Knesset Enacts Tal Law
July 23, 2002 The Knesset votes 51-41 to approve the Tal Law, an effort to address the growing problem of Haredi Jews receiving exemptions from military service. The law, which expires after five years, allows…
Suicide Bomber Kills 15 While Bush, Sharon Meet
May 7, 2002 Prime Minister Ariel Sharon flies home to Israel, cutting short a visit to the United States, after a suicide bomber kills 15 Israelis and wounds 55 others in a pool hall in…
Sharon Singles Out Arafat After Haifa Bombing
March 31, 2002 Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon declares Palestinian Authority President Yasser Arafat “the enemy of Israel and the enemy of the free world” in an angry, five-minute, mid-Passover address to the nation after…
Direct Election Held for Prime Minister
In the only instance in Israel’s history, a direct election is held for Prime Minister without a simultaneous election for the Knesset.
Barak Resigns as Prime Minister
December 10, 2000 Prime Minister Ehud Barak submits his surprise resignation to President Moshe Katsav amid domestic and international political chaos and calls for a special election for prime minister within 60 days rather than…
Law Passed to Prevent Discrimination in Schools
December 4, 2000 The Knesset passes legislation proposed by Ehud Barak, who is Israel’s education minister as well as its prime minister, to prevent discrimination in schools and educational centers. The Pupils’ Rights Law draws…
Leah Rabin Dies
Leah Rabin, peace advocate and widow of slain Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin, passes away at the Rabin Medical Center in Petah Tikvah after battling cancer.
Knesset Passes Environmental Enforcement Law
In a move designed to “make the polluter pay,” according to Environment Minister Raphael Eitan, the Knesset passes the Environmental Enforcement Law.
Ethiopians Protest Dumping of Donated Blood
January 28, 1996 About 10,000 Ethiopian Jews from across Israel demonstrate in Jerusalem against the government’s decision to dispose of blood donated by Ethiopian Israelis. The demonstration outside the office of Prime Minister Shimon Peres…
Matityahu Shmulevitz Passes Away
Matti Shmulevitz, a member of the underground Lehi and an advisor to Menachem Begin, passes away at the age of 75 one day after collapsing during a chess game in Tel Aviv.
Yitzhak Rabin Is Assassinated
Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin, a prominent actor in virtually all of Israel’s modern history, is assassinated by Yigal Amir at a peace rally in Tel Aviv.
Rabin, Arafat Sign Oslo II Agreement
Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin and PLO leader Yasser Arafat sign the Israeli-Palestinian Interim Agreement, sometimes referred to as Oslo II, in a ceremony at the White House.
Aharon Barak Is Appointed Israel’s Supreme Court President
During his term as President, Barak is instrumental in expanding the court’s power, especially in the area of protecting civil liberties and personal freedoms, often from government rulings or military actions.
Full Agranat Report Released
January 1, 1995 The full, 1,500-page Agranat Report, the Israeli government’s official assessment of the Israel Defense Forces’ performance during the October 1973 Middle East war, is released to the public, with the exception of…
Rabin and Peres Awarded Nobel Peace Prize
Yitzhak Rabin and Shimon Peres are awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. At the time, Rabin is Prime Minister of Israel and Peres is Foreign Minister.
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.
Cave of Machpelah Massacre Takes Place
Baruch Goldstein, an American immigrant and member of the radical Kach party, opens fire on Muslim worshippers in Hebron, killing thirty and wounding 125 before being beaten to death by survivors.
PLO and Israel Recognize Each Other’s Existence
After nine months of secret contacts mediated by Norwegian diplomats, the PLO and Israel recognize each other’s existence.
Knesset Passes Ninth Basic Law: Human Dignity
The Knesset reaches a compromise to draft a series of Basic Laws that would eventually form a final constitution.
Shamir Fires Weizman over PLO Contact
Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Shamir dismisses Science Minister Ezer Weizman as a consequence of his contact with the PLO (Palestine Liberation Organization).
Meir Kahane Assassinated
November 5, 1990 Israeli politician Rabbi Meir Kahane, 58, is fatally shot by Egyptian-American El Sayyid Nosair in a Manhattan hotel where Kahane is addressing a crowd of mostly Orthodox Jews. Kahane was elected to…
Diplomat Eliahu Eilat Dies
After a distinguished career in the service of Zionism and Israel, Eliahu Eilat passes away in Jerusalem at the age of 86.
Intellectual Dov Sadan Dies
Israeli intellectual and former Knesset member Dov Sadan dies at the age of 87.
Supreme Court Upholds Ban on Kach
The Israeli Supreme Court upholds the Central Election Committee’s ban on the extremist right-wing political party Kach from the election for the 12th Knesset.
