2011 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...
– Benjamin NetanyahuBenjamin NetanyahuBenjamin "Bibi" Netanyahu is the current Prime Minister of Israel. He serves also as the Chairman of the Likud Party, as a Knesset member, as the Health Minister of Israel, as the Pensioner Affairs Minister of Israel and as the Economic Strategy Minister of Israel.Netanyahu is the first and, to...
(LikudLikudLikud is the major center-right political party in Israel. It was founded in 1973 by Menachem Begin in an alliance with several right-wing and liberal parties. Likud's victory in the 1977 elections was a major turning point in the country's political history, marking the first time the left had...
) - 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...
– Shimon PeresShimon PeresGCMG 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... - Chief of General Staff – Gabi AshkenaziGabi AshkenaziGavriel "Gabi" Ashkenazi , was the Chief of General Staff of the Israel Defence Forces from 2007 to 2011.- Background and early life :...
until February 14, Benny Gantz - Government of Israel – 32nd Government of Israel
Domestic developments
- January 17 – The leader of the Israeli Labor Party Ehud BarakEhud BarakEhud Barak is an Israeli politician who served as Prime Minister from 1999 until 2001. He was leader of the Labor Party until January 2011 and holds the posts of Minister of Defense and Deputy Prime Minister in Binyamin Netanyahu's government....
and four other Labor Party MKs announce their resignation from the party and the formation of a new "centrist Zionist and democratic" faction called "IndependenceIndependence (Israeli political party)Independence is a recently-established political party in Israel. It was launched by Defense Minister Ehud Barak on 17 January 2011 after he and four other Labour Party MKs announced their secession from the caucus...
". - February 1 – Prime Minister Benjamin NetanyahuBenjamin NetanyahuBenjamin "Bibi" Netanyahu is the current Prime Minister of Israel. He serves also as the Chairman of the Likud Party, as a Knesset member, as the Health Minister of Israel, as the Pensioner Affairs Minister of Israel and as the Economic Strategy Minister of Israel.Netanyahu is the first and, to...
cancels the appointment of Yoav GalantYoav GalantAluf Yoav Galant is a general in the Israel Defense Forces and a former commander of the Southern Command.Galant was initially chosen in to succeed Gabi Ashkenazi as the next Chief of General Staff in 2011 by Defense Minister Ehud Barak and approved by the Israeli government However, his...
to the post of Israel Defense Forces chief. The announcement came after months of scandal surrounding his appointment due to allegations that he had illegally seized public lands near his home in Moshav AmikamAmikamAmikam is a moshav in northern Israel. Located near Zikhron Ya'akov, it falls under the jurisdiction of Alona Regional Council, whose headquarters are located in the moshav. In 2006 it had a population of 561...
, and after the State Comptroller Micha LindenstraussMicha LindenstraussMicha Lindenstrauss is an Israeli judge and the current State Comptroller.Lindenstrauss was born in Nazi Germany and immigrated to the British Mandate of Palestine when he was two years old, on the eve of World War II...
stated that Galant lied to in a sworn affidavit about exceeding his building rights. - February 6 – 24-year-old Anat Kamm, a former Israeli soldier, is convicted in the Tel AvivTel AvivTel Aviv , officially Tel Aviv-Yafo , is the second most populous city in Israel, with a population of 404,400 on a land area of . The city is located on the Israeli Mediterranean coastline in west-central Israel. It is the largest and most populous city in the metropolitan area of Gush Dan, with...
District Court after pleading guilty (in a plea bargainPlea bargainA plea bargain is an agreement in a criminal case whereby the prosecutor offers the defendant the opportunity to plead guilty, usually to a lesser charge or to the original criminal charge with a recommendation of a lighter than the maximum sentence.A plea bargain allows criminal defendants to...
) to leaking more than 2,000 secret military documentsAnat Kamm-Uri Blau affairThe Anat Kamm-Uri Blau affair refers to a leak of thousands of classified Israel Defense Forces documents by the former Israeli soldier Anat Kamm....
to a journalist from the Israeli HaaretzHaaretzHaaretz is Israel's oldest daily newspaper. It was founded in 1918 and is now published in both Hebrew and English in Berliner format. The English edition is published and sold together with the International Herald Tribune. Both Hebrew and English editions can be read on the Internet...
newspaper. - February 14 – Benny Gantz is appointed as the 20th Chief of StaffRamatkalThe Chief of the General Staff, also known as the Commander-in-Chief of the Israel Defense Forces is the supreme commander and Chief of Staff of the Israel Defense Forces. At any given time, the Chief of Staff is the only active officer holding the IDF's highest rank, Rav Aluf , which is usually...
of the Israel Defense ForcesIsrael Defense ForcesThe Israel Defense Forces , commonly known in Israel by the Hebrew acronym Tzahal , are the military forces of the State of Israel. They consist of the ground forces, air force and navy. It is the sole military wing of the Israeli security forces, and has no civilian jurisdiction within Israel...
. - March 22 – The former 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...
Moshe KatsavMoshe KatsavMoshe Katsav is an Israeli politician. He served as the eighth President of Israel, a leading Likud member of the Israeli Knesset, and a Cabinet Minister in its government....
is sentenced to seven years in prison, two years probation and payment of compensation to his victims on charges of rape, indecent assaultIndecent assaultIndecent assault is an offence of aggravated assault in many jurisdictions. It is characterised as a sex crime.Indecent assault was an offence in England and Wales under sections 14 and 15 the Sexual Offences Act 1956...
, sexual harassmentSexual harassmentSexual harassment, is intimidation, bullying or coercion of a sexual nature, or the unwelcome or inappropriate promise of rewards in exchange for sexual favors. In some contexts or circumstances, sexual harassment is illegal. It includes a range of behavior from seemingly mild transgressions and...
and obstruction of justiceObstruction of justiceThe crime of obstruction of justice, in United States jurisdictions, refers to the crime of interfering with the work of police, investigators, regulatory agencies, prosecutors, or other officials...
. - March 24 – Israeli women's basketball team Elitzur RamlaElitzur Ramla (women's basketball)-History:In March 2011, Elitzur Ramla won the EuroCup Women, after a 61-53 triumph against ASPTT Arras from France. It is considered the best team in the history of Israeli women's basketball...
wins the women EuroCup final in France after defeating the French team ASPTT ArrasASPTT ArrasASPTT Arras is a women's basketball team from France. The team is based in the city of Arras.- Staff :2010-2011 roster...
61-53. This was the first time in which an Israeli women's basketball team won a European cup. - March 29 – 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...
approves an amendment to the Nationality LawIsraeli nationality lawIsrael's nationality law defines the terms through which one can be granted citizenship of the state of Israel. It also includes the Right of return for Jewish diaspora...
in a 37–11 vote. The amendment empowers the Israeli court system to revoke the citizenships of Israeli citizens convicted of terrorism, aiding the enemy in wartime, causing war, serving in enemy forces or espionage. - March 30 – Analog televisionAnalog televisionAnalog television is the analog transmission that involves the broadcasting of encoded analog audio and analog video signal: one in which the message conveyed by the broadcast signal is a function of deliberate variations in the amplitude and/or frequency of the signal...
broadcasts end In Israel, as the Communications Minister of IsraelCommunications Minister of IsraelThe Communications Minister of Israel is the political head of the Israeli Ministry of Communications and a relatively minor position in the Israeli cabinet. The post was established in 1952, and until 1970 was known as the Minister of Postal Services...
requires all full power stations to send their signals digitallyDigital televisionDigital television is the transmission of audio and video by digital signals, in contrast to the analog signals used by analog TV...
. - June – the The cottage cheese boycott begins
- June 17 – A massive gas explosion in an apartment building in NetanyaNetanyaNetanya is a city in the Northern Centre District of Israel, and is the capital of the surrounding Sharon plain. It is located north of Tel Aviv, and south of Haifa between the 'Poleg' stream and Wingate Institute in the south and the 'Avichail' stream in the north.Its of beaches have made the...
's Independence Square kills three teenage girls (all recent immigrants from France) and an Israeli Arab and injures over 90 others. - June 29 – Nahal Zin fuel leakNahal Zin fuel leakThe Nahal Zin fuel leak was a severe ecological disaster caused in June 2011 when a backhoe loader struck and ruptured an underground fuel pipeline in southern Israel. 1.5 million liters of jet fuel leaked into the surrounding soil, resulting in localized soil contamination, damage to nearby...
– a backhoe loaderBackhoe loaderA backhoe loader, also called a loader backhoe, digger, or colloquially shortened to backhoe, is a heavy equipment vehicle that consists of a tractor fitted with a shovel/bucket on the front and a small backhoe on the back...
performing maintenance repairs on an underground fuel pipeline in the Negev strikes and ruptures the pipeline, resulting in a massive leak. - July 12 – 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...
approves a new anti-boycott lawLaw for Prevention of Damage to State of Israel through BoycottLaw for Prevention of Damage to State of Israel through Boycott , also commonly known as the Boycott law, is an Israeli Anti-boycott law that was approved in the Knesset on 11 July 2011...
which would allow an Israeli individual or an Israeli organization proposing a boycott against Israel, Israeli institutions or territory under Israel's control, to be sued for compensation by a party claiming that it could be damaged by such a boycott. - July 14-ongoing: 2011 Israeli housing protests
- August 19 – The first line of the Jerusalem Light RailJerusalem Light RailThe Jerusalem Light Rail is a light rail line, the first of several rapid transit lines planned by Israel for Jerusalem, Israel's capital city. Construction began in 2002 and ended in 2010, when the testing phase began. It was built by the CityPass consortium, which has a 30-year concession to...
is opened to the public. - October 5 – Israeli scientist Daniel Shechtman wins the 2011 Nobel Prize for Chemistry for the discovery of quasicrystalQuasicrystalA quasiperiodic crystal, or, in short, quasicrystal, is a structure that is ordered but not periodic. A quasicrystalline pattern can continuously fill all available space, but it lacks translational symmetry...
s. - November 10 – Israel's Supreme CourtSupreme courtA supreme court is the highest court within the hierarchy of many legal jurisdictions. Other descriptions for such courts include court of last resort, instance court, judgment court, high court, or apex court...
has upheld a seven-year rapeRapeRape is a type of sexual assault usually involving sexual intercourse, which is initiated by one or more persons against another person without that person's consent. The act may be carried out by physical force, coercion, abuse of authority or with a person who is incapable of valid consent. The...
sentence against former PresidentPresidentA president is a leader of an organization, company, trade union, university, or country.Etymologically, a president is one who presides, who sits in leadership...
Moshe KatsavMoshe KatsavMoshe Katsav is an Israeli politician. He served as the eighth President of Israel, a leading Likud member of the Israeli Knesset, and a Cabinet Minister in its government....
. Katsav was given one month to put his affairs in order, and will begin serving his sentence on 7 December. - November 13 – An IsraelIsraelThe State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
i cabinet committee passes legislation backed by prime minister Binyamin Netanyahu to limit potentially tens of millions in foreign funding to non-government organizations.
Global affairs
- April 18 – IsraelIsraelThe State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
becomes CERNCERNThe European Organization for Nuclear Research , known as CERN , is an international organization whose purpose is to operate the world's largest particle physics laboratory, which is situated in the northwest suburbs of Geneva on the Franco–Swiss border...
nuclear group member. - July 10 – Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announces Israel's recognition of the Republic of South SudanSouth SudanSouth Sudan , officially the Republic of South Sudan, is a landlocked country located in the Sahel region of northeastern Africa. It is also part of the North Africa UN sub-region. Its current capital is Juba, which is also its largest city; the capital city is planned to be moved to the more...
and offers the new state economic help, following its declaration of independence from the SudanSudanSudan , officially the Republic of the Sudan , is a country in North Africa, sometimes considered part of the Middle East politically. It is bordered by Egypt to the north, the Red Sea to the northeast, Eritrea and Ethiopia to the east, South Sudan to the south, the Central African Republic to the...
, the previous day.
Arab and Middle Eastern affairs
- February 5 – Amidst the 2011 Egyptian protests, an explosion occurs at the Arab Gas PipelineArab Gas PipelineThe Arab Gas Pipeline is a natural gas pipeline in the Middle East. It exports Egyptian natural gas to Jordan, Syria and Lebanon, with a separate line to Israel. It has a total length of at a cost of US$1.2 billion.-Arish–Aqaba section:...
near the El Arish natural gas compressor station in Egypt, which supplies natural gas to Israel and Jordan. As a result, supplies to Israel and Jordan were halted. - April 27 – Natural gas supplies to 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 IsraelIsraelThe State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
are hit by an explosion in the Arab Gas PipelineArab Gas PipelineThe Arab Gas Pipeline is a natural gas pipeline in the Middle East. It exports Egyptian natural gas to Jordan, Syria and Lebanon, with a separate line to Israel. It has a total length of at a cost of US$1.2 billion.-Arish–Aqaba section:...
in the town of Arish in North Sinai near 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...
's border with Israel with an armed gang believed responsible. - June 12 – Beginning of Ilan Grapel affairIlan Grapel affairThe Ilan Grapel affair was an alleged Israeli espionage incident in Egypt involving dual U.S.-Israeli citizen Ilan Grapel. On 12 June 2011, Egyptian authorities arrested Grapel on charges of fomenting unrest in Egypt as a Mossad agent in the wake of the 2011 Egyptian revolution...
: 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...
ian officials report the arrest of the 27-year-old Israeli-American Ilan GrapelIlan Grapel affairThe Ilan Grapel affair was an alleged Israeli espionage incident in Egypt involving dual U.S.-Israeli citizen Ilan Grapel. On 12 June 2011, Egyptian authorities arrested Grapel on charges of fomenting unrest in Egypt as a Mossad agent in the wake of the 2011 Egyptian revolution...
on suspicion of espionage for Israel. Israeli officials have rejected the Egyptian accusations. Later that year, Egyptian officials admitted Ilan Grapel was not a spy, and he was scheduled for release in exchange for 25 Egyptian prisoners held in Israel. - July 12 – Gunmen blow upArab Gas PipelineThe Arab Gas Pipeline is a natural gas pipeline in the Middle East. It exports Egyptian natural gas to Jordan, Syria and Lebanon, with a separate line to Israel. It has a total length of at a cost of US$1.2 billion.-Arish–Aqaba section:...
an 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...
ian natural gas pipeline to IsraelIsraelThe State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
and 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...
in the town of El-Arish in the Sinai PeninsulaSinai PeninsulaThe Sinai Peninsula or Sinai is a triangular peninsula in Egypt about in area. It is situated between the Mediterranean Sea to the north, and the Red Sea to the south, and is the only part of Egyptian territory located in Asia as opposed to Africa, effectively serving as a land bridge between two...
. - September 2 – TurkeyTurkeyTurkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe...
expels IsraelIsraelThe State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
's ambassador, downgrades ties with Israel to second secretary level and cancels all military agreements with Israel, hours before a UN report investigating the 2010 Gaza flotilla raidGaza flotilla raidThe Gaza flotilla raid was a military operation by Israel against six ships of the "Gaza Freedom Flotilla" on 31 May 2010 in international waters of the Mediterranean Sea...
is published. - September 9 – 2011 Israeli embassy attack: several thousand Egyptian protesters forcibly infiltrate into the Israeli embassy in 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...
, situated in Giza, after breaking down a recently constructed wall to protect the compound. The six embassy staff in a safe room were evacuated eventually from the site by Egyptian commandoCommandoIn English, the term commando means a specific kind of individual soldier or military unit. In contemporary usage, commando usually means elite light infantry and/or special operations forces units, specializing in amphibious landings, parachuting, rappelling and similar techniques, to conduct and...
s, following the personal intervention of US President Barack ObamaBarack ObamaBarack Hussein Obama II is the 44th and current President of the United States. He is the first African American to hold the office. Obama previously served as a United States Senator from Illinois, from January 2005 until he resigned following his victory in the 2008 presidential election.Born in...
. Following the attack, the deputy ambassador remained in Cairo, and 85 staff members and their families returned to Israel. - September 14 – Israel evacuates the Israeli embassy in Jordan following a warning of a violent anti-Israel demonstration planned to take place near the embassy building. Nearly all the embassy staff returned to Israel at midnight.
- September 27 – An explosion destroys the Arab Gas PipelineArab Gas PipelineThe Arab Gas Pipeline is a natural gas pipeline in the Middle East. It exports Egyptian natural gas to Jordan, Syria and Lebanon, with a separate line to Israel. It has a total length of at a cost of US$1.2 billion.-Arish–Aqaba section:...
in 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...
's Sinai PeninsulaSinai PeninsulaThe Sinai Peninsula or Sinai is a triangular peninsula in Egypt about in area. It is situated between the Mediterranean Sea to the north, and the Red Sea to the south, and is the only part of Egyptian territory located in Asia as opposed to Africa, effectively serving as a land bridge between two...
supplying natural gasNatural gasNatural gas is a naturally occurring gas mixture consisting primarily of methane, typically with 0–20% higher hydrocarbons . It is found associated with other hydrocarbon fuel, in coal beds, as methane clathrates, and is an important fuel source and a major feedstock for fertilizers.Most natural...
to 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 IsraelIsraelThe State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
. - October 11 – The US Federal Bureau of InvestigationFederal Bureau of InvestigationThe Federal Bureau of Investigation is an agency of the United States Department of Justice that serves as both a federal criminal investigative body and an internal intelligence agency . The FBI has investigative jurisdiction over violations of more than 200 categories of federal crime...
and Drug Enforcement AdministrationDrug Enforcement AdministrationThe Drug Enforcement Administration is a federal law enforcement agency under the United States Department of Justice, tasked with combating drug smuggling and use within the United States...
claim to have disrupted an attempt to bomb the Israeli and the Saudi embassies in Washington DC and an alleged terrorist plot to assassinate the Saudi ArabiaSaudi ArabiaThe Kingdom of Saudi Arabia , commonly known in British English as Saudi Arabia and in Arabic as as-Sa‘ūdiyyah , is the largest state in Western Asia by land area, constituting the bulk of the Arabian Peninsula, and the second-largest in the Arab World...
n ambassador, with possible links to IranIranIran , officially the Islamic Republic of Iran , is a country in Southern and Western Asia. The name "Iran" has been in use natively since the Sassanian era and came into use internationally in 1935, before which the country was known to the Western world as Persia...
. - October 27 – End of Ilan Grapel affairIlan Grapel affairThe Ilan Grapel affair was an alleged Israeli espionage incident in Egypt involving dual U.S.-Israeli citizen Ilan Grapel. On 12 June 2011, Egyptian authorities arrested Grapel on charges of fomenting unrest in Egypt as a Mossad agent in the wake of the 2011 Egyptian revolution...
: Israel releases 25 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...
ian prisoners in order to secure the release of Israeli-American Ilan Grapel, who held been held in Egypt for more than four months on dubious espionage charges.
Israeli–Palestinian conflict
The most prominent events related to the Israeli–Palestinian conflict which occurred during 2011 include:- January 23 – The Palestine PapersPalestine PapersThe Palestine Papers, representing publication of information hidden from public records and containing a cache of nearly 1,700 files, are the largest news leak in the history of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. They were released in January 2011 by Al-Jazeera...
: thousands of confidential documents relating to diplomatic correspondence detailing the inner workings of the Israeli-Palestinian peace process, are exposed by the Al-Jazeera news network. Following this, the Palestinian Authority condemns Al-Jazeera for releasing the documents and denies that the Palestinian Authority had agreed to make far-reaching concessions on Jerusalem as the documents purportedly reveal. - February 19 – The U.S. vetoesUnited Nations Security Council veto powerThe United Nations Security Council "power of veto" refers to the veto power wielded solely by the five permanent members of the United Nations Security Council , enabling them to prevent the adoption of any "substantive" draft Council resolution, regardless of the level of international support...
a draft of a UN Security CouncilUnited Nations Security CouncilThe United Nations Security Council is one of the principal organs of the United Nations and is charged with the maintenance of international peace and security. Its powers, outlined in the United Nations Charter, include the establishment of peacekeeping operations, the establishment of...
resolution critical of Israeli settlements in the West Bank. - April 4 – Dirar Abu SeesiDirar Abu SeesiDirar Abu Seesi or: Abu Sisi is the Deputy Engineer for the Gaza Strip's sole electrical plant, which provides 25% of Gaza's power, and, according to Israel, also a Hamas weapons engineer...
, a PalestinianPalestinian peopleThe Palestinian people, also referred to as Palestinians or Palestinian Arabs , are an Arabic-speaking people with origins in Palestine. Despite various wars and exoduses, roughly one third of the world's Palestinian population continues to reside in the area encompassing the West Bank, the Gaza...
engineer from GazaGazaGaza , also referred to as Gaza City, is a Palestinian city in the Gaza Strip, with a population of about 450,000, making it the largest city in the Palestinian territories.Inhabited since at least the 15th century BC,...
, is indicted at BeershebaBeershebaBeersheba is the largest city in the Negev desert of southern Israel. Often referred to as the "Capital of the Negev", it is the seventh-largest city in Israel with a population of 194,300....
's District Court, accused of developing missiles and upgrading rockets for attacks on IsraelPalestinian rocket attacks on IsraelPalestinian rocket and mortar attacks on Israel from the Gaza Strip have occurred since 2001. Between 2001 and January 2009, over 8,600 rockets had been launched, leading to 28 deaths and several hundred injuries, as well as widespread psychological trauma and disruption of daily life.The weapons,...
; he claims that the MossadMossadThe Mossad , short for HaMossad leModi'in uleTafkidim Meyuchadim , is the national intelligence agency of Israel....
kidnappedKidnappingIn criminal law, kidnapping is the taking away or transportation of a person against that person's will, usually to hold the person in false imprisonment, a confinement without legal authority...
him. - April 7 – The Iron DomeIron DomeIron Dome is a mobile air defense system in development by Rafael Advanced Defense Systems designed to intercept short-range rockets and artillery shells. The system was created as a defensive countermeasure to the rocket threat against Israel's civilian population on its northern and southern...
mobile air defense system successfully intercepts a Grad rocket launched from the Gaza StripGaza Stripthumb|Gaza city skylineThe Gaza Strip lies on the Eastern coast of the Mediterranean Sea. The Strip borders Egypt on the southwest and Israel on the south, east and north. It is about long, and between 6 and 12 kilometres wide, with a total area of...
at the Israeli city AshkelonAshkelonAshkelon is a coastal city in the South District of Israel on the Mediterranean coast, south of Tel Aviv, and north of the border with the Gaza Strip. The ancient seaport of Ashkelon dates back to the Neolithic Age...
, marking the first time in history a short-range rocket was ever intercepted. - April 24 – A group of 15 Israeli Jewish worshipers entered the Palestinian city of NablusNablusNablus is a Palestinian city in the northern West Bank, approximately north of Jerusalem, with a population of 126,132. Located in a strategic position between Mount Ebal and Mount Gerizim, it is the capital of the Nablus Governorate and a Palestinian commercial and cultural center.Founded by the...
to pray in the Jewish holy site Joseph's TombJoseph's TombJoseph's Tomb is a funerary monument located at the eastern entrance to the valley that separates Mounts Gerizim and Ebal, 325 yards northwest of Jacob's Well, on the outskirts of the West Bank city of Nablus, near Tell Balāṭa, the site of biblical Shechem...
, without coordinating their visit with the IDFIsrael Defense ForcesThe Israel Defense Forces , commonly known in Israel by the Hebrew acronym Tzahal , are the military forces of the State of Israel. They consist of the ground forces, air force and navy. It is the sole military wing of the Israeli security forces, and has no civilian jurisdiction within Israel...
as required by law. After finishing praying, as the Jewish worshipers were leaving Nablus, their cars came under fire from a Palestinian Authority police jeep. Five IsraelIsraelThe State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
is were injured in the attack and the nephew of IsraelIsraelThe State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
i Culture and Sport MinisterCulture and Sport Minister of IsraelThe Culture and Sport Minister of Israel is a new and relatively minor position in the Israeli cabinet. Previously culture and sport had been part of other ministerial portfolios; between 1949 and 1999, and again from 2003 until 2006, culture was part of the Education Minister portfolio. Similarly,...
Limor LivnatLimor Livnatis an Israeli politician who currently serves as a member of the Knesset for Likud, and as the country's Minister of Culture & Sport.-Biography:Born in Haifa, Livnat is the only member of Knesset not to have a secondary education...
was killed. - June 5 – Israeli forcesIsrael Defense ForcesThe Israel Defense Forces , commonly known in Israel by the Hebrew acronym Tzahal , are the military forces of the State of Israel. They consist of the ground forces, air force and navy. It is the sole military wing of the Israeli security forces, and has no civilian jurisdiction within Israel...
defensibly fire on pro-Palestinian protesters attempting to breach the Syria-Israeli border in the Golan Heights on Naksa DayNaksa DayNaksa Day is the annual day of commemoration for the Palestinian people of the displacement that accompanied Israel's victory in the 1967 Six-Day War...
, marking the anniversary of the 1967 Six Day War; Syria claims that close to 20 people were killed and over 325 injured, while Israeli officials confirmed at least 12 injures. - July – Freedom Flotilla IIFreedom Flotilla II"Freedom Flotilla II – Stay Human" was a flotilla that planned to break the maritime blockade of the Gaza Strip by Israel by sailing to Gaza on 5 July 2011. Ultimately, the sailing did not take place....
- July 19 – The French-flagged yacht Dignité Al Karama, which was to have been part of the Freedom Flotilla IIFreedom Flotilla II"Freedom Flotilla II – Stay Human" was a flotilla that planned to break the maritime blockade of the Gaza Strip by Israel by sailing to Gaza on 5 July 2011. Ultimately, the sailing did not take place....
, is intercepted and boarded without incident by Israeli commandos, off the coast of Gaza, and escorted to the Port of AshdodPort of AshdodThe Port of Ashdod is one of Israel's two main cargo ports. The port is located in Ashdod, about 40 kilometers south of Tel Aviv, adjoining the mouth of the Lachish River. Its establishment doubled the country's port capacity. It is a major point of entry for both cargo and tourists in and out of...
.
- July 19 – The French-flagged yacht Dignité Al Karama, which was to have been part of the Freedom Flotilla II
- September 2 – A UN report investigating the 2010 Gaza flotilla raidGaza flotilla raidThe Gaza flotilla raid was a military operation by Israel against six ships of the "Gaza Freedom Flotilla" on 31 May 2010 in international waters of the Mediterranean Sea...
is published which finds that the IDFIsrael Defense ForcesThe Israel Defense Forces , commonly known in Israel by the Hebrew acronym Tzahal , are the military forces of the State of Israel. They consist of the ground forces, air force and navy. It is the sole military wing of the Israeli security forces, and has no civilian jurisdiction within Israel...
acted 'legitimately' in trying to enforce Israel's blockade of the Gaza stripGaza Stripthumb|Gaza city skylineThe Gaza Strip lies on the Eastern coast of the Mediterranean Sea. The Strip borders Egypt on the southwest and Israel on the south, east and north. It is about long, and between 6 and 12 kilometres wide, with a total area of...
, except for the lack of a final warning to the activists and the use of "excessive" force. - September 23 - During the opening of the General Assembly of the United Nations, the President of the Palestinian National AuthorityPresident of the Palestinian National AuthorityThe President of the Palestinian National Authority is the highest-ranking political position in the Palestinian National Authority ....
Mahmoud AbbasMahmoud AbbasMahmoud Abbas , also known by the kunya Abu Mazen , has been the Chairman of the Palestine Liberation Organisation since 11 November 2004 and became President of the Palestinian National Authority on 15 January 2005 on the Fatah ticket.Elected to serve until 9 January 2009, he unilaterally...
makes a bid for a UN recognition in a unilateral declaration of a Palestinian stateState of PalestinePalestine , officially declared as the State of Palestine , is a state that was proclaimed in exile in Algiers on 15 November 1988, when the Palestine Liberation Organization's National Council adopted the unilateral Palestinian Declaration of Independence...
which would exist in the Gaza StripGaza Stripthumb|Gaza city skylineThe Gaza Strip lies on the Eastern coast of the Mediterranean Sea. The Strip borders Egypt on the southwest and Israel on the south, east and north. It is about long, and between 6 and 12 kilometres wide, with a total area of...
, 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...
and have the East JerusalemEast JerusalemEast Jerusalem or Eastern Jerusalem refer to the parts of Jerusalem captured and annexed by Jordan in the 1948 Arab-Israeli War and then captured and annexed by Israel in the 1967 Six-Day War...
as its capital. - September 23 - The quartet of Middle East negotiators - the United StatesUnited StatesThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, European UnionEuropean UnionThe European Union is an economic and political union of 27 independent member states which are located primarily in Europe. The EU traces its origins from the European Coal and Steel Community and the European Economic Community , formed by six countries in 1958...
, RussiaRussiaRussia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
and the United NationsUnited NationsThe United Nations is an international organization whose stated aims are facilitating cooperation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress, human rights, and achievement of world peace...
call on both IsraelIsraelThe State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
and Palestine to resume negotiations. - October 11 - The Cabinet of IsraelIsraelThe State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
approves the Gilad Shalit prisoner exchangeGilad Shalit prisoner exchangeThe Gilad Shalit prisoner exchange followed an agreement between Israel and Hamas to release Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit in exchange for 1,027 prisoners – mainly Palestinians and Arab-Israelis, though among the prisoners released there was also a Ukrainian prisoner, a Jordanian prisoner, and a...
. - October 18 - Israel and HamasHamasHamas is the Palestinian Sunni Islamic or Islamist political party that governs the Gaza Strip. Hamas also has a military wing, the Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades...
begin a major prisoner swapGilad Shalit prisoner exchangeThe Gilad Shalit prisoner exchange followed an agreement between Israel and Hamas to release Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit in exchange for 1,027 prisoners – mainly Palestinians and Arab-Israelis, though among the prisoners released there was also a Ukrainian prisoner, a Jordanian prisoner, and a...
in which the Israeli Army soldier Gilad ShalitGilad ShalitGilad Shalit is an Israeli – French citizen and Israel Defense Forces soldier. On 25 June 2006, he was captured inside Israel by Hamas militants in a cross-border raid via underground tunnels near the border with Gaza. The Hamas militants held him for over five years, until he was released on...
, who had been held in captivity for over five years, is released in exchange for 1,027 Palestinian and Israeli Arab prisoners held in Israel, of whom 477 prisoners are released immediately, including 280 serving life sentencesLife imprisonmentLife imprisonment is a sentence of imprisonment for a serious crime under which the convicted person is to remain in jail for the rest of his or her life...
for planning and perpetrating terror attacks, and 550 prisoners are to be released in December 2011.
Notable Palestinian militant operations against Israeli targets
The most prominent Palestinian militant acts and operations
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...
committed against Israeli targets during 2011 include:
- March 12 – Itamar attack: Two PalestinianPalestinePalestine is a conventional name, among others, used to describe the geographic region between the Mediterranean Sea and the Jordan River, and various adjoining lands....
teens armed with knives infiltrated 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...
settlement of Itamar and stabbed to death five Israeli family members, including the parents and three of their children, aged 11, 3 and a four month old infant. - March 23 – 2011 Jerusalem bus bombing: an explosive device which was placed in a suitcase on the sidewalk, is exploded next to bus number 74 near the Jerusalem International Convention CenterInternational Convention Center (Jerusalem)The International Convention Centre , commonly known as Binyenei HaUma , is a concert hall and conventional center in Giv'at Ram in Jerusalem, Israel. It is the largest convention center in the Middle East...
complex. A woman is killed in the explosion and at least 50 people are injured. - April 4 – Israeli actor and peace activist Juliano Mer-KhamisJuliano Mer-KhamisJuliano Mer-Khamis was an Israeli actor, director, filmmaker and political activist of Jewish and Christian Arab parentage. On 4 April 2011, he was assassinated by a masked gunman in the Palestinian city of Jenin, where he established the Freedom Theatre....
, of both Jewish and Christian ArabPalestinian ChristianPalestinian Christians are Arabic-speaking Christians descended from the people of the geographical area of Palestine. Within Palestine, there are churches and believers from many Christian denominations, including Oriental Orthodoxy, Eastern Orthodoxy, Catholic , Protestant, and others...
origin, is gunned down in 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...
by masked militants. - April 7 – 2011 Israeli school bus anti-tank missile attack: An anti-tank missile fired from the Gaza Strip hits a school bus, moderately wounding the bus driver, and critically injuring a 16 year boy who later died of his wounds.
- August 18 – 2011 southern Israel attacks: Eight people were killed and dozens are injured in southern Israel after a string of terrorist attacks on a highway targeting two civilian buses and cars as well a military bus responding to the attacks. Although no organization took responsibility for the attacks the Israeli security establishment blamed the The Popular Resistance Committees (PRC) in Gaza for carrying out the attacks. In retaliation, Israel launched an air raid on the town of RafahRafahRafah , also known as Rafiah, is a Palestinian city in the southern Gaza Strip. Located south of Gaza, Rafah's population of 71,003 is overwhelmingly made up of Palestinian refugees. Rafah camp and Tall as-Sultan form separate localities. Rafah is the district capital of the Rafah Governorate...
in which six Palestinians militants from the Popular Resistance Committee were killed, among them two seniors in the organization. - August 29 – 2011 Tel Aviv nightclub attack2011 Tel Aviv nightclub attackThe 2011 Tel Aviv nightclub attack was a combined vehicle attack and stabbing attack carried out on 01:50 am August 29, 2011 in which a Palestinian attacker stole an Israeli taxi cab and rammed it into a police checkpoint guarding the popular Haoman 17 nightclub in Tel Aviv which was filled with...
: a 20-year-old Palestinian stole an Israeli taxiTaxicabA taxicab, also taxi or cab, is a type of vehicle for hire with a driver, used by a single passenger or small group of passengers, often for a non-shared ride. A taxicab conveys passengers between locations of their choice...
cab and rammed it into a police checkpoint guarding the popular Haoman 17Haoman 17Haoman 17 is a chain of nightclubs in Israel.Haoman 17 in Jerusalem has been rated one of the top night clubs in the world. International DJs often play at the club, which is open on Thursday and Friday nights.- History :...
nightclubNightclubA nightclub is an entertainment venue which usually operates late into the night...
in Tel AvivTel AvivTel Aviv , officially Tel Aviv-Yafo , is the second most populous city in Israel, with a population of 404,400 on a land area of . The city is located on the Israeli Mediterranean coastline in west-central Israel. It is the largest and most populous city in the metropolitan area of Gush Dan, with...
which was filled with 2,000 Israeli teenagers. After crashing into the checkpoint, the attacker jumped out of the vehicle and began stabbing several people. Five civilians and four police officers were injured in the attack.
Notable Israeli military operations against Palestinian militancy targets
The most prominent Israeli counter-terrorist
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 2011 include:
- March 15 – The Israeli Navy intercepts the cargo ship "VictoriaVictoria AffairThe Victoria Affair was a military action by Israel in March 2011 in which the Israeli Navy intercepted the German-owned, Liberian-flagged vessel Victoria on the high seas, and discovered concealed weapons which, according to IDF, were destined for Palestinian militant organizations in the Gaza...
" which was carrying a long list of advanced weapons that were smuggled from IranIranIran , officially the Islamic Republic of Iran , is a country in Southern and Western Asia. The name "Iran" has been in use natively since the Sassanian era and came into use internationally in 1935, before which the country was known to the Western world as Persia...
and were allegedly bound for the militant organizations operating in the Gaza StripGaza Stripthumb|Gaza city skylineThe Gaza Strip lies on the Eastern coast of the Mediterranean Sea. The Strip borders Egypt on the southwest and Israel on the south, east and north. It is about long, and between 6 and 12 kilometres wide, with a total area of...
. - March 16 – 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...
attacks a training site of the Palestinian militant group Al Qassam brigadesIzz ad-Din al-Qassam BrigadesThe Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades is the military wing of the Palestinian Islamist fundamentalist socio-political organisation Hamas. Created in 1992, under the direction of Yahya Ayyash, the primary objective of the group was to build a coherent military organisation to support the goals of...
in the southern part of GazaGazaGaza , also referred to as Gaza City, is a Palestinian city in the Gaza Strip, with a population of about 450,000, making it the largest city in the Palestinian territories.Inhabited since at least the 15th century BC,...
city in response to a rocket launched from the Gaza Strip at the Israeli southern communities in the Sdot Negev Regional CouncilSdot Negev Regional CouncilSdot Negev Regional Council , formerly known as Azata Regional Council is a regional council in the north-western Negev desert in the South District of Israel. Established in 1951, it covers two kibbutzim, 12 moshavim and two communal settlements...
in the southern district of Israel. Palestinians reported that three people were killed in the attack and three were wounded.
Predicted and scheduled events
- The MetronitMetronitThe Metronit , will be a new bus rapid transit system in Haifa, Israel, using the Phileas concept. This bus line is unique to Israel in that it will use bi-articulated buses on specific routes...
in HaifaHaifaHaifa is the largest city in northern Israel, and the third-largest city in the country, with a population of over 268,000. Another 300,000 people live in towns directly adjacent to the city including the cities of the Krayot, as well as, Tirat Carmel, Daliyat al-Karmel and Nesher...
is set to be completed. - The construction of the West Bank barrierIsraeli West Bank barrierThe Israeli West Bank barrier is a separation barrier being constructed by the State of Israel along and within the West Bank. Upon completion, the barrier’s total length will be approximately...
will be completed.
Notable deaths
- January 3 – Yosef ShiloachYosef ShiloachYosef Shiloach was a Kurdish Jews film actor. Shiloach was considered by many in Israel one of the nation's most beloved actors, mostly thanks to his parts in many Bourekas Films, a series of films made primarily in the 1970s, portraying the life of Sepharadim in an exaggerated comic manner,...
(b. 1941), Iranian-born Israeli actor. - January 11 – Ze'ev SegalZe'ev SegalZe'ev Segal was an Israeli lawyer, a professor of law at Tel Aviv University and a legal analyst for the newspaper Haaretz.- Biography :...
(b. 19471947 in the British Mandate of PalestineEvents in the year 1947 in the British Mandate of Palestine.-Events:* 7 January – The founding of the kibbutz Mivtahim.* 26 January - Irgun members kidnap a British intelligence officer two days before the planned execution date of the Irgun member Dov Gruner.* 27 January - Irgun members kidnap...
), Israeli jurist and journalist. - January 13 – Tuviah Friedman (b. 1922), Polish-born Israeli Nazi hunterNazi hunterA Nazi-hunter is a private individual who tracks down and gathers information on alleged former Nazis, SS members and Nazi collaborators involved in the Holocaust, typically for use at trial on charges of war crimes and crimes against humanity...
. - January 14 – David CorenDavid CorenDavid Coren was a former Israeli politician who served as a member of the Knesset for the Alignment between 1969 and 1977.-Biography:Born in Jerusalem in 1917, Coren was educated at the Hebrew Gymnasium in his home city, before studying at a Teachers Seminary in Ramat Rachel and for a year at the...
(b. 1917), Israeli politician. - January 20 – Sonya Peres (b. 1923), Ukrainian-born wife of PresidentPresident 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...
Shimon PeresShimon PeresGCMG 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...
. - February 10 – Michael HarsegorMichael HarsegorMichael Harsegor was an Israeli historian and a professor of history at the Tel Aviv University. Harsegor's expertise was in the history of Europe in the late Middle Ages.- Biography :...
(b. 1924), Romanian-born Israeli historian. - February 24 – Jerrold KesselJerrold KesselYoram Jerrold Kessel was a South African-born Israeli journalist, sports journalist, author and foreign correspondent. Kessel, a former news editor for the Jerusalem Post, reported on the Middle East for CNN from its Jerusalem bureau from 1990 to 2003, when he became recognizable to viewers for...
(b. 19451945 in South Africa-Events:* May - Jan Smuts, Prime Minister of South Africa, represented South Africa in San Francisco at the drafting of the United Nations Charter* 22 May - The South African Bureau of Standards is established-Births:...
), South African-born Israeli journalist and author. - February 28 – Netiva Ben-YehudaNetiva Ben-YehudaNetiva Ben Yehuda was an Israeli author, editor and media personality. She was a commander in the pre-state Jewish underground, Palmach.-Biography:...
(b. 19281928 in the British Mandate of PalestineEvents in the year 1928 in the British Mandate of Palestine.-Incumbents:* High Commissioner - Herbert Onslow Plumer until 6 December; Sir John Chancellor* Emir of Transjordan - Abdullah I bin al-Hussein...
), Israeli author and radio personality. - March 12 – Tawfik ToubiTawfik Toubi-Biography:Toubi was born in Haifa to an Arab Orthodox family in 1922, and was educated at the Mount Zion School in Jerusalem. He joined the Palestine Communist Party in 1941 and later was one of the founders of the League for National Liberation, which originally opposed partition of Palestine but...
(b. 19221922 in the British Mandate of PalestineEvents in the year 1922 in the British Mandate of Palestine.-Incumbents:* High Commissioner - Sir Herbert Louis Samuel* Emir of Transjordan - Abdullah I bin al-Hussein* Prime Minister of Transjordan - Mazhar Raslan until 10 March; 'Ali Rida Basha al-Rikabi...
), Israeli Arab communist politician. - March 14 – Giora LeshemGiora LeshemGiora Leshem was an award-winning Israeli poet and translator and one of the founders of the Keshev poetry publishing house. At the time of his death, Keshev was the largest independent book publisher in Israel.- Education and experience :Leshem was born in Tel Aviv, British Mandate Palestine...
(b. 19401940 in the British Mandate of PalestineEvents in the year 1940 in the British Mandate of Palestine.-Incumbents:* High Commissioner - Sir Harold MacMichael* Emir of Transjordan - Abdullah I bin al-Hussein* Prime Minister of Transjordan - Tawfik Abu al-Huda-Events:...
), Israeli poet and publisher. - March 18 – Ze'ev BoimZe'ev BoimZe'ev Boim was an Israeli politician. He was the mayor of Kiryat Gat before becoming a Knesset member for Likud and later Kadima. Boim was Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Minister of Housing and Construction and Minister of Immigrant Absorption....
(b. 19431943 in the British Mandate of PalestineEvents in the year 1943 in the British Mandate of Palestine.-Incumbents:* High Commissioner – Sir Harold MacMichael* Emir of Transjordan – Abdullah I bin al-Hussein* Prime Minister of Transjordan - Tawfik Abu al-Huda-Events:...
), Israeli 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...
member. - March 22 – Reuven SheferReuven SheferReuven Shefer was an Israeli theater and film actor.Shefer was born in Tel Aviv in 1925. In 1957 Shefer joined the band "The Theatre Club Quartet" . Shefer played through two decades in the Giora Godik Theater and the Haifa Theatre and in 1973 he joined the Cameri Theater...
(b. 19251925 in the British Mandate of PalestineEvents in the year 1925 in the British Mandate of Palestine.-Incumbents:* High Commissioner - Sir Herbert Louis Samuel until 30 June; Herbert Onslow Plumer* Emir of Transjordan - Abdullah I bin al-Hussein...
)), Israeli actor. - March 30 – Jacques AmirJacques AmirYa'akov Jacques Amir was a former Israeli politician who served as a member of the Knesset for the Alignment between 1974 and 1988.-Biography:...
(b. 1933), Moroccan-born Israeli politician. - March 30 – Tamar GolanTamar GolanTamar Golan was an Israeli journalist and diplomat, who was known especially for her work to promote relations between Israel and African nations, and for her effort to increase knowledge and awareness to African culture in Israel....
(b. 19251925 in the British Mandate of PalestineEvents in the year 1925 in the British Mandate of Palestine.-Incumbents:* High Commissioner - Sir Herbert Louis Samuel until 30 June; Herbert Onslow Plumer* Emir of Transjordan - Abdullah I bin al-Hussein...
)), Israeli journalist and diplomat. - April 4 – Juliano Mer-KhamisJuliano Mer-KhamisJuliano Mer-Khamis was an Israeli actor, director, filmmaker and political activist of Jewish and Christian Arab parentage. On 4 April 2011, he was assassinated by a masked gunman in the Palestinian city of Jenin, where he established the Freedom Theatre....
(b. 19581958 in Israel-Incumbents:* Prime Minister of Israel – David Ben-Gurion * President of Israel – Yitzhak Ben-Zvi* Chief of General Staff - Moshe Dayan until January 29, Haim Laskov...
), Israeli actor, director, filmmaker and political activist of Jewish and Arab origin. - April 25 – Avraham Tiar (b. 1924), Tunisian-born Israeli politician.
- May 1 – Moshe LandauMoshe LandauMoshe Landau was an Israeli jurist. He was the fifth President of the Supreme Court of Israel.-Biography:Landau was born in Danzig, Germany to Dr. Isaac Landau and Betty née Eisenstädt...
(b. 19121912 in Germany-National level:* Kaiser - Wilhelm II* Chancellor - Theobald von Bethmann-Hollweg-Kingdoms:* King of Bavaria - Otto of Bavaria* King of Prussia - Kaiser Wilhelm II* King of Saxony - Frederick Augustus III of Saxony...
), German-born Israeli jurist and president of the Supreme Court of Israel. - May 5 – Yosef Merimovich (b. 1924), CypriotCyprusCyprus , officially the Republic of Cyprus , is a Eurasian island country, member of the European Union, in the Eastern Mediterranean, east of Greece, south of Turkey, west of Syria and north of Egypt. It is the third largest island in the Mediterranean Sea.The earliest known human activity on the...
-born Israeli football player and manager. - May 20 – Arieh HandlerArieh HandlerArieh Handler was a Zionist leader. He was most famous for the being one of the main founders of the Religious Zionist movement in the UK as well as being the last person alive to have been present at the declaration of the State of Israel.Arieh Handler was born in Bohemia and grew up in Germany...
(b. 1915), Israeli Zionist leader. - May 24 – Arthur GoldreichArthur GoldreichArthur Goldreich was a South African-Israeli abstract painter and a key figure in the anti-apartheid movement in the country of his birth.-Early life:...
(b. 19291929 in South Africa-Events:* June 14 - The National Party under James Barry Munnik Hertzog wins the South African general election with an outright majority for their second consecutive term...
), South African-born Israeli political activist. - June 3 – Sammy OferSammy OferSammy Ofer KBE was a businessman, shipping tycoon and one of the wealthiest people in Israel, although most of his time he spent abroad, and managed his businesses from Monte Carlo in Monaco...
(b. 1922), Romanian-born Israeli businessman and the richest man in Israel at the time of his death. - June 7 – Gavriel TsifroniGavriel TsifroniGavriel Tsifroni was an Israeli journalist.- Biography :Tsifroni was born in Vilna in 1914. At the age of three he immigrated to Mandate Palestine with his family, which moved to Tel Aviv. From the age of 14 he worked in a bakery delivering bread to the residents of the town...
(b. 1914), Russian (Lithuania)-born Israeli journalist. - June 7 – Haim YisraeliHaim Yisraeli- Biography :Yisraeli was born in 1927 in the town of Motal in Belarus . He was named after his uncle Rabbi Meir Haim Dolenko , the rabbi of Motal ....
(b. 1927), Polish-born Israeli civil servant. - June 10 – Al Schwimmer (b. 19171917 in the United States-January–March:* January 1 – The University of Oregon defeats the University of Pennsylvania 14–0 in college football's 3rd Annual Rose Bowl.* January 11 – German saboteurs set off the Kingsland Explosion at Kingsland, New Jersey , one of the events leading to U.S...
), American-born Israeli businessman, founder of Israel Aerospace Industries. - June 16 – Yehuda KielYehuda KielYehuda Kiel was an Israeli educator and Bible commentator.-Biography:Kiel was born in Saint Petersburg, Russia in 1916. Following the Russian Revolution, he moved with his family to Panevėžys, Lithuania and later to Latvia.In 1936, Kiel emigrated to Mandate Palestine...
(b. 1916), Russian-born Israeli educator and bible commentator. - June 17 – Nathan SharonNathan Sharon-Biography:Sharon was born in 1925 in Brest-Litovsk, then in Poland . He emigrated to Mandate Palestine with his family in 1934 and settled in Tel Aviv...
(b. 1925), Polish-born Israeli biochemist. - June 27 – Michel Yehuda LefkowitzMichel Yehuda LefkowitzMichel Yehuda Lefkowitz was a respected Haredi Lithuanian Torah leader and rosh yeshiva in Bnei Brak, Israel, for over 70 years. He was a maggid shiur at Yeshivas Tiferes Tzion from 1940 to 2011 and rosh yeshiva of Yeshivas Ponovezh L’Tzeirim from 1954 to 2009, raising thousands of students...
(b. 1913), Russian (Belarus)-born Israeli rabbi. - July 29 – Elazar AbuhatzeiraElazar AbuhatzeiraElazar Abuhatzeira was an Orthodox Sefardi rabbi and kabbalist, known among his followers as the "Baba Elazar."He was born in Rissani, Morocco to Meir and Simcha Abuhatzeira, was the grandson of the Baba Sali, Rabbi Yisrael Abuhatzeira, and the brother of Rabbi David Chai Abuhatzeira of...
(b. c.1941), Moroccan-born orthodox Sephardi rabbi. - July 29 – Shulamit Shamir (b. 1923), Bulgarian-born wife of former prime minister Yitzhak ShamirYitzhak Shamir' is a former Israeli politician, the seventh Prime Minister of Israel, in 1983–84 and 1986–92.-Biography:Icchak Jeziernicky was born in Ruzhany , Russian Empire . He studied at a Hebrew High School in Białystok, Poland. As a youth he joined Betar, the Revisionist Zionist youth movement...
. - August 5 – Adi TalmorAdi Talmor- Biography :Talmor was born and raised in Ramat Gan to Jewish immigrant parents who were Holocaust survivors. During Talmor's childhood, his father changed the family's surname to the Hebrew name "Talmor"....
(b. 19531953 in Israel-Incumbents:* Prime Minister of Israel – David Ben-Gurion * President of Israel – Yitzhak Ben-Zvi* Chief of General Staff - Mordechai Maklef until December 6, Moshe Dayan* Government of Israel - 4th Government of Israel-Events:...
), Israeli journalist and news presenter. - August 11 – Noah FlugNoah FlugNoah Flug was an Israeli economist, diplomat and advocate for the rights of Holocaust survivors.-Biography:Flug was born in Lodz, Poland. During the Second World War he was a resident of the Lodz ghetto, from which he was transferred in 1944 to Auschwitz...
(b. 1925), Polish-born Israeli economist, advocate for rights of Holocaust survivors. - August 20 – Rafael HalperinRafael HalperinRafael Halperin was a prominent Israeli businessman and the author of several religious books and an encyclopedia. In the 1950s, he worked in the United States as a professional wrestler in Vince McMahon Sr.'s Capitol Wrestling in the 1950s...
(b. 1924), Austrian-born Israeli businessman, rabbi and former professional wrestler. - August 29 – Ayala Zacks-AbramovAyala Zacks-AbramovAyala Zacks-Abramov 1912 – 30 August 2011) was an Israeli-Canadian art collector. Ayala was widowed three times, and was previously married to the Canadian art collector Samuel Jacob Sachs and ti the knesset member Zalman Abramov.-Biography:...
(b. 1912), Israeli art patron. - September 6 – Dan DavidDan David-Biography:Dan David was born to a Jewish family in Bucharest, Romania. He joined a Zionist youth movement at the age of 16. After studying economics at university, he worked for Romanian television and became a press photographer. In 1958, his newspaper asked him to travel to West Germany on an...
(b. 1929), Romanian-born Israeli businessman and philanthropist. - September 11 – Yuli OferYuli OferJudah "Yuli" Ofer was an Israeli businessman who specialized in the field of real estate and industry, and one of the wealthiest people in Israel...
(b. 1924), Romanian-born Israeli businessman and entrepreneur. - September 26 – Michael ShorMichael ShorMichael Shor 1920 – 26 September 2011) was an Israeli engineer who served for 17 years as the CEO of Israel Military Industries , and was twice the recipient of the Israel Defense Prize.- Biography :...
(b. 1920), Soviet (Ukraine)-born Israeli security official, former CEO of Israel Military IndustriesIsrael Military IndustriesIsrael Weapons Industries , formerly the "Magen" division of the Israel Military Industries Ltd. is an Israeli firearms manufacturer. In 2005, the Small Arms Division of IMI was privatized....
. - September 27 – Ida FinkIda FinkIda Fink 1 November 1921 – 27 September 2011) was an Israeli Polish-language Jewish author who wrote about the Holocaust.-Biography:Ida Fink was born in Zbaraż, Poland in 1 November 1921. Her father was a physician, and her mother worked as a teacher in a local school. She was a student of...
(b. 1921), Polish-born Israeli author. - October 2 – Moshe WertmanMoshe WertmanMoshe Wertman 20 February 1924 – 2 October 2011) was an Israeli politician who served as a member of the Knesset for the Alignment and Labor Party between 1966 and 1977.-Biography:...
(b. 1924), Polish-born Israeli politician. - October 2 - Taha Muhammad AliTaha Muhammad AliTaha Muhammad Ali was a Palestinian poet.-Biography:Taha Muhammad Ali fled to Lebanon with his family when he was seventeen after their village came under heavy bombardment during the 1948 Arab-Israeli War. The following year, he returned to Nazareth, where he lived till his death...
(b. 19311931 in the British Mandate of PalestineEvents in the year 1931 in the British Mandate of Palestine.-Incumbents:* High Commissioner - Sir John Chancellor until 20 November; Sir Arthur Grenfell Wauchope* Emir of Transjordan - Abdullah I bin al-Hussein...
), Arab-Israeli poet. - October 4 – Hanan PoratHanan Porat-External links:...
(b. 19431943 in the British Mandate of PalestineEvents in the year 1943 in the British Mandate of Palestine.-Incumbents:* High Commissioner – Sir Harold MacMichael* Emir of Transjordan – Abdullah I bin al-Hussein* Prime Minister of Transjordan - Tawfik Abu al-Huda-Events:...
), Israeli rabbi, educator and politician. - October 4 – Shmuel ShiloShmuel Shilo-Biography:Shmuel Shilo was born in Lutsk, Poland. He was a prisoner in a Nazi labor camp before escaping and hiding in the forests amongst partisans. After reuniting with his sister, in 1946 the two made their way to Palestine. He was a member of Palmach and was a founding member of Kibbutz...
(b. 1929), Polish-born Israeli actor and director. - October 7 – Avner TreininAvner TreininAvner Treinin was an Israeli poet and professor of physical chemistry at the Hebrew University in Jerusalem.-Biography:Treinin was born in Tel Aviv on February 14, 1928. At the age of two his family moved to Jerusalem...
(b. 19281928 in the British Mandate of PalestineEvents in the year 1928 in the British Mandate of Palestine.-Incumbents:* High Commissioner - Herbert Onslow Plumer until 6 December; Sir John Chancellor* Emir of Transjordan - Abdullah I bin al-Hussein...
), Israeli poet and chemist. - October 23 – Amnon SalomonAmnon SalomonAmnon Salomon was an Israeli film cinematographer. He was a recipient of the Ophir Award for cinematography.- Biography :Salomon was born in Tel Aviv in 1940....
(b. 19401940 in the British Mandate of PalestineEvents in the year 1940 in the British Mandate of Palestine.-Incumbents:* High Commissioner - Sir Harold MacMichael* Emir of Transjordan - Abdullah I bin al-Hussein* Prime Minister of Transjordan - Tawfik Abu al-Huda-Events:...
), Israeli cinematographer. - November 6 – Peretz KidronPeretz KidronPeretz Kidron was an Israeli pacifist, writer, journalist, and translator.-Biography:Born in Vienna, his family moved to Great Britain following the annexation of Austria into Nazi Germany. After completing his secondary education he emigrated to Israel, where he lived for 20 years in Kibbutz...
(b. 1933), Austrian-born Israeli writer, journalist and translator. - November 7 – Dov Schwartzman (b. 1921), Russian-born Haredi rabbi and rosh yeshivaRosh yeshivaRosh yeshiva, , , is the title given to the dean of a Talmudical academy . It is made up of the Hebrew words rosh — meaning head, and yeshiva — a school of religious Jewish education...
in Jerusalem. - November 8 - Nosson Tzvi FinkelNosson Tzvi Finkel (Mir)Nosson Tzvi Finkel was an American-born Haredi Litvish rabbi and rosh yeshiva of the Mir Yeshiva in Jerusalem, Israel. During his tenure from 1990 until his death in 2011, he built the Mir into the largest yeshiva in Israel with nearly 6,000 undergraduate students and over 1,600 avreichim...
(b. 19431943 in the United States-January:* January 4 – Culbert Olson, 29th Governor of California, is succeeded by Earl Warren.* January 11 – The United States and United Kingdom give up territorial rights in China.* January 14 – The Casablanca Conference, where Franklin D...
), American-born Haredi rabbiRabbiIn Judaism, a rabbi is a teacher of Torah. This title derives from the Hebrew word רבי , meaning "My Master" , which is the way a student would address a master of Torah...
and rosh yeshiva (dean) of the Mir YeshivaMir yeshiva (Jerusalem)The Mir yeshiva , known as the Mirrer Yeshiva or The Mir, is an Orthodox Jewish yeshiva in Jerusalem, Israel. With 6,000 students, it is the largest yeshiva in Israel. Many of the students are from the United States and Canada. It is also believed to be the largest yeshiva in the world...
in Jerusalem. - November 9 – Shmuel Ben-ArtziShmuel Ben-ArtziShmuel Ben-Artzi was an Israeli writer, poet and educator. Ben-Artzi was also the father in-law of the Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu.-Biography:...
(b. 1914), Russian (Poland)-born Israeli writer, father in-law of Benjamin NetanyahuBenjamin NetanyahuBenjamin "Bibi" Netanyahu is the current Prime Minister of Israel. He serves also as the Chairman of the Likud Party, as a Knesset member, as the Health Minister of Israel, as the Pensioner Affairs Minister of Israel and as the Economic Strategy Minister of Israel.Netanyahu is the first and, to...
. - November 21 – Eli HurvitzEli HurvitzEli Hurvitz was an Israeli industrialist. He was the Chairman of the Board and former CEO of Teva Pharmaceutical Industries at the time of his death .-Biography:...
(b. 19321932 in the British Mandate of PalestineEvents in the year 1932 in the British Mandate of Palestine.-Incumbents:* High Commissioner - Sir Arthur Grenfell Wauchope* Emir of Transjordan - Abdullah I bin al-Hussein* Prime Minister of Transjordan - Abdallah Sarraj-Events:...
), Israeli industrialist, former Chairman and CEO of Teva Pharmaceutical IndustriesTeva Pharmaceutical IndustriesTeva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd. , is an international pharmaceutical company headquartered in Petah Tikva, Israel. It specializes in generic and proprietary pharmaceuticals and active pharmaceutical ingredients...
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Major public holidays
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Jerusalem Day Jerusalem Day is an Israeli national holiday commemorating the reunification of Jerusalem and the establishment of Israeli control over the Old City in June 1967... – nightfall, May 31 to nightfall, June 1 Shavuot The festival of is a Jewish holiday that occurs on the sixth day of the Hebrew month of Sivan .... – sunset, June 7 to nightfall, June 8 (a second day is observed outside Israel) Seventeenth of Tammuz The Seventeenth of Tammuz is a minor Jewish fast day commemorating the breach of the walls of Jerusalem before the destruction of the Second Temple. It falls on the 17th day of the Hebrew month of Tammuz and marks the beginning of the three-week mourning period leading up to Tisha B'Av.The day... – July 19 (dawn to nightfall) Tisha B'Av |Av]],") is an annual fast day in Judaism, named for the ninth day of the month of Av in the Hebrew calendar. The fast commemorates the destruction of both the First Temple and Second Temple in Jerusalem, which occurred about 655 years apart, but on the same Hebrew calendar date... – sunset, August 8 to nightfall, August 9 Rosh Hashanah Rosh Hashanah , , is the Jewish New Year. It is the first of the High Holy Days or Yamim Nora'im which occur in the autumn... – sunset, September 28 to nightfall, September 30 Fast of Gedalia The Fast of Gedalia , also spelled Gedaliah, is a Jewish fast day from dawn until dusk to lament the assassination of the righteous governor of Judah of that name, which ended Jewish rule following the destruction of the First Temple.-Origins:... – October 2 (dawn to nightfall) Yom Kippur Yom Kippur , also known as Day of Atonement, is the holiest and most solemn day of the year for the Jews. Its central themes are atonement and repentance. Jews traditionally observe this holy day with a 25-hour period of fasting and intensive prayer, often spending most of the day in synagogue... – sunset, October 7 to nightfall, October 8 Sukkot Sukkot is a Biblical holiday celebrated on the 15th day of the month of Tishrei . It is one of the three biblically mandated festivals Shalosh regalim on which Hebrews were commanded to make a pilgrimage to the Temple in Jerusalem.The holiday lasts seven days... and Chol HaMoed Sukkot Chol HaMoed Chol HaMoed, a Hebrew phrase meaning "weekdays [of] the festival" , refers to the intermediate days of Passover and Sukkot. During Chol HaMoed the usual restrictions that apply to the Biblical Jewish holidays are relaxed, but not entirely eliminated... – sunset, October 13 to sunset, October 19 Simchat Torah Simchat Torah or Simḥath Torah is a celebration marking the conclusion of the annual cycle of public Torah readings, and the beginning of a new cycle... /Shemini Atzeret Shemini Atzeret Shemini Atzeret is a Jewish holiday. It is celebrated on the 22nd day of the Hebrew month of Tishrei. In the Diaspora, an additional day is celebrated, the second day being separately referred to as Simchat Torah... – sunset, October 19 to nightfall, October 20 (a second day is observed outside Israel) Hanukkah Hanukkah , also known as the Festival of Lights, is an eight-day Jewish holiday commemorating the rededication of the Holy Temple in Jerusalem at the time of the Maccabean Revolt of the 2nd century BCE... – nightfall, December 20 to nightfall, December 28 |
See also
- 2007–present blockade of the Gaza Strip
- List of Palestinian rocket attacks on Israel, 2011
- List of violent incidents in the Israeli–Palestinian conflict, 2011
- 2011 in the Palestinian territories2011 in the Palestinian territoriesEvents in the year 2011 in the Palestinian territories.-Incumbents:Palestinian National Authority * President – Mahmoud Abbas * Prime Minister –...