yigal Amir is the Israeli assassin of Prime Minister of Israel Yitzhak Rabin. The assassination took place on November 4, 1995 at the conclusion of a rally in Tel Aviv. Amir is currently serving a life sentence for murder plus six years for injuring Rabin's bodyguard, Yoram Rubin, under...
as well as by the independent judicial Shamgar commission. Partially based on the Kempler video, the Shamgar commission concluded that Amir was guilty and that Carmi Gillon
Carmi Gillon
Carmi Gillon is an Israeli politician, and a former Israeli ambassador to Denmark and head of Shabak, the Internal General Security Service of Israel....
, head of the Shabak should be removed from his position.
Proponents of the Yitzhak Rabin assassination conspiracy theories
Yitzhak Rabin assassination conspiracy theories
Yitzhak Rabin assassination conspiracy theories arose almost immediately following the assassination of Yitzhak Rabin, the Israeli Prime Minister, on November 4, 1995. The gunman Yigal Amir, a Jewish Israeli student, was apprehended within seconds by other people in the crowd. Rabin died later on...
also make use of this video.
External links
- Rabin assassination part of the Kempler video on CNN.com
- Israeli TV broadcasts video of Rabin's assassination, CNN, December 19, 1995
- Rabin Assassination Video Resurfaces After 10 Year Absence article on Arutz 7
- Top Israeli news site publishes crudely altered Rabin assassination video article on Israelinsider.com