Events in the year 1959 in Israel.

Incumbents

Prime Minister of Israel The prime minister of Israel ( he, רֹאשׁ הַמֶּמְשָׁלָה, Rosh HaMemshala, Head of the Government, Hebrew acronym: he2, רה״מ; ar, رئيس الحكومة, ''Ra'īs al-Ḥukūma'') is the head of government and chief exec ...

–

David Ben-Gurion David Ben-Gurion ( ; he, דָּוִד בֶּן-גּוּרִיּוֹן ; born David Grün; 16 October 1886 – 1 December 1973) was the primary national founder of the State of Israel and the first prime minister of Israel. Adopting the name ...

(

Mapai Mapai ( he, מַפָּא"י, an acronym for , ''Mifleget Poalei Eretz Yisrael'', lit. "Workers' Party of the Land of Israel") was a democratic socialist political party in Israel, and was the dominant force in Israeli politics until its merger in ...

) *

President of Israel The president of the State of Israel ( he, נְשִׂיא מְדִינַת יִשְׂרָאֵל, Nesi Medinat Yisra'el, or he, נְשִׂיא הַמְדִינָה, Nesi HaMedina, President of the State) is the head of state of Israel. The posi ...

–

Yitzhak Ben-Zvi Yitzhak Ben-Zvi ( he, יִצְחָק בֶּן־צְבִי‎ ''Yitshak Ben-Tsvi''; 24 November 188423 April 1963) was a historian, Labor Zionism, Labor Zionist leader and the longest-serving President of Israel. Biography Born in Poltava in the ...

* President of the Supreme Court –

Yitzhak Olshan Yitzhak Olshan ( he, יצחק אולשן, February 19, 1895 – February 5, 1983) was an Israeli jurist and the second President of the Supreme Court of Israel from 1954 to 1965. Biography Olshan was born in Kaunas in the Russian Empire (now ...

* Chief of General Staff -

Haim Laskov Haim Laskov ( he, חיים לסקוב; born 1919, Barysaw, Byelorussian Soviet Socialist Republic – 8 December 1982) was an Israeli public figure and the fifth Chief of Staff of the Israel Defense Forces. Biography Haim Laskov was born in Bary ...

Government of Israel The Cabinet of Israel (officially: he, ממשלת ישראל ''Memshelet Yisrael'') exercises executive authority in the State of Israel. It consists of ministers who are chosen and led by the prime minister. The composition of the government ...

- 8th Government of Israel until 17 December, 9th Government of Israel

Events

* 8 January – Four Egyptian MiG-17 jets penetrated Israeli airspace near

Beersheba Beersheba or Beer Sheva, officially Be'er-Sheva ( he, בְּאֵר שֶׁבַע, ''Bəʾēr Ševaʿ'', ; ar, بئر السبع, Biʾr as-Sabʿ, Well of the Oath or Well of the Seven), is the largest city in the Negev desert of southern Israel. ...

before being driven off by Israeli fighters. * 1 April – The "

Night of the Ducks The Night of the Ducks ( he, ליל הברווזים) was the civilian fiasco by the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) that occurred on April 1, 1959. Traditionally, Israel conducted regular call-up exercises for its reserve troops by public radio. Un ...

" scandal: A surprise Israeli military exercise to test the mobilization of the

IDF IDF or idf may refer to: Defence forces * Irish Defence Forces * Israel Defense Forces *Iceland Defense Force, of the US Armed Forces, 1951-2006 * Indian Defence Force, a part-time force, 1917 Organizations * Israeli Diving Federation * Interac ...

's reserves causes panic throughout Israel and puts the armies of the neighboring Arab states on high alert. * 7 April – Israel created the first Holocaust Memorial Day by vote of the

Knesset The Knesset ( he, הַכְּנֶסֶת ; "gathering" or "assembly") is the unicameral legislature of Israel. As the supreme state body, the Knesset is sovereign and thus has complete control of the entirety of the Israeli government (with ...

Tel Aviv Tel Aviv-Yafo ( he, תֵּל־אָבִיב-יָפוֹ, translit=Tēl-ʾĀvīv-Yāfō ; ar, تَلّ أَبِيب – يَافَا, translit=Tall ʾAbīb-Yāfā, links=no), often referred to as just Tel Aviv, is the most populous city in the G ...

, to be observed on the 27th day of

Nisan Nisan (or Nissan; he, נִיסָן, Standard ''Nīsan'', Tiberian ''Nīsān''; from akk, 𒊬𒊒𒄀 ''Nisanu'') in the Babylonian and Hebrew calendars is the month of the barley ripening and first month of spring. The name of the month is ...

, which fell on 5 May in 1959. If the 27th falls on a Friday, the observation is held on the 26th. * 5 July –

resigned as

and new elections were called for the

. * 9 July – The

Wadi Salib riots The Wadi Salib riots were a series of street demonstrations and acts of vandalism in the Wadi Salib neighborhood of Haifa, Israel, in 1959, sparked by the shooting of a Moroccan Jewish immigrant by police officers. Demonstrators accused the police o ...

begin in Haifa. * 10 July – A memorial for

Frank Foley Major Francis "Frank" Edward Foley CMG (24 November 1884 – 8 May 1958) was a British Secret Intelligence Service officer. As a passport control officer for the British embassy in Berlin, Foley " bent the rules" and helped thousands ...

(1884–1958) was dedicated in

Harel, Israel Harel ( he, הַרְאֵל, lit. ''Mountain of God'') is a kibbutz in central Israel. Located near Latrun with an area of 12,000 dunams, it falls under the jurisdiction of Mateh Yehuda Regional Council. In it had a population of . History Kibbut ...

, in the form of a forest planted in the desert. As a

passport control officer The Secret Intelligence Service (SIS), commonly known as MI6 ( Military Intelligence, Section 6), is the foreign intelligence service of the United Kingdom, tasked mainly with the covert overseas collection and analysis of human intelligenc ...

at Britain's embassy in Nazi Germany, Foley flouted strict rules in order to help as many as 10,000 German Jews to leave the country. * 6 October – The

Carmelit The Carmelit ( he, כַּרְמְלִית Arabic: كرمليت) is an underground funicular, funicular railway in Haifa, Israel. Construction started in 1956 and ended in 1959. It is the oldest underground transit system in the Middle East and c ...

Haifa Haifa ( he, חֵיפָה ' ; ar, حَيْفَا ') is the third-largest city in Israel—after Jerusalem and Tel Aviv—with a population of in . The city of Haifa forms part of the Haifa metropolitan area, the third-most populous metropol ...

's underground

funicular railway A funicular (, , ) is a type of cable railway system that connects points along a railway track laid on a steep slope. The system is characterized by two counterbalanced carriages (also called cars or trains) permanently attached to opposite en ...

, is opened. * 3 November –

leader

wins the fourth Israeli legislative elections, capturing 47 of the 120 seats, but still 13 short of a majority. * 4 November – Six

Israel Israel (; he, יִשְׂרָאֵל, ; ar, إِسْرَائِيل, ), officially the State of Israel ( he, מְדִינַת יִשְׂרָאֵל, label=none, translit=Medīnat Yīsrāʾēl; ), is a country in Western Asia. It is situated ...

i jets and four

Egypt Egypt ( ar, مصر , ), officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, is a transcontinental country spanning the northeast corner of Africa and southwest corner of Asia via a land bridge formed by the Sinai Peninsula. It is bordered by the Mediter ...

ian

MiG-17 The Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-17 (russian: Микоян и Гуревич МиГ-17; NATO reporting name: Fresco) is a high-subsonic fighter aircraft produced in the Soviet Union from 1952 and was operated by air forces internationally. The MiG-17 w ...

s clashed in a dogfight near the border between the two nations. All planes reportedly returned safely and the battle did not lead to further action."Egypt, Israel Jet Planes in Dogfight", ''Oakland Tribune'', 4 November 1959, p1 * 17 December – David Ben-Gurion presents his cabinet for a Knesset "Vote of Confidence". The 9th Government is approved that day and the members were sworn in.

Israeli–Palestinian conflict

The most prominent events related to the Israeli–Palestinian conflict which occurred during 1959 include: Notable Palestinian militant operations against Israeli targets
The most prominent Palestinian fedayeen terror attacks committed against Israeli targets during 1959 include: * 1 February – Three Israeli civilians are killed by a terrorist landmine near moshav

Zavdiel Zavdiel ( he, זַבְדִּיאֵל, lit. ''Gift of God'') is a religious moshav in southern Israel. Located in Hevel Lakhish near Kiryat Gat, it falls under the jurisdiction of Shafir Regional Council. In 2006, it had a population of 413. His ...

. * 15 April – An Israeli guard is killed at kibbutz

Ramat Rachel Ramat Rachel or Ramat Raḥel ( he, רָמַת רָחֵל, ''lit.'' Rachel's Heights) is a kibbutz located in central Israel. An enclave within Jerusalem's municipal boundaries and overlooking Bethlehem and Rachel's Tomb (for which the kibbutz is ...

. * 27 April – Two Israeli hikers are shot at close range and killed near

Masada Masada ( he, מְצָדָה ', "fortress") is an ancient fortification in the Southern District of Israel situated on top of an isolated rock plateau, akin to a mesa. It is located on the eastern edge of the Judaean Desert, overlooking the Dea ...

. * 3 October – A shepherd from kibbutz

Heftziba Heftziba ( he, חֶפְצִיבָּהּ) is a kibbutz in northern Israel. Located on the boundaries of the Jezreel and Beit She'an Valleys between the cities of Afula and Beit She'an, it falls under the jurisdiction of Gilboa Regional Council. ...

is killed near kibbutz

Yad Hana Yad Hana ( he, יַד חַנָּה, ''lit.'' Hannah's Memorial) is a Community settlement and former kibbutz in central Israel. Located in the Sharon plain near Highway 57 and north of the country's center, it falls under the jurisdiction of Hef ...

. Notable Israeli military operations against Palestinian militancy targets
The most prominent Israeli military

counter-terrorism Counterterrorism (also spelled counter-terrorism), also known as anti-terrorism, incorporates the practices, military tactics, techniques, and strategies that governments, law enforcement, business, and intelligence agencies use to combat or el ...

operations (

military campaign A military campaign is large-scale long-duration significant military strategy plan incorporating a series of interrelated military operations or battles forming a distinct part of a larger conflict often called a war. The term derives from the ...

s and

military operations A military operation is the coordinated military actions of a state, or a non-state actor, in response to a developing situation. These actions are designed as a military plan to resolve the situation in the state or actor's favor. Operations may ...

) carried out against

Palestinian militants Palestinian political violence refers to acts of violence perpetrated for political ends in relation to the State of Palestine or in connection with Palestinian nationalism. Common political objectives include self-determination in and sovereig ...

during 1959 include:

Notable births

* 9 April –

Hanny Nahmias Hannah "Hanny" Nahmias ( he, חני נחמיאס; born April 9, 1959) is an Israeli actress, singer, author, television host and former children's star. Publications * ''Sodot neʻurim 2 : ahavot mistoriyot'', 2001 * ''ha-Ḳupah she-meʼaḥo ...

, Israeli actress and entertainer.

Notable deaths

* 28 January –

Yosef Sprinzak Yosef Sprinzak ( he, יוֹסֵף שְׁפְּרִינְצָק; ) was a leading Zionist activist in the first half of the 20th century, an Israeli politician, and the first Speaker of the Knesset, a role he held from 1949 until his death in 1959. ...

(born 1885), Russian-born leading Zionist activist, an Israeli politician and the first

Speaker of the Knesset The Speaker of the Knesset ( he, יוֹשֵׁב רֹאשׁ הכנסת, Yoshev Rosh HaKnesset, Chairman of the Knesset) is the presiding officer of the Knesset, the Unicameralism, unicameral legislature of Israel. The Speaker also acts as Presiden ...

. * 20 February –

Zalman Shneur Zalman Shneour (born Shneur Zalkind; 1887 – 20 February 1959) was a prolific Yiddish language, Yiddish and Hebrew language, Hebrew poet and writer. He was nominated for the Nobel Prize in Literature. Biography Shneour was born in Shklov (Šk ...

(born 1887), Russian (Belarus)-born Israeli poet and writer * 25 February –

Yehudah Arazi Yehuda Arazi ( he, יהודה ארזי; 1907–1959), code name ''Alon'', was an Israeli who was active in the Haganah in Palestine during the British Mandate era. Biography Arazi was born in Łódź to a Jewish family in 1907. He immigrated wit ...

(born 1907), Russian (Poland)-born leading Haganah commander. * 25 February –

Eliyahu Berligne Eliyahu Berligne ( he, אליהו ברלין, born 1866, died 25 February 1959) was a founder of Tel Aviv, an important member of the Yishuv in Mandate Palestine and a signatory of the Israeli declaration of independence. Biography Born in what i ...

(born 1866), Russian-born early Zionist leader and a founder of Tel Aviv. * 26 February – Selig Suskin (born 1873), Russian-born Israeli agronomist and early Zionist. * 6 April –

Leo Aryeh Mayer Leo Aryeh Mayer ( he, ליאון אריה מאיר, 12 January 1895 – 6 April 1959), was an Israeli scholar of Islamic art and rector of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. Biography Mayer was born in 1895, in the city of Stanisławów, Gal ...

(born 1895), Austro-Hungarian ( Galicia)-born Israeli scholar of Islamic art and rector of the

Hebrew University of Jerusalem The Hebrew University of Jerusalem (HUJI; he, הַאוּנִיבֶרְסִיטָה הַעִבְרִית בִּירוּשָׁלַיִם) is a public research university based in Jerusalem, Israel. Co-founded by Albert Einstein and Dr. Chaim Weiz ...

. * 25 July – Rabbi

Yitzhak HaLevi Herzog Yitzhak HaLevi Herzog ( he, יצחק אייזיק הלוי הרצוג; 3 December 1888 – 25 July 1959), also known as Isaac Herzog or Hertzog, was the first Chief Rabbi of Ireland, his term lasted from 1921 to 1936. From 1936 until his deat ...

(born 1888), Russian (Poland)-born Chief Rabbi of Ireland, Ashkenazi Chief Rabbi of the British Mandate of Palestine and of Israel. * 13 September –

Israel Rokach Israel Rokach, Honorary CBE ( he, ישראל רוקח; December 31, 1896 – September 13, 1959) was an Israeli politician, Knesset member, and fourth mayor of Tel Aviv from November 15, 1936 until April 13, 1953. Biography Israel Rokach was bo ...

(born

1896 Events January–March * January 2 – The Jameson Raid comes to an end, as Jameson surrenders to the Boers. * January 4 – Utah is admitted as the 45th U.S. state. * January 5 – An Austrian newspaper reports that Wil ...

), Israeli politician, Knesset member, and mayor of Tel Aviv. * ''Full date unknown'' –

Shimon Fritz Bodenheimer Friedrich Simon Bodenheimer or Shimon Fritz Bodenheimer ( he, שמעון פריץ בודנהיימר; 6 June 1897 – 4 October 1959) was a German-born Israeli entomologist. He wrote two major works on the history of biology and is considered the f ...

Incumbents

Events

Israeli–Palestinian conflict

Notable births

Notable deaths

Major public holidays

See also

References

External links