Events in the year 2009 in

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 ...

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 ...

–

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 ...

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 ...

–

Ehud Olmert Ehud Olmert (; he, אֶהוּד אוֹלְמֶרְט, ; born 30 September 1945) is an Israeli politician and lawyer. He served as the 12th Prime Minister of Israel from 2006 to 2009 and before that as a cabinet minister from 1988 to 1992 and ...

( Kadima) until March 31,

Benjamin Netanyahu Benjamin "Bibi" Netanyahu (; ; born 21 October 1949) is an Israeli politician who served as the ninth prime minister of Israel from 1996 to 1999 and again from 2009 to 2021. He is currently serving as Leader of the Opposition and Chairman of ...

* President of the Supreme Court –

Dorit Beinisch Dorit Beinisch ( he, דורית ביניש; born February 28, 1942) was the 9th president of the Supreme Court of Israel. Appointed on September 14, 2006, after the retirement of Aharon Barak, she served in this position until February 28, 2012 ...

* Chief of General Staff – Gabi Ashkenazi * Government of Israel – 31st Government of Israel until March 31, 32nd Government of Israel

Events

* January – the

Tamar gas field The Tamar gas field is a natural gas field in the Mediterranean Sea off the coast of Israel. The field is located in Israel's exclusive economic zone, roughly west of Haifa in waters deep. The Tamar field is considered to have proven reserves o ...

was discovered 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 ...

off the coast of Israel. * February 10 – The Elections for the 18th Knesset are held in Israel. The

Likud Likud ( he, הַלִּיכּוּד, HaLikud, The Consolidation), officially known as Likud – National Liberal Movement, is a major centre-right to right-wing political party in Israel. It was founded in 1973 by Menachem Begin and Ariel Sharon ...

party wins 27 seats and Kadima 28; however, the right-wing camp wins a majority of seats, and President

called on

to form the government. * March 19 – Former Israeli president Moshe Katsav is formally indicted in a

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 ...

court for rape and other sexual offences against three women who had worked with him. * March 31 –

presents his cabinet for a

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 ...

"Vote of Confidence". The 32nd Government is approved that day by a majority of 69 to 45 and the members are sworn in. * April 4 –

's official centennial celebrations open at the Rabin Square. * May 11–15 –

Pope Benedict XVI Pope Benedict XVI ( la, Benedictus XVI; it, Benedetto XVI; german: link=no, Benedikt XVI.; born Joseph Aloisius Ratzinger, , on 16 April 1927) is a retired prelate of the Catholic church who served as the head of the Church and the sovereign ...

visits Israel and the

Palestinian territories The Palestinian territories are the two regions of the former British Mandate for Palestine that have been militarily occupied by Israel since the Six-Day War of 1967, namely: the West Bank (including East Jerusalem) and the Gaza Strip. The I ...

. During his visit, the pope condemned

Holocaust denial Holocaust denial is an antisemitic conspiracy theory that falsely asserts that the Nazi genocide of Jews, known as the Holocaust, is a myth, fabrication, or exaggeration. Holocaust deniers make one or more of the following false statements: ...

s and called for cooperation between the Palestinians and Israelis. * 16 May – Noa and Mira Awad represent Israel at the Eurovision Song Contest with the Hebrew, Arabic and English language song "

There Must Be Another Way Israel participated in the Eurovision Song Contest 2009 with the song "There Must Be Another Way" written by Noa, Mira Awad and Gil Dor. The song was performed by Noa and Mira Awad, who were internally selected by the Israeli broadcaster Israel ...

". * June 8 – Former Finance Minister

Avraham Hirschson Avraham Hirschson ( he, אברהם הירשזון; 11 February 1941 – 7 March 2022) was an Israeli politician. He served as a member of the Knesset for Likud and Kadima between 1981 and 1984, and again from 1992 until 2009. He also held the po ...

is convicted of embezzling millions of shekels from the

National Workers Labor Federation National may refer to: Common uses * Nation or country ** Nationality – a ''national'' is a person who is subject to a nation, regardless of whether the person has full rights as a citizen Places in the United States * National, Maryland, ce ...

during the period in which he served as its chairman. * June 24 – Former Finance Minister

is sentenced to five years and five months of jail and a fine of 450,000 shekels. * June 25 – During the

2009 NBA draft The 2009 NBA draft was held on June 25, 2009, at the WaMu Theatre at Madison Square Garden in New York City. In this draft, the National Basketball Association (NBA) teams took turns selecting amateur U.S. college basketball players and other eli ...

, the Israeli basketball player

Omri Casspi Omri Moshe Casspi ( he, עומרי משה כספי, born June 22, 1988) is an Israeli former professional basketball player. He mainly played at the small forward position, but could play also at the power forward position. Casspi was drafted 23 ...

is selected 23rd overall by the Sacramento Kings. making him the first Israeli to be selected in the first round of the NBA draft. With his debut with the Kings on October 28, 2009, Casspi becomes the first Israeli to play in the

NBA The National Basketball Association (NBA) is a professional basketball league in North America. The league is composed of 30 teams (29 in the United States and 1 in Canada) and is one of the major professional sports leagues in the United St ...

league. * 13–23 July – The 18th Maccabiah Games are held with 7,510 athletes from Israel and Jewish communities throughout the world competing in 33 sports. * August 1 – Two killed and at least fifteen are injured in a shooting at the "Bar-Noar" LGBT center in Tel Aviv. * August 20 – Leading Israeli TV personality

Dudu Topaz Dudu Topaz ( he, דודו טופז; September 20, 1946 – August 20, 2009) (born David Goldenberg) was an Israeli TV personality, comedian, actor, screenwriter, playwright, author and radio and television host. In August 2009 he committed suicid ...

commits suicide in the Nitzan Detention Center in Ramla, by hanging himself in his prison cell, while awaited trial on charges of assaulting top media Israeli media executives. * August 30 –

is indicted on three counts of corruption, becoming the first ex-

to face criminal charges. * September 1 – Former Finance Minister

arrives at the Hermon prison facility to begin serving his five-year sentence. * September 13 – An

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 ...

F-16A crashes while on a training flight over the southern Hebron hills, killing pilot Captain Assaf Ramon. Assaf was the son of

Ilan Ramon Ilan Ramon ( he, אילן רמון; , born Ilan Wolfferman ; June 20, 1954 – February 1, 2003) was an Israeli fighter pilot and later the first Israeli astronaut. Ramon was a Space Shuttle payload specialist of STS-107, the fatal mission of ...

, a former F-16 pilot and Israel's first astronaut, who was killed in the

Space Shuttle Columbia disaster The Space Shuttle ''Columbia'' disaster was a fatal accident in the United States space program that occurred on February 1, 2003. During the STS-107 mission, Space Shuttle ''Columbia'' disintegrated as it reentered the atmosphere over Texa ...

. * September 24 – In an address to the

United Nations General Assembly The United Nations General Assembly (UNGA or GA; french: link=no, Assemblée générale, AG) is one of the six principal organs of the United Nations (UN), serving as the main deliberative, policymaking, and representative organ of the UN. Curr ...

in New York, Netanyahu said

Iran Iran, officially the Islamic Republic of Iran, and also called Persia, is a country located in Western Asia. It is bordered by Iraq and Turkey to the west, by Azerbaijan and Armenia to the northwest, by the Caspian Sea and Turkmeni ...

poses a threat to the peace of the world and that it is incumbent on the world body to prevent it from obtaining nuclear weapons. * September 25 – The trial of former Israeli Prime Minister

on corruption charges begins in

Jerusalem Jerusalem (; he, יְרוּשָׁלַיִם ; ar, القُدس ) (combining the Biblical and common usage Arabic names); grc, Ἱερουσαλήμ/Ἰεροσόλυμα, Hierousalḗm/Hierosóluma; hy, Երուսաղեմ, Erusałēm. i ...

. He is the first ever Israeli Prime Minister to be brought to trial. * November 4 –

Operation Four Species The ''Francop Affair'' was a high seas incident on November 4, 2009 in which the Israeli Navy seized the cargo ship MV ''Francop'' in the eastern Mediterranean Sea and its cargo of hundreds of tons of weapons allegedly bound from Iran to Hezbol ...

Israeli navy The Israeli Navy ( he, חיל הים הישראלי, ''Ḥeil HaYam HaYisraeli'' (English: The Israeli Sea Corps); ar, البحرية الإسرائيلية) is the naval warfare service arm of the Israel Defense Forces, operating primarily in ...

commandos of

Shayetet 13 Shayetet 13 ( he, שייטת 13, lit. ''Flotilla 13'') is a unit of the Israeli Navy and one of the primary sayeret ''(reconnaissance)'' units of the Israel Defense Forces. Shayetet 13 specializes in sea-to-land incursions, counter-terrorism, s ...

board and seize the

MV Francop The MV ''Francop'' is a German-owned, Antigua and Barbuda-flagged merchant cargo ship. In November 2009 the Israeli navy boarded the vessel in the Mediterranean Sea, suspecting that it was carrying weapons destined for Hezbollah from the Islami ...

cargo ship in the eastern

and its cargo of hundreds of tons of weapons allegedly bound from the

Islamic Republic of Iran Iran, officially the Islamic Republic of Iran, and also called Persia, is a country located in Western Asia. It is bordered by Iraq and Turkey to the west, by Azerbaijan and Armenia to the northwest, by the Caspian Sea and Turkmeni ...

for

Hezbollah Hezbollah (; ar, حزب الله ', , also transliterated Hizbullah or Hizballah, among others) is a Lebanese Shia Islamist political party and militant group, led by its Secretary-General Hassan Nasrallah since 1992. Hezbollah's parami ...

in Lebanon. * November 14 – More than 1,000 ultra-Orthodox Jews demonstrate outside the offices of U.S. firm

Intel Intel Corporation is an American multinational corporation and technology company headquartered in Santa Clara, California. It is the world's largest semiconductor chip manufacturer by revenue, and is one of the developers of the x86 seri ...

in Israel in protest at work taking place at the site on

Jewish Sabbath Shabbat (, , or ; he, שַׁבָּת, Šabbāṯ, , ) or the Sabbath (), also called Shabbos (, ) by Ashkenazim, is Judaism's day of rest on the seventh day of the week—i.e., Saturday. On this day, religious Jews remember the biblical storie ...

. * December 10 – Ada Yonath received the

Nobel Prize in Chemistry ) , image = Nobel Prize.png , alt = A golden medallion with an embossed image of a bearded man facing left in profile. To the left of the man is the text "ALFR•" then "NOBEL", and on the right, the text (smaller) "NAT•" then "M ...

along with Venkatraman Ramakrishnan and

Thomas A. Steitz Thomas Arthur Steitz (August 23, 1940 – October 9, 2018) was an American biochemist, a Sterling Professor of Molecular Biophysics and Biochemistry at Yale University, and investigator at the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, best known for hi ...

for her studies on the structure and function of the

ribosome Ribosomes ( ) are macromolecular machines, found within all cells, that perform biological protein synthesis (mRNA translation). Ribosomes link amino acids together in the order specified by the codons of messenger RNA (mRNA) molecules to ...

, becoming the first Israeli woman to win the Nobel Prize out of nine Israeli Nobel laureates, the first woman from the Middle East to win a Nobel prize in the sciences, and the first woman in 45 years to win the Nobel Prize for Chemistry. * December 12 – The

Israeli government 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 governmen ...

passes a highly controversial bill calling for the creation of a biometric database of all

Israeli citizens Israeli citizenship law details the conditions by which a person holds citizenship of Israel. The two primary pieces of legislation governing these requirements are the 1950 Law of Return and 1952 Citizenship Law. Every Jew in the world has ...

, which would contain their fingerprints and facial contours. File:Ehud Olmert 2007Feb19.jpg, On August 30

was indicted on three counts of corruption, becoming the first ex-

to face criminal charges. File:Dudu topaz.jpg, Leading Israeli TV personality

commits suicide in prison while awaited trial over assaulting top Israeli media executives. File:Ada Yonath Weizmann Institute of Science.jpg, Ada Yonath is awarded the 2009

File:Omri Casspi 3.jpg,

becomes the first Israeli to play in the

league.

Israeli–Palestinian conflict

The most prominent events related to the Israeli–Palestinian conflict which occurred during 2009 include: * May 19 – Netanyahu meets US President

Barack Obama Barack Hussein Obama II ( ; born August 4, 1961) is an American politician who served as the 44th president of the United States from 2009 to 2017. A member of the Democratic Party, Obama was the first African-American president of the U ...

at the

White House The White House is the official residence and workplace of the president of the United States. It is located at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW in Washington, D.C., and has been the residence of every U.S. president since John Adams in 1800. ...

, where they discuss the

Israeli–Palestinian conflict The Israeli–Palestinian conflict is one of the world's most enduring conflicts, beginning in the mid-20th century. Various attempts have been made to resolve the conflict as part of the Israeli–Palestinian peace process, alongside other ef ...

and Israel's settlements in 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 ...

. While Obama says that a

two state solution The two-state solution to the Israeli–Palestinian conflict envisions an independent State of Palestine alongside the State of Israel, west of the Jordan River. The boundary between the two states is still subject to dispute and negotiation ...

is a priority, Netanyahu refuses to support the creation of a Palestinian Arab state. Netanyahu says Israel has the right to continue settlements, whereas Obama calls for settlement growth to be frozen. * June 14 – Ten days after President Obama's Cairo speech, Netanyahu gives a speech at Bar-Ilan University in which he endorsed, for the first time, a "Demilitarized Palestinian State", after two months of refusing to commit to anything other than a self-ruling autonomy when coming into office. The speech is widely seen as a response to Obama's speech. * October 2 – Israel releases twenty female Palestinian Arab prisoners to the

Gaza Strip The Gaza Strip (;The New Oxford Dictionary of English (1998) – p.761 "Gaza Strip /'gɑːzə/ a strip of territory under the control of the Palestinian National Authority and Hamas, on the SE Mediterranean coast including the town of Gaza.. ...

and in exchange the

Hamas Hamas (, ; , ; an acronym of , "Islamic Resistance Movement") is a Palestinian Sunni-Islamic fundamentalist, militant, and nationalist organization. It has a social service wing, Dawah, and a military wing, the Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Bri ...

releasing a videotape that proves that the Israeli captured soldier Gilad Shalit is still alive. * October 2 – The first video of the Israeli captured soldier Gilad Shalit is released to the public. * November 25 – Prime Minister Netanyahu announces a ten-month

settlement Settlement may refer to: *Human settlement, a community where people live *Settlement (structural), the distortion or disruption of parts of a building *Closing (real estate), the final step in executing a real estate transaction *Settlement (fina ...

moratorium in permits for new settlement homes in the

(excluding east

), seen as a result of pressure from the Obama administration, which urged the sides to seize the opportunity to resume talks. In his announcement, Netanyahu calls the move "a painful step that will encourage the peace process" and urges the Palestinian Arabs to respond. Notable Israeli military operations against Palestinian militancy targets
Gazamontage

The most prominent Israeli military counter-terrorism 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) 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 2009 include: * January and February – Sudan Air Strikes: a series of two air strikes in

Sudan Sudan ( or ; ar, السودان, as-Sūdān, officially the Republic of the Sudan ( ar, جمهورية السودان, link=no, Jumhūriyyat as-Sūdān), is a country in Northeast Africa. It shares borders with the Central African Republic t ...

and one in the

Red Sea The Red Sea ( ar, البحر الأحمر - بحر القلزم, translit=Modern: al-Baḥr al-ʾAḥmar, Medieval: Baḥr al-Qulzum; or ; Coptic: ⲫⲓⲟⲙ ⲛ̀ϩⲁϩ ''Phiom Enhah'' or ⲫⲓⲟⲙ ⲛ̀ϣⲁⲣⲓ ''Phiom ǹšari''; T ...

took place, allegedly conducted by the

against Iranian arms being smuggled to the

through Sudan. The Israeli government hinted that Israeli forces were involved in the incident. * '' Operation Cast Lead'' ** January 1 – Israeli airstrike on the Gaza Strip city of Jabalia kills senior

military commander

Nizar Rayan Nizar Rayan ( ar, نزار ريان, , also transliterated Rayyan; 6 March 1959 – 1 January 2009) was a high ranking Hamas leader who served as a liaison between the Palestinian organization's political leadership and its military wing. Al ...

and six members of his family. ** January 3 – Israel launches a ground invasion of the Gaza Strip as the Gaza War enters its second week. ** January 17 – Israel announces a unilateral ceasefire in the Gaza War. It comes into effect the following day, on which

declares a ceasefire of its own. ** January 21— Israel completes its withdrawal from the

. Intermittent air strikes by both sides of the preceding war continue in the weeks to follow. Notable Palestinian militant operations against Israeli targets
The most prominent Palestinian militant acts and operations committed against Israeli targets during 2009 include: * January 27 – Palestinian Arab militants detonate a bomb at the

Kissufim crossing Gush Katif ( he, גוש קטיף, , Harvest Bloc) was a bloc of 17 Israeli settlements in the southern Gaza strip. In August 2005, the Israeli army forcibly removed the 8,600 residents of Gush Katif from their homes after a decision from the C ...

, killing one Israeli soldier and wounding three others. * March 5 – A Palestinian Arab resident of

east Jerusalem East Jerusalem (, ; , ) is the sector of Jerusalem that was held by Jordan during the 1948 Arab–Israeli War, as opposed to the western sector of the city, West Jerusalem, which was held by Israel. Jerusalem was envisaged as a separat ...

attacks an Israeli police car and a bus on the Menachem Begin Expressway in

using a bulldozer, injuring two police officers before being shot to death. * April 2 –

Bat Ayin ax attack The Bat Ayin axe attack was an attack by a Palestinian man that took place on 2 April 2009 in the West Bank, when Moussa Tayet attacked a group of Israeli children with an axe and a knife, killing 13-year-old boy Shlomo Nativ and seriously woundi ...

: A Palestinian Arab man armed with a pickax rampages in the Jewish settlement of

Bat Ayin Bat Ayin ( he, בַּת עַיִן, lit., "daughter of the eye" or "apple of the eye", i. e., pupil, ar, بات عاين) is an Israeli settlement in Gush Etzion in the West Bank, between Jerusalem and Hebron. It was founded in 1989 by Rabbi Yi ...

, killing 13-year-old Israeli boy, Shlomo Nativ, and wounding a seven-year-old boy before fleeing the area. Islamic Jihad and

Imad Mughniyeh Imad Fayez Mughniyeh ( ar, عماد فايز مغنية; 7 December 1962 – 12 February 2008), alias al-Hajj Radwan (), was the founding member of Lebanon's Islamic Jihad Organization and number two in Hezbollah's leadership. Information about ...

claim responsibility for the attack. * June 16 – Ten Palestinian Arab terrorists belonging to an al-Qaida-cell launch an attack at the Karni crossing using horses "laden" with explosives. Four terrorists and the horses are killed in the ensuring firefight with 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 ...

. No IDF soldiers are wounded.

Notable deaths

* January 7 –

Yaakov Banai Yaakov Banai ( he, יעקב בנאי) born Yaakov Tunkel, Alias Mazal ( he, מזל; March 30, 1920 – January 7, 2009) served as the commander of the Lehi movement's combat unit. Banai was a senior Lehi member who masterminded numerous militar ...

(born 1920), Polish-born Israeli

Lehi Lehi (; he, לח"י – לוחמי חרות ישראל ''Lohamei Herut Israel – Lehi'', "Fighters for the Freedom of Israel – Lehi"), often known pejoratively as the Stern Gang,"This group was known to its friends as LEHI and to its enemie ...

commander. * January 26 –

Avraham Ravitz Avraham Ravitz ( he, אברהם רביץ, 13 January 1934 – 26 January 2009) was an Israeli politician and member of the Knesset for Degel HaTorah, which forms part of the United Torah Judaism alliance. Biography Avraham Ravitz was born in Tel ...

(born

1934 Events January–February * January 1 – The International Telecommunication Union, a specialist agency of the League of Nations, is established. * January 15 – The 8.0 1934 Nepal–Bihar earthquake, Nepal–Bihar earthquake strik ...

), Israeli politician, member of the Knesset (1988–2009) – heart failure. * February 1 – Arieh Levavi (born 1912), Russian (Lithuania)-born Israeli public servant, Ambassador to Argentina at the time of the capture of

Adolf Eichmann Otto Adolf Eichmann ( ,"Eichmann"
''

Raaphi Persitz (born

), Israeli chess master. * February 5 – Noah Weinberg (born

1930 Events January * January 15 – The Moon moves into its nearest point to Earth, called perigee, at the same time as its fullest phase of the Lunar Cycle. This is the closest moon distance at in recent history, and the next one will be ...

), American-born Israeli rabbi, founder of Aish HaTorah. * February 20 –

Shraga Weil Shraga Weil ( he, שרגא ווייל; September 24, 1918 – February 20, 2009) was an Israeli painter. Biography Weil was born in Nitra, Czechoslovakia in 1918 to a family of teachers, journalists and merchants. His father was a building e ...

(born 1918), Czechoslovak (Slovakia)-born Israeli painter. * February 21 –

Ilya Piatetski-Shapiro Ilya Piatetski-Shapiro (Hebrew: איליה פיאטצקי-שפירו; russian: Илья́ Ио́сифович Пяте́цкий-Шапи́ро; 30 March 1929 – 21 February 2009) was a Soviet-born Israeli mathematician. During a career that sp ...

(born 1929), Soviet-born Israeli mathematician – Parkinson's disease. * March 8 –

Daud Turki Daud Turki ( ar, داوود تركي, also known by his kunya Abu Aida the ''father of Aida'' (the father/master of return)) (1927 – March 8, 2009), was a Palestinian-Israeli poet, living in Haifa, Israel. He was the leader of the united Jewis ...

(born

1927 Events January * January 1 – The British Broadcasting ''Company'' becomes the British Broadcasting ''Corporation'', when its Royal Charter of incorporation takes effect. John Reith becomes the first Director-General. * January 7 * ...

), Israeli Arab Communist poet and political activist, convicted of treason. * April 26 –

Salamo Arouch Salamo Arouch ( el, Σολομόν Αρούχ; January 1, 1923 – April 26, 2009) was a Jewish Greek boxer, the Middleweight Champion of Greece (1938) and the All-Balkans Middleweight Champion (1939), who survived the Holocaust by boxing (over ...

(born 1923), Greek-born Israeli boxer and Holocaust survivor. * April 29 –

Moshe Weinfeld Moshe Weinfeld (also ''Weinfield'', Hebrew: משה ויינפלד) (August 27, 1925 - April 29, 2009), was a professor of Bible at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. In 1994, he won the Israel Prize for Bible. Biography Moshe Weinfeld was born in ...

(born 1925), Polish-born professor at 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 ...

. * May 9 – Mendi Rodan (born 1929), Romanian-born Israeli conductor, composer and violinist – cancer . * May 20 –

Yehoshua Zettler Yehoshua Zettler (July 15, 1917 – May 20, 2009; last name also spelled as Zeitler) was an Israeli who served as the Jerusalem commander of the Jewish paramilitary group Lehi, often called the Stern Gang. He conceived and planned the Septem ...

(born

1917 Events Below, the events of World War I have the "WWI" prefix. January * January 9 – WWI – Battle of Rafa: The last substantial Ottoman Army garrison on the Sinai Peninsula is captured by the Egyptian Expeditionary Force's ...

), Israeli resistance fighter (Lehi). * May 25 –

Amos Elon Amos Elon ( he, עמוס אילון, July 4, 1926 – May 25, 2009) was an Israeli journalist and author. Biography Heinrich Sternbach (later Amos Elon) was born in Vienna. He immigrated to Mandate Palestine in 1933. He studied law and history in ...

(born 1926), Austrian-born Israeli author and journalist. * May 25 –

Ephraim Katzir Ephraim Katzir ( he, אפרים קציר, translit=Efrayim Katsir; – 30 May 2009) was an Israeli biophysics, biophysicist and Israeli Labor Party, Labor Party politician. He was the List of Presidents of Israel, fourth President of Israel fro ...

(born 1916), Russian (Ukraine)-born Israeli biophysicist and politician, President (1973–1978). * June 26 –

Jo Amar Yosef "Jo" Amar ( he, יוסף (ג'ו) עמר, ar, يوسف (جو) عمار) (1 June 1930 – 26 June 2009
nyt ...

(born 1930), Moroccan-born Israeli singer. * June 26 –

Amnon Kapeliouk Amnon Kapeliouk (Hebrew: אמנון קפליוק) (22 December 1930– 26 June 2009) was an Israeli journalist and author. He was a co-founder of B'Tselem and was known for his close ties to Yasser Arafat. Biography Amnon Kapeliouk was born in ...

(born

), Israeli journalist and author. * July 15 – Avraham Ahituv (born

), German-born Israeli intelligence chief, Director of the Shin Bet (1974–1980). * July 17 – Meir Amit (born

1921 Events January * January 2 ** The Association football club Cruzeiro Esporte Clube, from Belo Horizonte, is founded as the multi-sports club Palestra Italia by Italian expatriates in First Brazilian Republic, Brazil. ** The Spanish lin ...

), Israeli major general and politician. * August 4 – Amos Kenan (born

), Israeli columnist, painter, sculptor, playwright and novelist – Alzheimer's disease. * August 8 –

Yehuda Cohen Yehuda Cohen ( he, יהודה כהן; 23 January 1914 – 8 August 2009) was an Israeli judge. He was appointed to the Israeli Supreme Court in 1982. Biography Yehuda Cohen was born in Safed. He studied mathematics at the American University of ...

(born

1914 This year saw the beginning of what became known as World War I, after Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria, heir to the Austrian throne was Assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand, assassinated by Serbian nationalist Gavrilo Princip. It als ...

), Israeli Supreme Court justice. * August 10 –

Yosef Tamir Yosef Tamir ( he, יוסף תמיר, 5 March 1915 – 10 August 2009) was an Israeli journalist, politician, lawyer and a professional javelin thrower. Background Tamir was born in Berdychiv in the Russian Empire (now part of Ukraine) and ...

(born 1915), Russian (Ukraine)-born Israeli politician and environmental activist, member of the Knesset (1965–1981). * August 20 –

(born

1946 Events January * January 6 - The 1946 North Vietnamese parliamentary election, first general election ever in Vietnam is held. * January 7 – The Allies recognize the Austrian republic with its 1937 borders, and divide the country into f ...

), Israeli actor – suicide by hanging. * September 7 –

Ra'anan Naim Ra'anan Naim ( he, רענן נעים, 31 December 1935 – 7 September 2009) was an Israeli politician who served as a member of the Knesset for the Alignment from 1981 to 1984. Biography Born in Benghazi in Libya in 1935, Naim made aliyah to ...

(born 1935), Libyan-born Israeli politician, member of Knesset (1981–1984). * October 7 – Moni Fanan (born 1946), Israeli basketball team manager – suicide hanging. * October 7 –

Shlomo Lorincz Rabbi Shlomo Lorincz ( he, שלמה לורינץ; 5 March 1918 – 19 October 2009) was an Israeli politician who served as a member of the Knesset for Agudat Yisrael from 1951 until 1984, and a close confidant of many gedolim. Biography Born i ...

(born 1918), Hungarian-born Israeli politician – heart failure. * November 2 –

Amir Pnueli Amir Pnueli ( he, אמיר פנואלי; April 22, 1941 – November 2, 2009) was an Israeli computer scientist and the 1996 Turing Award recipient. Biography Pnueli was born in Nahalal, in the British Mandate of Palestine (now in Israel) and rec ...

(born

1941 Events Below, the events of World War II have the "WWII" prefix. January * January–August – 10,072 men, women and children with mental and physical disabilities are asphyxiated with carbon monoxide in a gas chamber, at Hadamar Eu ...

), Israeli computer scientist and

Turing Award The ACM A. M. Turing Award is an annual prize given by the Association for Computing Machinery (ACM) for contributions of lasting and major technical importance to computer science. It is generally recognized as the highest distinction in compu ...

winner. * November 12 –

Emanuel Zisman Emanuel Zisman ( bg, Емануел Зисман; he, עמנואל זיסמן, 11 February 1935 – 11 November 2009) was an Israeli politician and ambassador. He served as a member of the Knesset between 1988 and 1999. Biography Zisman was born ...

(born 1935), Bulgarian-born Israeli politician, Member of Knesset (1988–1999). * November 14 –

Moshe Gidron Moshe Gidron ( he, משה גדרון, May 25, 1925 – November 14, 2009) was a major general in the Israel Defense Forces and former head of the Manpower Directorate. Biography Gidron was born in Tel Aviv during the British Mandate of Palest ...

(born

1925 Events January * January 1 ** The Syrian Federation is officially dissolved, the State of Aleppo and the State of Damascus having been replaced by the State of Syria. * January 3 – Benito Mussolini makes a pivotal speech in the Italia ...

), Israeli soldier, major general in the IDF. * December 23 – Ike Aronowicz (born 1923), Danzig-born Israeli naval captain who during the Mandate period was the captain of the illegal immigrants ships " SS Exodus" and " Pan York" (Kibbutz Galuyot).

Major public holidays

* Tenth of Tevet fast – January 6 (dawn to nightfall) * Tu Bishvat – nightfall of February 8 to nightfall of February 9 * Fast of Esther – March 9 (dawn to nightfall) *

Purim Purim (; , ; see Name below) is a Jewish holiday which commemorates the saving of the Jews, Jewish people from Haman, an official of the Achaemenid Empire who was planning to have all of Persia's Jewish subjects killed, as recounted in the Boo ...

– nightfall of March 9 to nightfall of March 10 *

Shushan Purim Purim (; , ; see Name below) is a Jewish holiday which commemorates the saving of the Jews, Jewish people from Haman, an official of the Achaemenid Empire who was planning to have all of Persia's Jewish subjects killed, as recounted in the Boo ...

(Jerusalem) – nightfall of March 10 to nightfall of March 11 * Birkat Hachamah – sunrise on April 8 (occurs once every 28 years) *

Fast of the Firstborn Fast of the Firstborn ( he, תענית בכורות, ''Ta'anit B'khorot'' or , ''Ta'anit B'khorim'') is a unique fast day in Judaism which usually falls on the day before Passover (i.e., the fourteenth day of Nisan, a month in the Jewish calend ...

– April 8 (dawn to sunset) *

Passover Passover, also called Pesach (; ), is a major Jewish holidays, Jewish holiday that celebrates the The Exodus, Biblical story of the Israelites escape from slavery in Ancient Egypt, Egypt, which occurs on the 15th day of the Hebrew calendar, He ...

and Chol HaMoed Pesach – sunset of April 8 to nightfall of April 15 (7th day) (an additional day is observed outside Israel) *

Holocaust Remembrance Day Yom HaZikaron laShoah ve-laG'vurah ( he, יום הזיכרון לשואה ולגבורה, , lit=Holocaust and Heroism Remembrance Day), known colloquially in Israel and abroad as Yom HaShoah (יום השואה) and in English as Holocaust Reme ...

– nightfall of April 20 to nightfall of April 21 * Fallen Soldiers Remembrance Day – nightfall of April 27 to nightfall of April 28 * Israel's Independence Day – nightfall of April 28 to nightfall of April 29 *

Lag Ba'omer Lag BaOmer ( he, , ''LaG Bāʿōmer''), also Lag B'Omer or Lag LaOmer, is a Jewish religious holiday celebrated on the 33rd day of the Counting of the Omer, which occurs on the 18th day of the Hebrew month of Iyar. According to some Rishonim, ...

– nightfall of May 11 to nightfall of May 12 *

Jerusalem Day Jerusalem Day ( he, יום ירושלים, ) is an Public holidays in Israel, Israeli national holiday that commemorates the "reunification" of East Jerusalem (including the Old City (Jerusalem), Old City) with West Jerusalem following the S ...

– nightfall of May 21 to nightfall of May 22 *

Shavuot (''Ḥag HaShavuot'' or ''Shavuos'') , nickname = English: "Feast of Weeks" , observedby = Jews and Samaritans , type = Jewish and Samaritan , begins = 6th day of Sivan (or the Sunday following the 6th day of Sivan i ...

– sunset of May 28 to sunset of May 29 (a second day is observed outside Israel) * Seventeenth of Tammuz fast – July 9 (dawn to nightfall) * Ninth of Av fast – sunset of July 29 to nightfall of July 30 *

Rosh Hashanah Rosh HaShanah ( he, רֹאשׁ הַשָּׁנָה, , literally "head of the year") is the Jewish New Year. The biblical name for this holiday is Yom Teruah (, , lit. "day of shouting/blasting") It is the first of the Jewish High Holy Days (, , " ...

– sunset of September 18 to nightfall of September 20 * Fast of Gedalia – September 21 (dawn to nightfall) *

Yom Kippur Yom Kippur (; he, יוֹם כִּפּוּר, , , ) is the holiest day in Judaism and Samaritanism. It occurs annually on the 10th of Tishrei, the first month of the Hebrew calendar. Primarily centered on atonement and repentance, the day's ...

– sunset of September 27 to nightfall of September 28 *

Sukkot or ("Booths, Tabernacles") , observedby = Jews, Samaritans, a few Protestant denominations, Messianic Jews, Semitic Neopagans , type = Jewish, Samaritan , begins = 15th day of Tishrei , ends = 21st day of Tishre ...

and Chol HaMoed Sukkot – sunset of October 2 to sunset of October 9 *

Simchat Torah Simchat Torah or Simhat Torah (, lit., "Rejoicing with/of the Torah", Ashkenazi: ''Simchas Torah'') is a Jewish holiday that celebrates and marks the conclusion of the annual cycle of public Torah readings, and the beginning of a new cycle. Simch ...

Shemini Atzeret Shemini Atzeret (—"Eighth

ay of Ay, AY or variants, may refer to: People * Ay (pharaoh), a pharaoh of the 18th Egyptian dynasty * Merneferre Ay, a pharaoh of the 13th Egyptian dynasty * A.Y. (musician) (born 1981), a Tanzanian "bongo flava" artist * A.Y, stage name of Ayo Makun ...

Assembly") is a Jewish holidays, Jewish holiday. It is celebrated on the 22nd day of the Hebrew calendar, Hebrew month of Tishrei in the Land of Israel, and on the 22nd and 23rd outside the Land, usually coi ...

– sunset of October 9 to nightfall of October 10 (a second day is observed outside Israel) *

Hanukkah or English translation: 'Establishing' or 'Dedication' (of the Temple in Jerusalem) , nickname = , observedby = Jews , begins = 25 Kislev , ends = 2 Tevet or 3 Tevet , celebrations = Lighting candles each night. ...

– nightfall of December 11 to nightfall of December 19 * Tenth of Tevet fast – December 27 (dawn to nightfall)

References

External links

{{DEFAULTSORT:2009 In Israel 2000s in Israel

Years of the 21st century in Israel

Incumbents

Events

Israeli–Palestinian conflict

Notable deaths

Major public holidays

See also

References

External links