1948 in Israel

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Decades: 1940s • 1950s • 1960s • 1970s See also: Other events of 1948 List of years in Israel

Events in the year 1948 in Israel.

Incumbents

• Prime Minister of Israel – David Ben-Gurion (Mapai), from May 14
• President (or Chairman) of the Provisional State Council of Israel – Chaim Weizmann, from May 17

Events

This section requires expansion.

David Ben-Gurion publicly pronouncing the Israeli Declaration of Independence, May 14, 1948

1947–1948 Civil War in Mandatory Palestine:

An Arab Legion soldier in the ruins of the Hurva Synagogue in Jerusalem.

• May 14 – The Israeli Declaration of Independence is made in Tel Aviv, the day before the British Mandate is due to expire.
• May 14–18 – 1947–1948 Civil War in Mandatory Palestine: Operation Kilshon – Capture by Jewish forces of buildings abandoned by British troops to strengthen the Jewish military position in Jerusalem.
• May 15 – At midnight between May 14 and May 15 the British Mandate of Palestine 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,^[1] becoming the first country to recognize the Jewish state.^[2]

1948 Arab–Israeli War:

• May 15 – Five of the seven countries of the Arab League at that time, namely Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon and Syria, backed by Saudi Arabian and Yemeni contingents, invade^[3] the territory of the former British Mandate of Palestine and clash with Jewish forces. The resulting 1948 Arab–Israeli War lasts for 13 months.
• May 17 – Chaim Weizmann becomes President (or Chairman) of the Provisional State Council and Israel's de facto Head of State.
• May 17 – The Soviet Union grants de jure recognition to the State of Israel, becoming the first country to do so.^[4]
• May 18 – Egyptian Bombers attack Tel Aviv, killing approximately 100 civilians.
• May 18 – Poland and Czechoslovakia grant recognition to the State of Israel^[5]
• May 19 – Guatemala and Uruguay grant recognition to the State of Israel^[5]
• 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 halted Syrian armored forces with Molotov cocktails and a single PIAT.
• May 20 – Operation Balak begins with the objective of transferring arms from Czechoslovakia to Israel.
• May 20 – The first Avia S-199 planes, Israel's first fighter aircrafts arrive in Israel from Czechoslovakia.
• May 24 – South Africa grants recognition to the State of Israel^[5]
• May 26 – The Provisional government of Israel decides on the establishment of the Israel Defense Forces (the IDF) and David Ben-Gurion signs the order for its establishment.
• May 27 – The Arab Legion, the army of Transjordan, destroys the Hurva Synagogue.
• May 28 – The Jewish Quarter of the Old City of Jerusalem falls to the Arab Legion, which destroys all remaining synagogues in the Old City.
• May 29 – Operation Yiftach ends in which the armies of Syria and Lebanon are repelled from the Eastern Upper Galilee.
• May 29 – The Egyptian Army is blocked in the Ad Halom bridge.
• May 29 – The founding of the moshav Shomrat.
• June 1 – The Irgun and the Provisional government of Israel sign an agreement for the dissolution of the Irgun and integratation of its fighters into the IDF.
• June 2 – The IDF's Operation Pleshet starts.
• June 7 – Kibbutz Nitzanim surrenders to the Egyptian Army in the Battle of Nitzanim.
• June 10 – The Syrian Army destroys the Jewish settlement Mishmar HaYarden in the Upper Galilee.
• June 11 – The Irgun's cargo ship Altalena which carries weapons, medical equipment and 930 Jewish immigrants, sets sail from France towards Israel.
• June 20 – The founding of the moshav Netzer Sereni.
• June 20 – Altalena reaches the coast of Israel. The Provisional government of Israel demands that all the weapons on board be handed over to it unconditionally, in accordance with the agreement regarding the integration of the Irgun into the IDF. The Irgun refuses to comply.
• June 22 – A violent confrontation between the IDF and members of the Irgun occurs over the Altalena and David Ben-Gurion eventually orders the IDF to shell the Altalena, and it burns off the shore of Tel Aviv. Sixteen Irgun fighters and three IDF soldiers die in the fighting.
• July 9 – The beginning of the IDF's Operation Dekel, which lasts until the July 18.
• July 10 – Operation Danny: IDF Soldiers capture the strategically important airport at Lydda.
• September 17 – The Lehi assassinates the Swedish diplomat Folke Bernadotte, who was appointed by the UN to mediate between the Arab nations and Israel.
• September 24–27 – 1948 Arab–Israeli War: Transport of Supermarine Spitfires acquired by Israel through Czechoslovakia.
• October 15 – The beginning of the IDF's Operation Yoav, aimed at conquering the whole Negev desert.
• October 19 – The founding of the moshav HaGoshrim.
• October 21 – Battle of Beersheba: The IDF's Negev Brigade occupies Beersheba.
• October 28 – The Israeli flag becomes the official flag of the State of Israel.
• October 29 – The beginning of the IDF's Operation Hiram, aimed at conquering the Upper Galilee.
• November 11 – Population Census is held in Israel, six months after its creation, to establish the population registry.^[6]
• November 16 – Operation Magic Carpet to transport Jews from Yemen to Israel begins.
• November 28 – The founding of the moshav Tzova.
• December 27 – The IDF starts Operation Horev, a wide scale attack against the Egyptian army in the Western Negev.

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  The strategically important airport at Lydda following its capture by the IDF in July 1948

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  Haganah soldiers near Afula during the 1948 Arab–Israeli War

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  Altalena on fire after being shelled near Tel Aviv

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  Israeli Jewish female soldiers training at Mishmar HaEmek during the 1948 Arab–Israeli War, 1948

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  Israeli forces capture Beersheba during the Battle of Beersheba, October 21, 1948

Notable births

• June 12 – Yossi Beilin, Israeli politician.
• July 16 – Pinchas Zukerman, Israeli violinist.
• July 29 – Meir Shalev, Israeli author.
• September 7 – Dan Halutz, the 18th Chief of Staff of the IDF.
• September 20 – Dudu Dotan, Israeli entertainer (died 2001).

Notable deaths

• May 23 – Thomas C. Wasson (born 1896), US diplomat, assassinated in Jerusalem.
• June 30 – Meir Tobianski (born 1904), Russian (Lithuanian)-born Israeli officer executed as a traitor, but later exonerated.
• September 17 – Folke Bernadotte (born 1895), Swedish diplomat, assassinated in Jerusalem.

Major public holidays

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References

External links

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