Events in the year 1985 in Israel.

Incumbents

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 ...

–

Chaim Herzog Major-General Chaim Herzog ( he, חיים הרצוג; 17 September 1918 – 17 April 1997) was an Irish-born Israeli politician, general, lawyer and author who served as the sixth President of Israel between 1983 and 1993. Born in Belfast and ...

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 ...

–

Shimon Peres Shimon Peres (; he, שמעון פרס ; born Szymon Perski; 2 August 1923 – 28 September 2016) was an Israeli politician who served as the eighth prime minister of Israel from 1984 to 1986 and from 1995 to 1996 and as the ninth president of ...

(

Alignment Alignment may refer to: Archaeology * Alignment (archaeology), a co-linear arrangement of features or structures with external landmarks * Stone alignment, a linear arrangement of upright, parallel megalithic standing stones Biology * Structu ...

) * President of the Supreme Court –

Meir Shamgar Meir Shamgar ( he, מאיר שמגר; August 13, 1925 – October 18, 2019) was the chief justice of the Israeli Supreme Court from 1983 to 1995. Biography Meir Shamgar (Sterenberg or Sternberg) was born in the Free City of Danzig (present-da ...

* Chief of General Staff –

Moshe Levi Moshe Levi ( he, משה לוי, extra=1936 – January 8, 2008, April 18, 1936 – January 8, 2008) was an Israeli military commander and the 12th Chief of Staff of the Israel Defense Forces (IDF). He served in this position from 1983 to 1987, ...

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 ...

– 21st Government of Israel

Events

* 17 January – The Israeli government establishes the Bejski Commission, a committee of inquiry charged with investigating the 1983 Israel bank stock crisis. * 16 February – Israel begins withdrawing troops from

Lebanon Lebanon ( , ar, لُبْنَان, translit=lubnān, ), officially the Republic of Lebanon () or the Lebanese Republic, is a country in Western Asia. It is located between Syria to the north and east and Israel to the south, while Cyprus li ...

. * 10 March – Twelve IDF soldiers are killed in a suicide car attack near

Metulla Metula ( he, מְטֻלָּה) is a town in the Northern District of Israel. Metula is located next to the northern border with Lebanon. In it had a population of . Metula is the northernmost town in Israel. History Bronze and Iron Age Metula ...

. * 22 April –

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 ...

signs a

Free Trade Agreement A free-trade agreement (FTA) or treaty is an agreement according to international law to form a free-trade area between the cooperating states. There are two types of trade agreements: bilateral and multilateral. Bilateral trade agreements occur ...

with the

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...

. * 4 May –

Izhar Cohen Izhar Cohen ( he, יזהר כהן; born March 13, 1951) is an Israeli singer who won the 1978 Eurovision Song Contest. Biography Izhar Cohen was born in Tel Aviv, Israel, and raised in Givatayim, to a family of singers of Yemenite-Jewish desc ...

represents Israel at the Eurovision Song Contest for the second time, with the song " Olé, Olé", achieving fifth place. * 11 June – HaBonim disaster: 22 people, including 19 children, are killed when a train collides into a school bus at a railway crossing near HaBonim. * 1 July – The Israeli government introduces the Economic Stabilization Plan to counter the dire economic situation and rapidly growing inflation. * July – The

1985 Maccabiah Games The 12th Maccabiah Games brought over 4,000 athletes to Israel from 38 nations to compete in 28 sports. History The Maccabiah Games were first held in 1932. In 1961, they were declared a "Regional Sports Event" by, and under the auspices and super ...

are held. * 4 September – The

Israeli new shekel The new Israeli shekel ( he, שֶׁקֶל חָדָשׁ '; ar, شيكل جديد ; sign: ₪; ISO code: ILS; abbreviation: NIS), also known as simply the Israeli shekel ( he, שקל ישראלי, ar, شيكل إسرائيلي), is the curre ...

(NIS) is introduced. It does not replace the old shekel as Israel's official currency until 1 January 1986. * 5 October –

Ras Burqa massacre The Ras Burqa massacre was a mass shooting on 5 October 1985 on Israeli vacationers in Ras Burqa, a beach resort area in the Sinai peninsula, in which seven, including four children, were killed by Egyptian soldier Suleiman Khater. The at ...

: An Egyptian soldier shoots and kills seven Israeli vacationers (including four children) at

Ras Burqa Ras Burqa, (“head of the blessing” in Arabic) is a small bay on the Red Sea in the district of Nuwaiba, Egypt. In 1985, Suleiman Khater, a lone Egyptian gunman, perpetrated the Ras Burqa massacre, killing eight people. See also * List of ...

, a beach resort in the

Sinai peninsula The Sinai Peninsula, or simply Sinai (now usually ) (, , cop, Ⲥⲓⲛⲁ), is a peninsula in Egypt, and the only part of the country located in Asia. It is between the Mediterranean Sea to the north and the Red Sea to the south, and is a l ...

. * 21 November –

Jonathan Pollard Jonathan Jay Pollard (born August 7, 1954) is a former intelligence analyst for the United States government. In 1987, as part of a plea agreement, Pollard pleaded guilty to spying for and providing top-secret classified information to Israel. H ...

, a US naval intelligence analyst who spied for Israeli intelligence, is arrested by the

FBI The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is the domestic Intelligence agency, intelligence and Security agency, security service of the United States and its principal Federal law enforcement in the United States, federal law enforcement age ...

at the gates of the Israeli Embassy in Washington while trying to seek asylum there.

Israeli–Palestinian conflict

The most prominent events related to the Israeli–Palestinian conflict which occurred during 1985 include: Notable Palestinian militant operations against Israeli targets
Achille39

The most prominent Palestinian Arab terror attacks committed against Israelis during 1985 include: * 9 April – Sana'a Mouhadly of the Syrian Social Nationalist Party detonated herself in an explosive-laden vehicle in Lebanon, killing two Israeli soldiers and injuring two more, becoming the first reported female suicide bomber. * 21 May – The

Jibril Agreement The Jibril Agreement ( ar, اتفاقية جبريل, Ittifāqīyat Jibrīl) or "Jibril Deal" ( he, עסקת ג'יבריל, Iskat Jibril) was a prisoner exchange deal which took place on May 21, 1985 between the Israeli government, then headed by Sh ...

– Israel releases 1,150 security prisoners being held in Israeli prisoners in exchange for three Israeli soldiers captured during the

1982 Lebanon War The 1982 Lebanon War, dubbed Operation Peace for Galilee ( he, מבצע שלום הגליל, or מבצע של"ג ''Mivtsa Shlom HaGalil'' or ''Mivtsa Sheleg'') by the Israeli government, later known in Israel as the Lebanon War or the First L ...

. * 25 September – An Arab terrorist cell takes over an Israeli

yacht A yacht is a sailing or power vessel used for pleasure, cruising, or racing. There is no standard definition, though the term generally applies to vessels with a cabin intended for overnight use. To be termed a , as opposed to a , such a pleasu ...

off the coast of

Larnaca Larnaca ( el, Λάρνακα ; tr, Larnaka) is a city on the south east coast of Cyprus and the capital of the district of the same name. It is the third-largest city in the country, after Nicosia and Limassol, with a metro population of 144 ...

Cyprus Cyprus ; tr, Kıbrıs (), officially the Republic of Cyprus,, , lit: Republic of Cyprus is an island country located south of the Anatolian Peninsula in the eastern Mediterranean Sea. Its continental position is disputed; while it is geo ...

and kills its three Israeli occupants. An elite section of the PLO known as

Force 17 Force 17 ( ar, القوة 17) was a commando and special operations unit of the Palestinian territories, Palestinian Fatah movement and later of the Office of the President of the Palestinian National Authority, Chairman of the Palestinian Authorit ...

claims responsibility for the attack. * 7 October – The Italian cruise ship ''

MS Achille Lauro MS ''Achille Lauro'' was a cruise ship based in Naples, Italy. Built between 1939 and 1947 as MS ''Willem Ruys'', a passenger liner for the Rotterdamsche Lloyd, it was Achille Lauro hijacking, hijacked by members of the Palestine Liberation Fr ...

'' is hijacked in the

Mediterranean Sea The Mediterranean Sea is a sea connected to the Atlantic Ocean, surrounded by the Mediterranean Basin and almost completely enclosed by land: on the north by Western and Southern Europe and Anatolia, on the south by North Africa, and on the ea ...

by Palestinian Arab militants. The hijackers' original aim was to use the ship to slip into Israel. However, crew members discover them cleaning weapons, and the group then seizes control of the ship; holding the passengers and crew hostage, they direct the vessel to sail to

Tartus ) , settlement_type = City , image_skyline = , imagesize = , image_caption = Tartus corniche Port of Tartus • Tartus beach and boulevard Cathedral of Our Lady of Tortosa • Al-Assad Stadium&n ...

Syria Syria ( ar, سُورِيَا or سُورِيَة, translit=Sūriyā), officially the Syrian Arab Republic ( ar, الجمهورية العربية السورية, al-Jumhūrīyah al-ʻArabīyah as-Sūrīyah), is a Western Asian country loc ...

, and demand the release of 50

Palestinian Arabs Palestinians ( ar, الفلسطينيون, ; he, פָלַסְטִינִים, ) or Palestinian people ( ar, الشعب الفلسطيني, label=none, ), also referred to as Palestinian Arabs ( ar, الفلسطينيين العرب, label=non ...

then in Israeli prisons. During the incident, the militants kill the passenger

Leon Klinghoffer Leon Klinghoffer (September 24, 1916 – October 8, 1985) was an American man who was shot, killed and thrown overboard from the cruise ship ''Achille Lauro'' by members of the Palestinian Liberation Front who hijacked the ship in 1985. P ...

, a 69-year-old wheelchair-using Jewish American, and throw him overboard. * 27 December – Palestinian Arab militants from

Abu Nidal Sabri Khalil al-Banna (May 1937 – 16 August 2002), known by his ''nom de guerre'' Abu Nidal, was the founder of Fatah: The Revolutionary Council, a militant Palestinians, Palestinian splinter group more commonly known as the Abu Nidal ...

's militant group open fire at the counters of

El Al El Al Israel Airlines Ltd. (, he, אל על נתיבי אויר לישראל בע״מ), trading as El Al (Hebrew: , "Upwards", "To the Skies" or "Skywards", stylized as ELAL; ar, إل-عال), is the flag carrier of Israel. Since its inaugural ...

in the airports of Rome and

Vienna en, Viennese , iso_code = AT-9 , registration_plate = W , postal_code_type = Postal code , postal_code = , timezone = CET , utc_offset = +1 , timezone_DST ...

. 18 Israelis were killed and 40 were injured. 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 1985 include: * 4 August – Defence Minister Rabin launches an Iron Fist policy in West Bank. Hiltermann, Joost R. (1991) ''Behind the Intifada. Labor and Women's Movements in the Occupied Territories.'' Princeton University Press. p 114 * 1 October – After three Israeli civilians were killed on board a yacht off the coast of Cyprus by the PLO's

, the

Israeli Air Force The Israeli Air Force (IAF; he, זְרוֹעַ הָאֲוִיר וְהֶחָלָל, Zroa HaAvir VeHahalal, tl, "Air and Space Arm", commonly known as , ''Kheil HaAvir'', "Air Corps") operates as the aerial warfare branch of the Israel Defense ...

carried out

Operation Wooden Leg Operation "Wooden Leg" ( he, מבצע רגל עץ, ''Mivtza Regel Etz'') was an attack by Israel on the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) headquarters in Hammam Chott, near Tunis, Tunisia, on October 1, 1985. With a target 1,280 miles (2,0 ...

, striking the PLO base in Tunis and killing 60 PLO members.

Unknown dates

* The founding of the

West Bank The West Bank ( ar, الضفة الغربية, translit=aḍ-Ḍiffah al-Ġarbiyyah; he, הגדה המערבית, translit=HaGadah HaMaʽaravit, also referred to by some Israelis as ) is a landlocked territory near the coast of the Mediter ...

settlement of

Oranit Oranit ( he, אֳרָנִית) is an Israeli settlement and local council located in the Seam Zone of the West Bank, abutting the Green Line. It is surrounded by Horshim forest to the west, Rosh HaAyin and Kfar Qasim to the southwest, Sha'ar ...

. * The founding of the

community settlement A community settlement ( he, יישוב קהילתי, ''Yishuv Kehilati'') is a type of village in Israel and the West Bank. While in an ordinary town anyone may buy property, in a community settlement the village's residents are organized in ...

Shaharut Shaharut ( he, שַׁחֲרוּת, ar, شَحَرُوتْ – ''šaḥarūt'') is a community settlement in the far south of Israel. Located 40 kilometers north of Eilat, and six kilometers west of Yotvata on a ridge above the Arabah valley, i ...

Notable births

* 1 April –

Shay Doron Shay Doron ( he, שי דורון) (born April 1, 1985) is an Israeli professional basketball player in the Israeli league. She currently plays for Maccabi Ashdod. Biography Doron was born in Ramat Hasharon, Israel, to Yehuda and Tamari Doron. Fo ...

, Israeli basketball player. * 4 April –

Dudi Sela David "Dudi" Sela ( he, דודי סלע; born 4 April 1985) is an Israeli professional tennis player. He reached a career-high singles ranking of World No. 29 in July 2009. Sela won the French Open 2003 junior doubles title. Representing Israel ...

, Israeli tennis player. * 30 April –

Gal Gadot Gal Gadot-Varsano ( he, גל גדות ; born 30 April 1985) is an Israeli actress and model. At age 18, she was crowned Miss Israel 2004. She then served in the Israel Defense Forces for two years as a combat fitness instructor, whereafter sh ...

, Israeli actress and model. * 4 June –

Bar Refaeli Bar Refaeli ( he, בר רפאלי; born ) is an Israeli model, television host, businesswoman and actress. She is among the most internationally successful models to come from Israel, appearing on the cover of the 2009 ''Sports Illustrated'' Sw ...

, Israeli model.

Notable deaths

* 18 January –

Mordechai Bentov Mordechai Bentov ( he, מרדכי בנטוב, 28 March 1900 – 18 January 1985) was an Israeli journalist and politician. He was one of the signatories of the Israeli declaration of independence. Biography Born Mordechai Gutgeld in Grodzisk M ...

(born 1900), Russian (Poland)-born Israeli journalist and politician. * 31 January –

Menachem Bader Menachem Bader ( he, מנחם בדר, 20 September 1895 – 31 January 1985) was a Labor Zionist activist during the Mandate era, and later a politician who served as a member of the Knesset. Biography Born in Dukla in Austria-Hungary (toda ...

(born 1895), Austro-Hungarian ( Galicia)-born Haganah member and Israeli politician. * 24 April –

Yitzhak Kahan Yitzhak Kahan ( he, יצחק כהן; November 15, 1913 – April 24, 1985) was President of the Supreme Court of Israel from 1982 until 1983. He was the Chairman of the Commission of Inquiry into the Events at the Refugee Camps in Beirut also ...

(born 1913), Austro-Hungarian ( Galicia)-born Israeli jurist, sixth President of the

Supreme Court of Israel The Supreme Court (, ''Beit HaMishpat HaElyon''; ar, المحكمة العليا) is the Supreme court, highest court in Israel. It has ultimate appellate jurisdiction over all other courts, and in some cases original jurisdiction. The Supreme C ...

. * 29 September –

Yona Wallach Yona Wallach ( he, יונה וולך; June 10, 1944 – September 26, 1985) was an Israeli poet. Her surname also appears as Volach. She is considered a revolutionary Israeli Feminism, feminist and Postmodernism, post-modernist. Wallach was a pr ...

(born 1944), Israeli poet. * 6 October – Noah Moses (born 1912), publisher and editor of

Yedioth Ahronoth ''Yedioth Ahronoth'' ( he, יְדִיעוֹת אַחֲרוֹנוֹת, ; lit. ''Latest News'') is a national daily newspaper published in Tel Aviv, Israel. Founded in 1939 in British Mandatory Palestine, ''Yedioth Ahronoth'' is the largest paid n ...

. * 7 December –

Shlomo Rosen Shlomo Rosen ( he, שלמה רוזן, 21 June 1905 – 7 December 1985) was an Israeli politician and minister. Born in Moravská Ostrava in Austria-Hungary (now in the Czech Republic), Rosen emigrated to Mandatory Palestine in 1926. He joined ...

(born 1905), Austro-Hungarian (

Austrian Silesia Austrian Silesia, (historically also ''Oesterreichisch-Schlesien, Oesterreichisch Schlesien, österreichisch Schlesien''); cs, Rakouské Slezsko; pl, Śląsk Austriacki officially the Duchy of Upper and Lower Silesia, (historically ''Herzogth ...

)-born Israeli politician and minister. * 30 November –

Joseph Zaritsky Joseph (Yossef) Zaritsky ( he, יוסף זריצקי; September 1, 1891 – November 30, 1985) was one of the early promoters of modern art in the Land of Israel both during the period of the Yishuv (the body of Jewish residents in the Land of Isr ...

(born 1891), Russian (

Ukraine Ukraine ( uk, Україна, Ukraïna, ) is a country in Eastern Europe. It is the second-largest European country after Russia, which it borders to the east and northeast. Ukraine covers approximately . Prior to the ongoing Russian inv ...

)-born Israeli painter. * ''Full date unknown'' ** Benjamin Akzin (born 1904), Russian (

Latvia Latvia ( or ; lv, Latvija ; ltg, Latveja; liv, Leţmō), officially the Republic of Latvia ( lv, Latvijas Republika, links=no, ltg, Latvejas Republika, links=no, liv, Leţmō Vabāmō, links=no), is a country in the Baltic region of ...

)-born early Zionist activist and Israeli university professor. ** Moshe Rudolf Bloch (b 1902), German-born Israeli scientist. ** Moshe Rachmilewitz (born 1898), Russian (

Belarus Belarus,, , ; alternatively and formerly known as Byelorussia (from Russian ). officially the Republic of Belarus,; rus, Республика Беларусь, Respublika Belarus. is a landlocked country in Eastern Europe. It is bordered by R ...

)-born leading Israeli doctor. ** Eliezer Smoli (born 1901), Russian (Ukraine)-born Israeli writer, famous for his children's books.

Major public holidays

References

External links

{{DEFAULTSORT:1985 In Israel