Israeli History in Brief

This timeline highlights significant dates in Israel's 60 year history.
Israel is Born historic newspaper.

• December 27, 2008 – Hamas decides not to resume a cease-fire with Israel and fires rockets into southern Israel . The IDF strike back at Hamas in the Gaza Strip through 'Operation Cast Lead'.
• October 26, 2008 - Kadima leader Tzipi Livni fails to form a coaltion, ask President Shimon Peres to call general elections.
• September 21, 2008 - Prime Minister Ehud Olmert officially resigns from office; he will head an interim government until a new prime minister is sworn in.
• September 17, 2008 - Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni wins in the Kadima Party's primary, beating Shaul Mofaz.
• July 16, 2008 – Israel concludes a deal with Hizbullah which sees Samir Kuntar and four Lebanese prisoners for the bodies of Goldwasser and Regev
• November 27, 2007 – The Annapolis Conference attended by Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and U.S. President George W. Bush. The goal of a Palestinian state is signed by all parties to the agreement.
• September 6, 2007 – Israel bombs and destroys a Syrian nuclear facility that had been supplied by the North Koreans
• July 12, 2006 - Second Lebanon War starts when Hezbollah attacks Israeli soldiers patroling alongside the Israel-Lebanon border. Hezbollah captured Ehud Goldwasser and Eldad Regev in the attack.
• June 25, 2006 - In a cross border raid, Hamas captures Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit who is still be held in captive.
• March 29, 2006 - Ehud Olmert's Kadima party wins the election capturing 28 seats; Likud the big loser.
• January 4-5, 2006 – PM Sharon suffers a major stroke; Ehud Olmert becomes assumes the roles of Acting Prime Minister and leader of Kadima.
• December 22, 2005 - Five IDF soldiers injured in Kassam attack on military base south of Ashkelon
• December 19, 2005 - Binyamin Netanyahu wins race for Likud leader
• December 18, 2005 - PM Sharon suffers light strike and is hospitalized for two days
• November 22, 2005 - PM Sharon leaves the Likud to from Kadima, a new centrist party
• November 21, 2005 - New Labor leader, Amir Peretz, pulls out of government forcing new elections
• October 2005 - present - Despite Disengagement, terrorist groups continue to shoot Kassam rockets from Gaza into Israel
• September 13, 2005 - Israel completes the Disengagement
• August 2005 - Israel begins the historic pullout from the Gaza Strip and the West Bank.
• February 20, 2005 - Government approves the new, Supreme Court mandated, route of the Security Fence
• February 8, 2005 - The Disengagement is endorsed by Egypt, Jordan & the PA at a summit with Israel
• October 25, 2004 - Knesset approves the Disengagement Plan
• June 30, 2004 - Supreme Court held that the Security Fence serves an important function in national security, but mandates some changes in the route.
• December 18, 2003 - PM Sharon announces his plan for withdrawing from the Gaza Strip & Northern Samaria
• August 2003 - Government approves the 68km route of the Jerusalem portion of the Security Fence
• April 30, 2003 - The Roadmap plan for peace is announced (sponsored by the UN, the EU, Russia and the US)
• January 28, 2003 - PM Ariel Sharon's Likud party wins election in a landslide
• August 2002 - Government approves northern route of Security Fence
• January 7, 2002 - Party commercial broadcasts begin on Israel's state run TV station
• December 11, 2002 - Finalized list of parties running for election confirmed
• November 28, 2002 - Ariel Sharon defeats Benjamin Netanyahu in Likud primaries on day marked by terrorist attacks against Israelis in Kenya and at Likud polling station in Beit Shean
• November 19, 2002 - Amram Mitzna beats Benjamin Ben-Eliezer in Labor Party primaries and leads Labor against Likud in elections
• November 5, 2002 - Ariel Sharon calls for new elections, date subsequently set for January 28, 2003
• October 2002 - Labor quits national unity government
• June 24, 2002 - President George Bush calls for democratic reforms in the Palestinian Authority and new Palestinian leadership not compromised by terror
• March 29, 2002 - Israel launches Operation Defensive Shield in response to series of brutal suicide bombings including one at a Passover Seder in Netanya
• February 6, 2001 - Ariel Sharon elected prime minister, creates national unity government
• July 23, 2001 - Government approves the building of the Security Fence
• September 29, 2000 - Second intifada launched and waves of suicide bombings and armed attacks begin
• July 11, 2000 - Camp David Summit between Barak and Arafat begins. It ends in failure two weeks later
• May 24, 2000 - Israel withdraws from Lebanon. UN affirms that Israel is now in compliance with relevant UN resolutions regarding Lebanon
• May 17, 1999 - Ehud Barak elected prime minister
• January 1997 - Israel deploys from much of Hebron
• May 29, 1996 - Benjamin Netanyahu elected prime minister
• November 1995 - Israel begins deployment from centers of Palestinian populations
• November 4, 1995 - Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin assassinated at rally designed to show support for peace in the aftermath of terror attacks. Shimon Peres takes over as prime minister
• October 26, 1994 - Israel and Jordan sign peace agreement
• 1994- 1996 - Palestinian terrorists implement campaign of suicide bombers in Israel
• May 1994 - Israelis withdraw from Jericho and most of Gaza Strip
• September 13, 1993 - Signing of Declaration of Principles on White House Lawn
• September 9, 1993 - Israel - PLO mutual recognition agreement
• June 1992 - Labor leader Yitzhak Rabin leads party to victory in general election
• October 30, 1991 - The Madrid Peace Conference convenes. For first time in history Arab states (aside from Egypt) agree to direct, bilateral negotiations with Israel
• January 16, 1991 - The Gulf War begins. Bowing to American pressure, Israel suffers 39 Scud missile attacks without responding
• December 8, 1986 - The intifada begins
• June 1982 - Operation "Peace for Galilee" begins. Ensuing Lebanon war keeps Israeli presence in the country for 18 years
• March 26, 1979 - Egypt and Israel sign formal peace treaty
• November 19, 1977 - Egyptian President Anwar Sadat visits Israel and addresses the Knesset in Jerusalem
• May 1977 - Menachem Begin becomes prime minister of Israel - the first Likud victory in national elections
• October 6, 1973 - Egypt and Syria launch a joint attack against Israel on Yom Kippur. The ensuing Yom Kippur war took a heavy casualty toll on Israel and shook Israeli confidence in its leadership
• Early 1970's - War of Attrition, Egyptian shelling of Israeli positions on the Suez Canal
• September 1967 - The "Three No's" of the Khartoum Conference in which a defeated Nasser set forth the Arab states' political path for the foreseeable future by calling for "No peace with Israel, No negotiations with Israel, No recognition of Israel."
• June 5, 1967 - Six-Day War begins. Israel, facing imminent attack from Egypt, Syria and Jordan, launches pre-emptive strike crippling Egypt's army and capturing the entire Sinai Peninsula. Syria loses the Golan Heights and Jordan Jerusalem and the western bank of the Hashemite Kingdom (the West Bank).
• 1964 - The Palestine Liberation Organization is founded
• October 1956 - Suez Campaign. Israel, together with Britain and France fight Egypt in bid to safeguard free shipping after Nasser "nationalizes" the Suez Canal
• 1950's - Mass immigration to Israel by Jews of Arab lands and remnants of European Jewry
• May 15, 1948 - January 1949 - Israeli War of Independence
• May 14, 1948 - State of Israel declared
• November 29, 1947 - UN Partition Plan approved, calls for Jewish and Arab states

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