PLO Leader Arafat Calls for Jihad to Recapture Jerusalem
In a closed-door address at a Johannesburg mosque, PLO chairman Yasser Arafat delivers a brief speech in which he calls for a jihad to liberate Jerusalem.
Agreement on the Gaza Strip and Jericho Area Is Signed
The Agreement on the Gaza Strip and Jericho Area, the first of its kind to grant Palestinians a measure of autonomy, is signed by Yitzhak Rabin and Yasser Arafat in a ceremony in Cairo.
PLO and Israel Recognize Each Other’s ExistenceCIE+
After nine months of secret contacts mediated by Norwegian diplomats, the PLO and Israel recognize each other’s existence.
Mubarak Chastises Arab States for Not Negotiating With Israel
Delivering a Labor Day speech in Cairo that is broadcast on Egyptian radio, Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak discusses issues relating to the peace process.
Madrid Middle East Peace Conference ConvenesCIE+
The Soviet Union and the United States convene the Madrid Middle East Peace Conference, based on a two-track approach for bi-lateral as well as multi-lateral talks.
King Hussein Drops Claims to West BankCIE+
King Hussein of Jordan announces his intention to politically disengage from the West Bank, leaving the PLO to fill the political vacuum.
PLO Militant Abu Jihad Is Killed at Home in TunisCIE+
PLO leader Khalil al-Wazir, the architect of a number notorious terrorist attacks against Israelis, is killed by Israeli Special Forces in his home in Tunis.
First Intifada Breaks OutCIE+
December 9, 1987 Riots erupt in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank in what comes to be recognized as the start of the First Intifada, an Arabic word meaning “awakening” or “uprising.” The immediate…
Arabs Stage National Equality StrikeCIE+
June 24, 1987 Arabs across Israel hold an Equality Day strike, organized by the National Committee of Local Arab Council Heads, to demand an end to all discrimination against Israel’s 700,000 Arabs, who at the…
Egged Bus 300 Is HijackedCIE+
Egged bus 300 traveling from Tel Aviv to Ashkelon is attacked by four Palestinian terrorists. They take the forty passengers hostage.
Abu Musa Declares a Palestinian Revolt Against Arafat
Palestinian militant factions unsuccessfully challenge Arafat’s control during the First Lebanon War.
Palestinian Terrorists Attack Jewish Restaurant in ParisCIE+
Chez Jo Goldberg, a Jewish deli in Paris, is attacked by two terrorists wielding grenades and machine guns. Six people are killed and twenty-two injured. The attack is believed to have been planned and carried out by the Abu Nidal Organization, an international Palestinian terrorist group.
Israel Passes Basic Law on JerusalemCIE+
In 1950, the Knesset passes a law that states, “Whereas with establishment of the state of Israel, Jerusalem once more becomes the capital.” In 1980, the Knesset elevates the law to a Basic Law, giving the political status of Jerusalem increased legislative weight.
High Court Rules Against Settlement for First TimeCIE+
The Israeli Supreme Court rules on an appeal by Arab landowners that the Gush Emunim settlement of Elon Moreh must be dismantled because of a lack of evidence that it was established for security reasons.
U.S. Sympathizes With Israel’s Fear of Palestinian State
After Egyptian President Sadat’s historic visit to Jerusalem in November 1977, the United States seeks to move negotiations closer to an agreement between Israel and Egypt.
38 Killed in Coastal Road MassacreCIE+
A group of eleven Palestinian terrorists, who had departed from Lebanon by boat, land on a beachhead north of Tel Aviv and embark on one of the worst terrorist attacks in Israel’s history.
6 Israeli Arabs Killed in Land ProtestsCIE+
March 30, 1976 Protests against the recently announced expropriation of Arab land in the Galilee turn into riots that result in the deaths of six Israeli Arabs and injuries to hundreds of Arab civilians and…
PLO Attacks Savoy HotelCIE+
March 6, 1975 An eight-man Palestine Liberation Organization raid planned by Abu Nidal hits the beach in Tel Aviv around 11 p.m. and, after being spotted by police, attacks the Savoy Hotel. The terrorists kill…
Israeli Commandos Raid BeirutCIE+
April 9, 1973 Israeli commandos conduct a seaborne night raid on Beirut to kill three leaders in the Palestine Liberation Organization and its Black September wing, the terrorist group responsible for the Munich Olympics massacre…
King Hussein Proposes Federal PlanCIE+
In a radio address delivered to the Jordanian people on Amman Radio, Jordan’s King Hussein proposes a federal solution to the Arab-Israeli conflict.
Jordan’s Army Moves to Drive Out PLOCIE+
September 17, 1970 King Hussein sends the Jordanian army to attack the headquarters of Palestinian militant groups in and around the capital, Amman, and the city of Irbid, where the militants, known as fedayeen, had…
Allon Proposes Home Rule for West BankCIE+
Deputy Prime Minister Yigal Allon, a former IDF general, reveals in remarks to the Foreign Press Association of Israel his plan for “home rule” for Arabs living in the West Bank.
Arson Burns Al-AqsaCIE+
August 21, 1969 A new immigrant to Israel, Denis Michael Rohan, sets fire to Al-Aqsa mosque in Jerusalem. Born and raised in Australia, Rohan moved to Israel only a few months before the attack. He…
Arab Knesset Member Hanin Zoabi Is Born
May 23, 1969 Pioneering Knesset member Hanin Zoabi is born into a Muslim family in Nazareth. Zoabi earns a bachelor’s in philosophy and psychology from the University of Haifa and a master’s from the Hebrew…
