Events in the year 1948 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

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 nam ...

(

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 ...

), from May 14 * President (or Chairman) of the Provisional State Council of Israel –

Chaim Weizmann Chaim Azriel Weizmann ( he, חיים עזריאל ויצמן ', russian: Хаим Евзорович Вейцман, ''Khaim Evzorovich Veytsman''; 27 November 1874 – 9 November 1952) was a Russian-born biochemist, Zionist leader and Israe ...

, from May 17 * President of the Supreme Court –

Moshe Smoira Moshe Smoira ( he, משה זמורה, born 25 October 1888, died 8 October 1961) was an Israeli jurist and the first President of the Supreme Court of Israel. Biography Smoira was born in 1888 in Königsberg, in the German Empire to Leiser and ...

Events

The State of Israel was declared after the end of the civil war, which was raging for six months in Palestine after the

vote Voting is a method by which a group, such as a meeting or an Constituency, electorate, can engage for the purpose of making a collective decision making, decision or expressing an opinion usually following discussions, debates or election camp ...

by the United Nation to partition Palestine between Palestinian Jews and Arabs. Declaration of independence and international recognition: * May 14 – The Israeli Declaration of Independence is made in

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 ...

, a few hours before the British Mandate is due to expire. At midnight the

British Mandate of Palestine British Mandate of Palestine or Palestine Mandate most often refers to: * Mandate for Palestine: a League of Nations mandate under which the British controlled an area which included Mandatory Palestine and the Emirate of Transjordan. * Mandatory P ...

is officially terminated and the State of Israel comes into being. * May 15 – The United States grants ''de facto'' recognition to the State of Israel, eleven minutes after it comes into existence, becoming the first country to recognize the Jewish state. * May 17 – The Soviet Union grants ''de jure'' recognition to the State of Israel, becoming the first country to do so. * May 17 –

becomes President (or Chairman) of the Provisional State Council and Israel's de facto head of state. * May 18 –

Poland Poland, officially the Republic of Poland, is a country in Central Europe. It is divided into 16 administrative provinces called voivodeships, covering an area of . Poland has a population of over 38 million and is the fifth-most populou ...

and

Czechoslovakia , rue, Чеськословеньско, , yi, טשעכאסלאוואקיי, , common_name = Czechoslovakia , life_span = 1918–19391945–1992 , p1 = Austria-Hungary , image_p1 ...

grant recognition to the State of Israel.American Jewish Year Book, 1950
''Page 394 (Recognition of Israel)'' * May 19 – Guatemala and

Uruguay Uruguay (; ), officially the Oriental Republic of Uruguay ( es, República Oriental del Uruguay), is a country in South America. It shares borders with Argentina to its west and southwest and Brazil to its north and northeast; while bordering ...

grant recognition to the State of Israel. * May 24 –

South Africa South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the Southern Africa, southernmost country in Africa. It is bounded to the south by of coastline that stretch along the Atlantic Ocean, South Atlantic and Indian Oceans; to the ...

grants recognition to the State of Israel. 1948 Arab–Israeli War:
* May 15 – Four of the seven countries of the Arab League at that time, namely

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 Medit ...

Iraq Iraq,; ku, عێراق, translit=Êraq officially the Republic of Iraq, '; ku, کۆماری عێراق, translit=Komarî Êraq is a country in Western Asia. It is bordered by Turkey to the north, Iran to the east, the Persian Gulf and K ...

Jordan Jordan ( ar, الأردن; tr. ' ), officially the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan,; tr. ' is a country in Western Asia. It is situated at the crossroads of Asia, Africa, and Europe, within the Levant region, on the East Bank of the Jordan Rive ...

and Syria, backed by Arab volunteers invade the territory of the former

and clash with

Jewish Jews ( he, יְהוּדִים, , ) or Jewish people are an ethnoreligious group and nation originating from the Israelites Israelite origins and kingdom: "The first act in the long drama of Jewish history is the age of the Israelites""The ...

forces. The resulting 1948 Arab–Israeli War lasts for 13 months. * May 14–18 – 1947–1948 Civil War in Mandatory Palestine:

Operation Kilshon From 13–18 May 1948 Jewish forces from the Haganah and Irgun executed Operation Kilshon ("Pitchfork"). Its aim was to capture the Jewish suburbs of Jerusalem, particularly Talbiya in central Jerusalem. Operation At midnight on Friday 14 May, t ...

– Capture by Jewish forces of buildings abandoned by British troops to strengthen the Jewish military position in Jerusalem. * May 18 – An Egyptian air raid on the

Tel Aviv Central Bus Station Tel Aviv central bus station, also known as the new central bus station (התחנה המרכזית החדשה, HaTahana HaMerkazit HaHadasha), is the main bus station of Tel Aviv, Israel. Located in the south of the city, it was opened on Augu ...

kills 42 people and injures 100. * May 20 – The Syrian Army is blocked at kibbutz Degania Alef in the north, where local Jewish militia reinforced by elements of the

Carmeli Brigade 2nd "Carmeli" Brigade (Hebrew: חטיבת כרמלי, Hativat Carmeli, former 165th Brigade) is a reserve infantry brigade of the Israel Defense Forces, part of the Northern Command. Today the brigade consists of four battalions, including one recon ...

halted Syrian armored forces. * May 20 –

Operation Balak Operation Balak was a smuggling operation, during the founding of Israel in 1948, that purchased arms in Europe to avoid various embargoes and boycotts transferring them to the Yishuv. Of particular note was the delivery of 23 Czechoslovakia-made ...

begins with the objective of transferring arms from

Czechoslovakia , rue, Чеськословеньско, , yi, טשעכאסלאוואקיי, , common_name = Czechoslovakia , life_span = 1918–19391945–1992 , p1 = Austria-Hungary , image_p1 ...

to Israel. * May 26 – The

Provisional government of Israel The provisional government of Israel ( he, הַמֶמְשָׁלָה הַזְמַנִּית, translit. ''HaMemshela HaZmanit'') was the temporary cabinet which governed the Jewish community in Mandatory Palestine, and later the newly established ...

decides on the establishment of the Israel Defense Forces and

signs the order for its establishment. * May 29 – The Egyptian Army is blocked in the Ad Halom bridge. * June 1 – The

Irgun Irgun • Etzel , image = Irgun.svg , image_size = 200px , caption = Irgun emblem. The map shows both Mandatory Palestine and the Emirate of Transjordan, which the Irgun claimed in its entirety for a future Jewish state. The acronym "Etzel" i ...

and the

sign an agreement for the dissolution of the Irgun and integration of its fighters into the Israel Defense Forces. * June 2 – The Israel Defense Forces's

Operation Pleshet Operation Pleshet ( he, מִבְצָע פְּלֶשֶׁת, ''Mivtza Pleshet'', lit. "Operation Philistia"), named after the geographical region where it took place, was an Israeli military operation during the 1948 Arab–Israeli War. It was car ...

starts. * June 7 – Kibbutz

Nitzanim Nitzanim ( he, נִצָּנִים, ''lit.'' Flower buds) is a kibbutz in southern Israel. Located between Ashkelon and Ashdod on the Nitzanim dunes, it falls under the jurisdiction of Hof Ashkelon Regional Council. In it had a population of . ...

surrenders to the Egyptian Army in the

Battle of Nitzanim The Battle of Nitzanim was a battle fought between the Israel Defense Forces and the Egyptian Army in the 1948 Arab–Israeli War, on June 7, 1948 (29 Iyar, 5708 in the Hebrew calendar). It was the first major Egyptian victory of the war, and one ...

. * June 10 – The Syrian Army destroys the Jewish settlement

Mishmar HaYarden Mishmar HaYarden ( he, מִשְׁמַר הַיַּרְדֵּן, lit. ''Guard of the Jordan'') is a moshav in northern Israel. Located in the Korazim Plateau, on Highway 91 between Mahanayim and Gadot, it falls under the jurisdiction of Mevo'ot ...

in the

Upper Galilee The Upper Galilee ( he, הגליל העליון, ''HaGalil Ha'Elyon''; ar, الجليل الأعلى, ''Al Jaleel Al A'alaa'') is a geographical-political term in use since the end of the Second Temple period. It originally referred to a mounta ...

. * June 11 – The

's cargo ship

Altalena The ''Altalena'' Affair was a violent confrontation that took place in June 1948 by the newly created Israel Defense Forces against the Irgun (also known as IZL), one of the Jewish paramilitary groups that were in the process of merging to form ...

which carries weapons, medical equipment and 930 Jewish immigrants, sets sail from France towards Israel. * June 20 –

reaches the coast of Israel. The

demands that all the weapons on board be handed over to it unconditionally, in accordance with the agreement regarding the integration of the

into the Israel Defense Forces. The Irgun refuses to comply. * June 22 – A violent confrontation between the Israel Defense Forces and members of the

occurs over the

and

eventually orders the Israel Defense Forces to shell the Altalena, and it burns off the shore of

. Sixteen Irgun fighters and three Israel Defense Forces soldiers die in the fighting. * July 9 – The beginning of the Israel Defense Forces's

Operation Dekel Operation Dekel ( he, מבצע דקל , Mivtza Dekel, Operation Palm Tree), was the largest offensive by Israeli forces in the north of Palestine after the first truce of the 1948 Arab-Israeli War. It was carried out by the 7th Armoured Briga ...

, which lasts until the July 18. * July 10 –

Operation Danny Operation Danny ( he, מבצע דני, ''Mivtza Dani'') was an Israeli military offensive launched at the end of the first truce of the 1948 Arab–Israeli War. The objectives were to capture territory east of Tel Aviv and then to push inland and ...

: Israel Defense Forces Soldiers capture the strategically important airport at

Lydda Lod ( he, לוד, or fully vocalized ; ar, اللد, al-Lidd or ), also known as Lydda ( grc, Λύδδα), is a city southeast of Tel Aviv and northwest of Jerusalem in the Central District of Israel. It is situated between the lower Sheph ...

. (Territory later annexed by Israel) * September 17 – The Lehi assassinates the Swedish diplomat

Folke Bernadotte Folke Bernadotte, Count of Wisborg (2 January 1895 – 17 September 1948) was a Swedish nobleman and diplomat. In World War II he negotiated the release of about 31,000 prisoners from German concentration camps, including 450 Danish Jews fr ...

, who was appointed by the UN to mediate between the Arab nations and Israel. * September 22 – The Provisional State Council of Israel passes the Area of Jurisdiction and Powers Ordnance, 5708-1948, annexing all territory that Israel had captured since the war began, and declaring that from then on, any part of Palestine captured and secured by the Israel Defense Forces would automatically be annexed to Israel. * September 24–27 – 1948 Arab–Israeli War: Transport of Supermarine Spitfires acquired by Israel through

Czechoslovakia , rue, Чеськословеньско, , yi, טשעכאסלאוואקיי, , common_name = Czechoslovakia , life_span = 1918–19391945–1992 , p1 = Austria-Hungary , image_p1 ...

. * October 15 – The beginning of the Israel Defense Forces's

Operation Yoav Operation Yoav (also called ''Operation Ten Plagues'' or ''Operation Yo'av'') was an Israeli military operation carried out from 15–22 October 1948 in the Negev Desert, during the 1948 Arab–Israeli War. Its goal was to drive a wedge between th ...

, aimed at conquering the whole Negev desert. * October 21 – Battle of Beersheba: The Israel Defense Forces's

Negev Brigade The 12th Negev Brigade ( he, חטיבת הנגב, ''Hativat HaNegev'') is an Israeli reserve infantry brigade under the Sinai Division, that originally served in the 1948 Arab-Israeli war. History Founding and organization The brigade was f ...

occupies

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. ...

. * October 29 – The beginning of the Israel Defense Forces's

Operation Hiram Operation Hiram was a military operation conducted by the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) during the 1948 Arab-Israeli War. It was led by General Moshe Carmel, and aimed at capturing the Upper Galilee region from the Arab Liberation Army (ALA) forces ...

, aimed at conquering the

. * November 11 – Population Census is held in Israel, six months after its creation, to establish the

population registry Civil registration is the system by which a government records the vital events (births, marriages, and deaths) of its citizens and residents. The resulting repository or database has different names in different countries and even in differ ...

. * December 27 – The Israel Defense Forces starts Operation Horev, a wide scale attack against the Egyptian army in the Western Negev. File:LyddaAirportCapture.png, The strategically important airport at Lydda following its capture by the Israel Defense Forces in July 1948 File:Afulahagana.jpg, Haganah soldiers near

Afula Afula ( he, עפולה Arabic: العفولة) is a city in the Northern District of Israel, often known as the "Capital of the Valley" due to its strategic location in the Jezreel Valley. As of , the city had a population of . Afula's ancient ...

during the 1948 Arab–Israeli War File:Altalena off Tel-Aviv beach.jpg,

on fire after being shelled near Tel Aviv File:Mishmar HaEmek.JPG, Israeli Jewish female soldiers training at

Mishmar HaEmek Mishmar HaEmek ( he, מִשְׁמַר הָעֵמֶק, . "Guard of the Valley") is a kibbutz in northern Israel. Located in the western Jezreel Valley, it falls under the jurisdiction of the Megiddo Regional Council. Mishmar HaEmek is one of ...

during the 1948 Arab–Israeli War, 1948 File:Beersheba 1948.jpg, Israeli forces capture

during the Battle of Beersheba, October 21, 1948 Other events: * July 22 – The Supreme Court of Israel is formed, with the first five judges of the court appointed after being recommended by the Minister of Justice and the interim government and appointed in a vote by the Provisional State Council. * August 17 – The

Israeli pound The pound or lira ( he, לירה ישראלית ''Lira Yisra'elit'', ar, جنيه إسرائيلي ''Junayh ʾIsrāʾīlī''; abbreviation: IL in Latin, ל"י in Hebrew; code ) was the currency of the State of Israel from 9 June 1952 until 23 F ...

replaces the

Palestine pound The Palestine pound ( ar, جُنَيْه فِلَسْطَينِيّ, ; he, פוּנְט פַּלֶשְׂתִינָאִי (א״י), funt palestina'i (eretz-yisra'eli) or he, לירה (א״י), lira eretz-yisra'elit, link=no; Sign: £P) was the ...

and becomes the official currency of Israel when the Provisional State Council passes a law recognizing the new lira banknotes printed by the

Anglo-Palestine Bank Bank Leumi ( he, בנק לאומי, lit. ''National Bank''; ar, بنك لئومي) is an Israeli bank. It was founded on February 27, 1902, in Jaffa as the ''Anglo Palestine Company'' as subsidiary of the Jewish Colonial Trust (Jüdische Kolonia ...

, which began arriving in Israel in July 1948, as legal tender. * September 14 – The Supreme Court of Israel is officially inaugurated in a ceremony in Jerusalem. * October 28 – The

Israeli flag The flag of Israel ( he, דגל ישראל '; ar, علم إسرائيل ') was adopted on 28 October 1948, five months after the establishment of the State of Israel. It depicts a blue hexagram on a white background, between two horizontal b ...

becomes the official flag of the State of Israel. * November 8 – The first population census in Israel is held, and the government began issuing

identity cards An identity document (also called ID or colloquially as papers) is any documentation, document that may be used to prove a person's identity. If issued in a small, standard credit card size form, it is usually called an identity card (IC, ID c ...

to residents. * November 15 – Israel's fledgling national airline is incorporated as

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 inaugura ...

.El Al Israel National Airlines
/ref>

Notable births

* May 15 –

Dror Zeigerman Dror Zeigerman (, born 15 May 1948) is an Israeli former politician and diplomat who served as a member of the Knesset for Likud between 1981 and 1984, and as ambassador to the United Kingdom from 1998 until 2000. Biography Born in Ness Ziona th ...

, Israeli politician and diplomat. * May 15 –

Yaakov Amidror Yaakov Amidror ( he, יעקב עמידרור; born 15 May 1948) is a former major general and National Security Advisor of Israel, and was also the head of the Research Department of Israeli military intelligence. Today, he is the Anne and Greg Ro ...

, Israeli general and National Security Adviser. * June 1 –

Eti Livni Eti Livni ( he, אתי לבני, born 1 June 1948) is an Israeli former politician who served as a member of the Knesset for Shinui and the Secular Faction between 2003 and 2006. Biography In the 1999 elections Livni was placed tenth on the Sh ...

, Israeli politician. * June 2 –

Roni Bar-On Roni Bar-On ( he, רוני בר-און, born 2 June 1948) is an Israeli politician and lawyer. He served as a member of the Knesset for Likud and Kadima between 2003 and 2011, and is also a former Minister of Finance. Biography Bar-On was bor ...

, Israeli politician and lawyer. * June 12 –

Yossi Beilin Yosef "Yossi" Beilin ( he, יוסף "יוסי" ביילין, born 12 June 1948) is an Israeli politician who has served in multiple ministerial and leadership positions in the Israeli government. Much of his political career was in the Labour Pa ...

, Israeli politician. * July 7 – Avigdor Feldman, Israeli lawyer. * July 16 –

Pinchas Zukerman Pinchas Zukerman ( he, פנחס צוקרמן, born 16 July 1948) is an Israeli-American violinist, violist and conductor. Life and career Zukerman was born in Tel Aviv, to Jewish parents and Holocaust survivors Yehuda and Miriam Lieberman Zuk ...

, Israeli violinist. * July 29 – Meir Shalev, Israeli author. * August 1 – Avi Arad, Israeli-American businessman. * August 19 –

Avihu Medina Avihu Medina ( he, אביהו מדינה, born August 19, 1948 in Tel Aviv) is an Israeli composer, arranger, songwriter, and singer of Mediterranean Israeli music. Medina was born in Tel Aviv. He was the third son of Aaron and Leah Medina. His m ...

, Israeli composer and singer-songwriter. * August 24 –

Dov Lupi Dov (Dubi) Lupi (born August 24, 1948) is a retired Israeli-American Olympic gymnast who competed as well for Washington State University. He competed for Israel in the 1976 Summer Olympics in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, where he ranked 68th in the ...

, Israeli-American gymnast. * September 7 –

Dan Halutz Dan Halutz ( he, דן חלוץ, ; born August 7, 1948) is an Israeli Air Force lieutenant general and former Chief of Staff of the Israel Defense Forces and commander of the Israeli Air Force. Halutz served as chief of staff in 2005–2007. Biog ...

, the 18th Chief of Staff of the Israel Defense Forces. * September 8 – Naomi Tsur, Israeli politician and environmentalist. * September 26 –

Ehud Yatom Ehud Yatom ( he, אהוד יתום, born 26 September 1948) is an Israeli former Shin Bet agent and politician who served as a member of the Knesset for Likud between 2003 and 2006. Biography Ehud Yatom was born in Netanya. He is the brother o ...

, Israeli politician and

Shin Bet The Israel Security Agency (ISA; he, שֵׁירוּת הַבִּיטָּחוֹן הַכְּלָלִי; ''Sherut ha-Bitaẖon haKlali''; "the General Security Service"; ar, جهاز الأمن العام), better known by the acronym Shabak ( he, ...

agent. * October 10 – Micha Goldman, Israeli politician. * October 12 – Eli Danker, Israeli actor. * December 8 – Benny Morris, Israeli historian and professor.

Notable deaths

* May 23 – Thomas C. Wasson (born 1896), US diplomat, assassinated in Jerusalem. * May 29 - Esther Cailingold (born 1925), British-born Israeli soldier commemorated as a war hero, killed in action in

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

during the battle for the Old City. * June 10 -

Mickey Marcus David Daniel "Mickey" Marcus (22 February 1901 – 10 June 1948) was a United States Army colonel, later Israel's first General, who was a principal architect of the U.S. military's World War II civil affairs policies,Ossad, Steven L."Out of the ...

(born 1901), American-born Israeli general, Israel's first general, shot dead in a case of

friendly fire In military terminology, friendly fire or fratricide is an attack by belligerent or neutral forces on friendly troops while attempting to attack enemy/hostile targets. Examples include misidentifying the target as hostile, cross-fire while en ...

. * June 30 – Meir Tobianski (born 1904), Lithuanian-born Israeli officer executed as a traitor, but later exonerated. * September 17 –

(born 1895), Swedish diplomat, assassinated in Jerusalem. * October 16 – Modi Alon (born 1921), Israeli fighter pilot and commander of Israel's first fighter squadron, plane crash.

Major public holidays

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:1948 in Israel

Incumbents

Events

Notable births

Notable deaths

Major public holidays

See also

References