2 January – Armed Palestinian Arab militants attacked and killed two hikers in the
Judean Desert.
18 January – Armed Palestinian Arab militants, who infiltrated into Israel from
Jordan, kill Eliezer Katz and Hector Eidman, two Jewish immigrants from Argentina and Brazil who worked in moshav
Agur.[1]
31 January – Two
Egyptian Jews,
Moshe Marzouk and Shmuel Azar, are executed in
Egypt, having been convicted of espionage and sabotage for Israel, in what becomes known as the "
Lavon Affair". Two other Jews had died in custody awaiting trial. The executions spark widespread mourning across Israel.
2 February – Israeli defense minister
Pinhas Lavon is forced to resign following the
Lavon Affair.
12 February – Shoshana Har-Zion and Oded Wegmeister are murdered whilst on a trek on the Jordanian side of the Armistice Line. Three weeks later Shashana's brother,
Meir, and three friends torture and kill five Bedouin.
13 February – Israel obtains four of the seven
Dead Sea scrolls, which had been discovered in the
caves in and around the ruins of the ancient settlement of
Khirbet Qumran on the northwest shore of the
Dead Sea in the
Judean Desert.
28 February – 1 March –
Operation Black Arrow: An
IDF operation carried out in
Gaza (then under
Egyptian control) from 28 February through 1 March 1955. The operation is aimed at the Egyptian army. 38 Egyptian and eight Israeli soldiers are killed during the operation and 30 Egyptians and thirteen Israelis are wounded. According to the Egyptian President
Gamal Abdel Nasser, this operation was the main motivation for Egypt's major arms deal with
Czechoslovakia in 1955.
25 March – Armed Palestinian Arab militants, who infiltrated into Israel from the
Gaza Strip, throw hand grenades and open fire on a crowded wedding celebration in moshav
Patish; one young Israeli woman is killed and 18 other guests are wounded.
27 July – After straying into Bulgarian airspace,
El Al Flight 402 was shot down by two MiG-15 fighter jets, resulting in the deaths of all 58 on board.
29 August – Beit Hanan attack: a Palestinian Fedayeen squad carried out a shooting attack in Israel near the village Beit Hanan. Four Israeli civilians were killed in the attack and 10 additional people were injured.[citation needed]
31 August –
Operation Elkayam: An
IDF operation carried out against the police force in
Khan Yunis, from where attacks had been launched against Israelis. 72 Egyptian soldiers are killed during the operation. The operation is followed by a massive buildup of Egyptian troops in the
Gaza Strip.
1 September – Two Egyptian fighter jets penetrate Israeli airspace, and are shot down by the
Israeli Air Force in a dogfight over
Yad Mordechai.
27 October – 200 Paratroopers, commanded by
Ariel Sharon, attack the Egyptian outpost at Kuntilla, on the southern
Negev border, killing 12 Egyptian soldiers. Two Israelis are killed.[3]
2 November –
Operation Volcano: An
IDF operation carried out against Egyptian military outposts at al Sabha and Wadi Siram along the Negev border following the invasion by Egyptian forces of the Israeli youth village and communal settlement
Nitzana. 70 Egyptian and seven Israeli soldiers are killed and 48 Egyptian soldiers are captured during the operations.[4]
11 December –
Operation Olive leaves: An
IDF Brigade attacked
Syrian posts located on the eastern shore of the
Sea of Galilee, in response to constant Syrian attacks on Israeli fishermen. 50 Syrian and six Israeli soldiers are killed and 30 Syrian soldiers are captured during the operation.
19 January –
Avraham Burg, former member of the Knesset, chairman of the Jewish Agency for Israel and Speaker of the Knesset.
16 July –
Zohar Argov, Israeli singer (died 1987).
4 September –
David Broza, Israeli singer, musician and composer.
Deaths
13 January –
Uri Ilan (born 1935), Israeli soldier captured by the Syrian Army who posthumously became a national hero, committed suicide in captivity.
Major public holidays
This section is empty. You can help by
adding to it. (August 2010)
^Dayan, Moshe (1965) Diary of the Sinai Campaign 1956. Sphere Books edition (1967) page 32.
^Morris, Benny (1993) Israel's Border Wars, 1949 - 1956. Arab Infiltration, Israeli Retaliation, and the Countdown to the Suez War. Oxford University Press,
ISBN0-19-827850-0. Page 358.
^Morris. Page 359. Has 81 Egyptians and five Israelis killed.
2 January – Armed Palestinian Arab militants attacked and killed two hikers in the
Judean Desert.
18 January – Armed Palestinian Arab militants, who infiltrated into Israel from
Jordan, kill Eliezer Katz and Hector Eidman, two Jewish immigrants from Argentina and Brazil who worked in moshav
Agur.[1]
31 January – Two
Egyptian Jews,
Moshe Marzouk and Shmuel Azar, are executed in
Egypt, having been convicted of espionage and sabotage for Israel, in what becomes known as the "
Lavon Affair". Two other Jews had died in custody awaiting trial. The executions spark widespread mourning across Israel.
2 February – Israeli defense minister
Pinhas Lavon is forced to resign following the
Lavon Affair.
12 February – Shoshana Har-Zion and Oded Wegmeister are murdered whilst on a trek on the Jordanian side of the Armistice Line. Three weeks later Shashana's brother,
Meir, and three friends torture and kill five Bedouin.
13 February – Israel obtains four of the seven
Dead Sea scrolls, which had been discovered in the
caves in and around the ruins of the ancient settlement of
Khirbet Qumran on the northwest shore of the
Dead Sea in the
Judean Desert.
28 February – 1 March –
Operation Black Arrow: An
IDF operation carried out in
Gaza (then under
Egyptian control) from 28 February through 1 March 1955. The operation is aimed at the Egyptian army. 38 Egyptian and eight Israeli soldiers are killed during the operation and 30 Egyptians and thirteen Israelis are wounded. According to the Egyptian President
Gamal Abdel Nasser, this operation was the main motivation for Egypt's major arms deal with
Czechoslovakia in 1955.
25 March – Armed Palestinian Arab militants, who infiltrated into Israel from the
Gaza Strip, throw hand grenades and open fire on a crowded wedding celebration in moshav
Patish; one young Israeli woman is killed and 18 other guests are wounded.
27 July – After straying into Bulgarian airspace,
El Al Flight 402 was shot down by two MiG-15 fighter jets, resulting in the deaths of all 58 on board.
29 August – Beit Hanan attack: a Palestinian Fedayeen squad carried out a shooting attack in Israel near the village Beit Hanan. Four Israeli civilians were killed in the attack and 10 additional people were injured.[citation needed]
31 August –
Operation Elkayam: An
IDF operation carried out against the police force in
Khan Yunis, from where attacks had been launched against Israelis. 72 Egyptian soldiers are killed during the operation. The operation is followed by a massive buildup of Egyptian troops in the
Gaza Strip.
1 September – Two Egyptian fighter jets penetrate Israeli airspace, and are shot down by the
Israeli Air Force in a dogfight over
Yad Mordechai.
27 October – 200 Paratroopers, commanded by
Ariel Sharon, attack the Egyptian outpost at Kuntilla, on the southern
Negev border, killing 12 Egyptian soldiers. Two Israelis are killed.[3]
2 November –
Operation Volcano: An
IDF operation carried out against Egyptian military outposts at al Sabha and Wadi Siram along the Negev border following the invasion by Egyptian forces of the Israeli youth village and communal settlement
Nitzana. 70 Egyptian and seven Israeli soldiers are killed and 48 Egyptian soldiers are captured during the operations.[4]
11 December –
Operation Olive leaves: An
IDF Brigade attacked
Syrian posts located on the eastern shore of the
Sea of Galilee, in response to constant Syrian attacks on Israeli fishermen. 50 Syrian and six Israeli soldiers are killed and 30 Syrian soldiers are captured during the operation.
19 January –
Avraham Burg, former member of the Knesset, chairman of the Jewish Agency for Israel and Speaker of the Knesset.
16 July –
Zohar Argov, Israeli singer (died 1987).
4 September –
David Broza, Israeli singer, musician and composer.
Deaths
13 January –
Uri Ilan (born 1935), Israeli soldier captured by the Syrian Army who posthumously became a national hero, committed suicide in captivity.
Major public holidays
This section is empty. You can help by
adding to it. (August 2010)
^Dayan, Moshe (1965) Diary of the Sinai Campaign 1956. Sphere Books edition (1967) page 32.
^Morris, Benny (1993) Israel's Border Wars, 1949 - 1956. Arab Infiltration, Israeli Retaliation, and the Countdown to the Suez War. Oxford University Press,
ISBN0-19-827850-0. Page 358.
^Morris. Page 359. Has 81 Egyptians and five Israelis killed.