1966 in Israel
Encyclopedia
Incumbents
- Prime Minister of IsraelPrime Minister of IsraelThe 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...
– Levi EshkolLevi Eshkol' served as the third Prime Minister of Israel from 1963 until his death from a heart attack in 1969. He was the first Israeli Prime Minister to die in office.-Biography:...
(AlignmentAlignment (political party)The Alignment was an alliance of the major left-wing parties in Israel between the 1960s and 1990s. It was established in 1965 as an alliance of Mapai and Ahdut HaAvoda but was dissolved three years later when the two parties and Rafi formally merged into the Israeli Labor Party...
) - President of IsraelPresident of IsraelThe President of the State of Israel is the head of state of Israel. The position is largely an apolitical ceremonial figurehead role, with the real executive power lying in the hands of the Prime Minister. The current president is Shimon Peres who took office on 15 July 2007...
– Zalman ShazarZalman ShazarZalman Shazar was an Israeli politician, author. and poet. Shazar served as the third President of Israel from 1963 to 1973.-Biography:... - Chief of General Staff - Yitzhak RabinYitzhak 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....
- Government of Israel - 12th Government of IsraelTwelfth government of IsraelThe twelfth government of Israel was formed by Levi Eshkol on 22 December 1964, towards the end of the fifth Knesset.Eshkol kept the same coalition partners as previously, i.e. Mapai, the National Religious Party, Ahdut HaAvoda, Poalei Agudat Yisrael, Cooperation and Brotherhood and Progress and...
until January 12, 13th Government of IsraelThirteenth government of IsraelThe thirteenth government of Israel was formed by Levi Eshkol on 12 January 1966, following the November 1965 elections. His coalition included the Alignment , the National Religious Party, Mapam, the Independent Liberals, Poalei Agudat Yisrael, Progress and Development and Cooperation and...
Events
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- January 12 – Levi EshkolLevi Eshkol' served as the third Prime Minister of Israel from 1963 until his death from a heart attack in 1969. He was the first Israeli Prime Minister to die in office.-Biography:...
presents his cabinet for a KnessetKnessetThe Knesset is the unicameral legislature of Israel, located in Givat Ram, Jerusalem.-Role in Israeli Government :The legislative branch of the Israeli government, the Knesset passes all laws, elects the President and Prime Minister , approves the cabinet, and supervises the work of the government...
"Vote of Confidence". The 13th GovernmentThirteenth government of IsraelThe thirteenth government of Israel was formed by Levi Eshkol on 12 January 1966, following the November 1965 elections. His coalition included the Alignment , the National Religious Party, Mapam, the Independent Liberals, Poalei Agudat Yisrael, Progress and Development and Cooperation and...
is approved that day and the members are sworn in. - February 28 – Israeli peace activistPeace activistThis list of peace activists includes people who proactively advocate diplomatic, non-military resolution of political disputes, usually through nonviolent means.A peace activist is an activist of the peace movement.*Jane Addams*Martti Ahtisaari...
Abie NathanAbie NathanAvraham "Abie" Nathan was an Israeli humanitarian and peace activist, perhaps best known as the founder of the Voice of Peace radio station.-Early years:...
flies his private plane to EgyptEgyptEgypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, Arabic: , is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Southwest Asia. Egypt is thus a transcontinental country, and a major power in Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East and the Muslim world...
and lands in the Egyptian city of Port SaidPort SaidPort Said is a city that lies in north east Egypt extending about 30 km along the coast of the Mediterranean Sea, north of the Suez Canal, with an approximate population of 603,787...
. Arrested upon landing, Nathan asks to meet Egyptian president Gamal Abdel NasserGamal Abdel NasserGamal Abdel Nasser Hussein was the second President of Egypt from 1956 until his death. A colonel in the Egyptian army, Nasser led the Egyptian Revolution of 1952 along with Muhammad Naguib, the first president, which overthrew the monarchy of Egypt and Sudan, and heralded a new period of...
and to deliver a petition calling for peace between Israel and Egypt. His request is denied and he is deported back to Israel. - March 24 – The beginning of the Israeli Educational TelevisionIsraeli Educational TelevisionThe Israeli Educational Television is a state-owned public television network which used to concentrate on producing and broadcasting programs for schoolchildren. The first Israeli children's show, featuring Kishkashta, aired on Channel 1 in the 1970s and '80s...
broadcasts. - May 16 - Two Israelis were killed when their jeepJeepJeep is an automobile marque of Chrysler . The first Willys Jeeps were produced in 1941 with the first civilian models in 1945, making it the oldest off-road vehicle and sport utility vehicle brand. It inspired a number of other light utility vehicles, such as the Land Rover which is the second...
hit a landmine, north of the Sea of Galilee and south of AlmagorAlmagorAlmagor is a moshav in northern Israel. Located to the north of the Sea of Galilee, it falls under the jurisdiction of Emek HaYarden Regional Council. In 2006 it had a population of 224....
. Tracks led into Syria. - July 14 – Israeli and SyriaSyriaSyria , officially the Syrian Arab Republic , is a country in Western Asia, bordering Lebanon and the Mediterranean Sea to the West, Turkey to the north, Iraq to the east, Jordan to the south, and Israel to the southwest....
n jet fighters clash over the Jordan River. - August 15 – Israeli and SyriaSyriaSyria , officially the Syrian Arab Republic , is a country in Western Asia, bordering Lebanon and the Mediterranean Sea to the West, Turkey to the north, Iraq to the east, Jordan to the south, and Israel to the southwest....
n troops clash over the Sea of GalileeSea of GalileeThe Sea of Galilee, also Kinneret, Lake of Gennesaret, or Lake Tiberias , is the largest freshwater lake in Israel, and it is approximately in circumference, about long, and wide. The lake has a total area of , and a maximum depth of approximately 43 m...
for three hours. - August 16 – The IraqIraqIraq ; officially the Republic of Iraq is a country in Western Asia spanning most of the northwestern end of the Zagros mountain range, the eastern part of the Syrian Desert and the northern part of the Arabian Desert....
i fighter pilot Munir RedfaMunir RedfaMunir Redfa was an Iraqi fighter pilot, of ethnic Assyrian origin, who defected to Israel in 1966 by flying a MiG-21 of the Iraqi Air Force. In what is considered as one of the Mossad's most successful operations, Redfa's entire extended family was smuggled safely out of Iraq to Israel...
defectsDefectionIn politics, a defector is a person who gives up allegiance to one state or political entity in exchange for allegiance to another. More broadly, it involves abandoning a person, cause or doctrine to whom or to which one is bound by some tie, as of allegiance or duty.This term is also applied,...
to Israel by flying a MiG-21 of the Iraqi Air ForceIraqi Air ForceThe Iraqi Air Force or IQAF is the military branch in Iraq responsible for the policing of international borders, surveillance of national assets and aerial operations...
to Israel. The MiG-21 fighter is evaluated by the Israeli Air ForceIsraeli Air ForceThe Israeli Air Force is the air force of the State of Israel and the aerial arm of the Israel Defense Forces. It was founded on May 28, 1948, shortly after the Israeli Declaration of Independence...
. Knowledge obtained from analysis of the aircraft was instrumental to the successes achieved by the Israeli Air ForceIsraeli Air ForceThe Israeli Air Force is the air force of the State of Israel and the aerial arm of the Israel Defense Forces. It was founded on May 28, 1948, shortly after the Israeli Declaration of Independence...
in its future encounters with Arab MiG-21s. - August 30 – The KnessetKnessetThe Knesset is the unicameral legislature of Israel, located in Givat Ram, Jerusalem.-Role in Israeli Government :The legislative branch of the Israeli government, the Knesset passes all laws, elects the President and Prime Minister , approves the cabinet, and supervises the work of the government...
building is inaugurated. - October – Shmuel Yosef AgnonShmuel Yosef AgnonShmuel Yosef Agnon , was a Nobel Prize laureate writer and was one of the central figures of modern Hebrew fiction. In Hebrew, he is known by the acronym Shai Agnon . In English, his works are published under the name S. Y. Agnon.Agnon was born in Galicia, Austro-Hungarian Empire...
receives the Nobel Prize in LiteratureNobel Prize in LiteratureSince 1901, the Nobel Prize in Literature has been awarded annually to an author from any country who has, in the words from the will of Alfred Nobel, produced "in the field of literature the most outstanding work in an ideal direction"...
, becoming the first Israeli Nobel laureate. - October 4 – Israel applies for the affiliate membership of the EECEuropean Economic CommunityThe European Economic Community The European Economic Community (EEC) The European Economic Community (EEC) (also known as the Common Market in the English-speaking world, renamed the European Community (EC) in 1993The information in this article primarily covers the EEC's time as an independent...
. - November 8 – The martial lawMartial lawMartial law is the imposition of military rule by military authorities over designated regions on an emergency basis— only temporary—when the civilian government or civilian authorities fail to function effectively , when there are extensive riots and protests, or when the disobedience of the law...
imposed on the Israeli ArabsArab citizens of IsraelArab citizens of Israel refers to citizens of Israel who are not Jewish, and whose cultural and linguistic heritage or ethnic identity is Arab....
since the founding of the State of Israel is lifted completely and Arab citizens are granted the same rights as Jewish citizens under law.
Israeli–Palestinian conflict
The most prominent events related to the Israeli–Palestinian conflict which occurred during 1966 include:Notable Palestinian militant operations against Israeli targets
The most prominent Palestinian terror attack
Palestinian political violence
Palestinian political violence refers to acts of violence undertaken to further the Palestinian cause. These political objectives include self-determination in and sovereignty over Palestine, the liberation of Palestine and establishment of a Palestinian state, either in place of both Israel and...
s committed against Israelis during 1966 include:
- April 25 - Explosions placed by terrorists wounded two civilians and damaged three houses in moshav Beit YosefBeit YosefBeit Yosef may refer to:* Beit Yosef, Israel, a moshav in the Beit She'an Valley* Beit Yosef , a book by Rabbi Joseph Caro...
, in the Beit She'an Valley. - July 14 - Armed Palestinian militants attacked a house in Kfar Yuval.
- July 19 - Armed Palestinian militants infiltrated into Moshav MargaliotMargaliotMargaliot is a moshav in the Upper Galilee in northern Israel, located along the border with Lebanon, near the town of Kiryat Shmona. It is part of the Mevo'ot HaHermon Regional Council...
on the northern border and planted nine explosive charges. - October 27 - A civilian was wounded by an explosive charge on the railroad tracks to Jerusalem.
- November 11 – An Israeli border patrol vehicle carrying policemen drives over a land mineLand mineA land mine is usually a weight-triggered explosive device which is intended to damage a target—either human or inanimate—by means of a blast and/or fragment impact....
near the Israeli-Jordanian Armistice line1949 Armistice AgreementsThe 1949 Armistice Agreements are a set of agreements signed during 1949 between Israel and neighboring Egypt, Lebanon, Jordan, and Syria. The agreements ended the official hostilities of the 1948 Arab-Israeli War, and established armistice lines between Israeli forces and the forces in...
, killing three policemen and wounding six; the mine is reportedly planted by the PLO subgroup, FatahFatahFataḥ is a major Palestinian political party and the largest faction of the Palestine Liberation Organization , a multi-party confederation. In Palestinian politics it is on the left-wing of the spectrum; it is mainly nationalist, although not predominantly socialist. Its official goals are found...
.
Notable Israeli military operations against Palestinian militancy targets
The most prominent Israeli military counter-terrorism
Counter-terrorism
Counter-terrorism is the practices, tactics, techniques, and strategies that governments, militaries, police departments and corporations adopt to prevent or in response to terrorist threats and/or acts, both real and imputed.The tactic of terrorism is available to insurgents and governments...
operations (military campaign
Military campaign
In the military sciences, the term military campaign applies to large scale, long duration, significant military strategy plan incorporating a series of inter-related military operations or battles forming a distinct part of a larger conflict often called a war...
s and military operations) carried out against Palestinian militants during 1966 include:
- November 13 – Operation as-Samu: Following a series of sabotage acts committed against Israeli targets, in particular the deaths of the three Israeli policemen killed by a land mineLand mineA land mine is usually a weight-triggered explosive device which is intended to damage a target—either human or inanimate—by means of a blast and/or fragment impact....
two days earlier, IDF forces cross into JordanJordanJordan , officially the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan , Al-Mamlaka al-Urduniyya al-Hashemiyya) is a kingdom on the East Bank of the River Jordan. The country borders Saudi Arabia to the east and south-east, Iraq to the north-east, Syria to the north and the West Bank and Israel to the west, sharing...
and raid the West BankWest BankThe West Bank ) of the Jordan River is the landlocked geographical eastern part of the Palestinian territories located in Western Asia. To the west, north, and south, the West Bank shares borders with the state of Israel. To the east, across the Jordan River, lies the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan...
village of as-SamuAs-SamuAs Samu or es-Samu is a town in the Hebron Governorate of the West Bank, 12 kilometers south of the city of Hebron. as-Samu is 60 kilometers south-west of Jerusalem. The area is a hilly, rocky area cut by some wadis. The Armistice Demarcation Line runs generally east to west approximately five...
, south of the city of HebronHebronHebron , is located in the southern West Bank, south of Jerusalem. Nestled in the Judean Mountains, it lies 930 meters above sea level. It is the largest city in the West Bank and home to around 165,000 Palestinians, and over 500 Jewish settlers concentrated in and around the old quarter...
. During the operation 18 Jordanians soldiers and one Israeli soldier are killed.
Notable births
- April 7 – Zvika HadarZvika Hadar-Biography:Zvi Fruchter was born in Beersheba, Israel, to Romanian Jewish family. As a child, he studied piano. Early in his career, he composed numbers for musicals.He first appeared on television as "Jojo" in Ha-Comedy Store...
, Israeli actor, comedian and television host. - May 7 – Dafna DekelDafna DekelDafna Dekel is an Israeli singer, actress and television personality.-Biography:Dafna Dekel was discovered while serving in the Nahal entertainment troupe of the Israel Defense Forces in 1985-1986. After her release from the army, Dekel was cast in the Israeli musical Salah Shabati produced in...
, Israeli singer and actress.
Notable deaths
- January 25 – Saul AdlerSaul AdlerSaul Adler FRS was an Israeli expert on Parasitology.-Early life:Adler was born in 1895 in Kerelits , then in the Russian Empire, now in Belarus. In 1900, he and his family moved to England and they settled in Leeds...
(b. 1895), Russian (Belarus)-born Israeli physician, microbiologist and parasitology expert. - October 10 – Eliyahu MeridorEliyahu MeridorEliyahu Meridor was an Israeli politician who served as a member of the Knesset for Herut and Gahal from 1959 until his death in 1966.-Biography:...
(b. 1914), Russian-born Israeli politician. - November 4 – Ya'akov KlivnovYa'akov KlivnovYa'akov Klivnov was an Israeli politician who served as a member of the Knesset for the General Zionists from 1949 until 1955, and again from 1955 until 1957.-Biography:...
(b. 1887), Russian (Belarus)-born Israeli politician. - November 8 – Bernhard ZondekBernhard ZondekBernhard Zondek was a German-Jewish gynecologist who developed the first reliable pregnancy test in 1928.-Biography:...
(b. 18911891 in Germany-National level:* Kaiser — Wilhelm II* Chancellor — Leo von Caprivi-Kingdoms:* King of Bavaria — Otto of Bavaria* King of Prussia — Kaiser Wilhelm II* King of Saxony — Albert of Saxony...
), German-born Israeli gynecologist, developer of first reliable pregnancy test.