עם ישראל חי
Israel vs Palestine
Creation Vs Destruction
The Supreme Court of Israel is inaugurated, the Israeli lira replaces the Palestinian pound, the Israeli flag becomes the state’s official flag.
1948
El Al, Israel’s new national airline, operates its maiden flight, bringing Israel’s first president, Prof. Haim Weizmann, home from a diplomatic visit to Geneva
Egypt, Iraq, Jordan and Syria invade Israel. The War of Independence lasts 13 months.
1951
The Tel Aviv Stock Exchange opens for business. Today, about 544 companies are listed on the exchange.
The Egged bus company becomes a cross-country public transportation network after merging with the northern Shahar bus company and the southern Drom Yehuda bus company.
1952
Stef Wertheimer sets up a small metal shop and tool-making company in the backyard of his home in Nahariya. His company, ISCAR, quickly becomes a success
Seven armed terrorists attacked and killed a 19-year-old girl in her home in the neighborhood of Beit Yisrael in Jerusalem.
1953
The Israel Prize, the state’s highest cultural honor, is awarded for the first time. The nine recipients represent the fields of Jewish studies, literature, education, social science, medical science, fine arts, exact sciences and life sciences.
The Conquest of the Desert world’s fair opens in Jerusalem, focusing on the themes of reclamation and population of desert area. Some 600,000 people visit the fair.
A youngster was killed, and three others were wounded in shooting attacks on residential areas in southern Jerusalem.
Terrorists killed a resident of Lod after throwing hand grenades and spraying gunfire in all directions. On the same night, another group of terrorists attacked a house in Hadera.
Kfar Hess, Israel
Terrorists attacked a young couple in their home and shot them to death.
1954
Maskit - fashion house founded by Ruth Dayan
First all Israeli movie produced in Negev desert, becoming first Israeli movie in Cannes Film festival
1955
Israeli physicist Dr. Harry Zvi Tabor develops a new type of solar heater (dud shemesh in Hebrew), to produce hot water for households.
Six years later, Tabor and Lucien (Yehuda) and Yehudit Bronicki created a solar-powered turbine that uses an alternative liquid to move an electric generator even when the sun’s rays aren’t strong. They applied this innovation to geothermal energy with great success through their global company, Ormat.
Judean Desert, Israel
Two hikers were killed by terrorists.
Patish, Israel
One young woman was killed and 18 wounded when terrorists threw hand grenades and opened fire on a crowded wedding celebration.
1956
The Israel Dairy Board is founded, helping to cement Israel’s growing lead in the dairy industry. Today, Israel’s dairy industry produces the highest milk yield per cow worldwide, and acts a model of achievement for dairy farmers everywhere.
Tel Aviv University opens.
Ashkelon, Israel
One young woman was killed when terrorists threw three hand grenades into her house.
Kibbutz Givat Chaim, Israel
Two were killed when terrorists opened fire on a car.
Shafrir (Kfar Chabad), Israel
Three children and one youth worker were killed and five injured when terrorists opened fire on a synagogue full of children and teenagers.
Ein Ofarim, Israel
Terrorists killed 3 Druze guards.
Kibbutz Ramat Rachel, Israel
Four archaeologists were killed and 16 wounded when terrorists opened fire from a Jordanian position.
Aminadav, Israel
Terrorists killed a girl in the fields of the farming community of Aminadav, near Jerusalem.
Sdom, Israel
Five Israeli workers were killed.
Neve Hadasah, Israel
Two workers were killed in an orchard of the youth village.
Northern and Central Israel
Terrorists opened fire on a train, attacked cars, and blew up wells in the north and center of Israel. 6 Israelis were wounded.
1957
Heichal HaTarbut, the main concert hall in Tel Aviv, opens.
Nir Yitzhak, Israel
Two civilians were killed by terrorist landmines.
A shepherd from Kibbutz Beit Govrin was killed by terrorists in a field near the kibbutz.
Kibbutz Mesilot, Israel
Two guards were killed by terrorists who infiltrated from Jordan.
Arava, Israel
A terrorist opened fire on a truck in the Arava region, killing a worker.
Kibbutz Kisufim, Israel
One was killed, and two were wounded when their vehicle struck a landmine.
Kibbutz Beit Govrin, Israel
Two guards of the Israeli Mekorot water company were killed.
Kibbutz Gadot, Israel
A member of Kibbutz Gadot was killed in the kibbutz fields.
Kfar Yona, Israel
Terrorists killed a resident of Moshav Yanov.
Tel Lachish, Israel
Terrorists lying in ambush shot and killed two people.
Jerusalem, Israel
Four Israeli police officers were killed in a Jordanian attack on Mt. Scopus.
Kibbutz Gonen, Israel
A shepherd was killed, and 31 civilians were wounded in an artillery attack.
Kibbutz Lehavot Habashan, Israel
A shepherd from Kibbutz Lehavot Habashan was killed.
Moshav Zavdiel, Israel
Three civilians were killed by a terrorist landmine.
Kibbutz Ramat Rahel, Israel
A guard was killed at Kibbutz Ramat Rahel in Jerusalem.
Masada, Israel
Two hikers were shot and killed at close range at Masada.
Kibbutz Yad Hana, Israel
A shepherd from Kibbutz Heftziba was killed near Kibbutz Yad Hana.
1961
An El Al Lockheed Constellation plane, 1951. Photo courtesy of the National Photo Collection of Israel
El Al Israel Airlines, established in 1948, begins flying nonstop between Tel Aviv and New York, setting a world record for the longest nonstop flight.
Ashkelon, Israel
Terrorists killed a resident of the city.
1963
Hebrew University Prof. Raphael Mechoulam discovers the chemical structure of the active compounds in cannabis, including cannabidiol (CBD) and tetrahrocannabinol (THC), which is later used to treat seizures, among other disorders. Thanks to his groundbreaking work, Israel today dominates the cannabis research industry.
Eilat, Israel
Terrorists fired on an Egged bus on the way to Eilat; one passenger was wounded.
1964
The National Water Carrier is completed, bringing water from Israel’s north to the parched south. The development is a major step forward in enabling Israel to turn the Negev Desert into the center of crop production in Israel.
Osem introduces Bamba, Israel’s favorite peanut snack. In 2015, A British study proved what Israeli parents had long suspected, that this addictive treat, given to children in Israel from a young age, could help prevent peanut allergies.
Batsheva Dance company is founded by Martha Graham and Baroness Batsheva de Rothschild. It has become Israel’s premiere dance troupe.
Motorola becomes the first US corporation to set up an R&D unit in Israel. The center initially develops wireless products and later moves into chip production.
1965
Palestinian terrorists attempted to bomb the National Water Carrier - the first attack carried out by the PLO’s Fatah faction.
Musara, Israel
Jordanian Legionnaires fired on the neighborhood of Musara in Jerusalem, killing two civilians and wounding four.
Mitzpe Massua, Israel
A Fatah cell planted explosives near Beit Guvrin and on the railroad tracks to Jerusalem near Kfar Battir.
1966
Coca-Cola comes to Israel, defying the Arab boycott. It opens one bottling plant in Tel Aviv and production begins two years later. The original plant still stands today on the same site, though the facility has been expanded to eight bottling lines that produce more than one million beverages a day. In the 1980s, Israel was one of the first countries worldwide to enjoy Diet Coke.
1967
Ben-Gurion University of the Negev opens
Israel successfully overcomes attacks by Egypt, Jordan and Syria in the Six-Day War. In the wake of this unlikely victory, the historical and religious sites in the Old City of Jerusalem are rebuilt and become the most popular tourist destination in Israel.
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Naturally.
Rome, Italy
The Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP) carried out the first hijacking, diverting an El Al flight to Algiers. 32 Jewish passengers were held hostage for 5 weeks.
Tel Aviv, Israel
One was killed, and 71 were wounded by three bombs that exploded in the city center.
Aircraft en route to Algeria
Hijacking of El Al aircraft en route to Algeria.
1968 - Jerusalem, Israel
Twelve were killed and 52 injured by a car bomb in the Mahaneh Yehuda market.
Athens, Greece
Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine gunmen kill an Israeli mechanic at Athens airport. In reprisal, Israeli commandos blew up 14 Arab aircraft at Beirut airport.
1969
Golda Meir becomes Israel’s first female prime minister.
Zurich, Switzerland
A pilot and three passengers were killed by terrorists who attacked an El Al Boeing 707 on the airport runway.
Jerusalem, Israel
Two were killed, and 20 were injured by a bomb detonated in a crowded supermarket.
Haifa, Israel
Four were killed and 20 wounded by terrorist bombs in 5 apartments.
Zurich, Switzerland
One was killed and 11 wounded by 3 Arab terrorists who unsuccessfully attempted to hijack an El Al flight at Zurich airport.
Avivim, Israel
Terrorists attack a school bus, killing 12 (9 of whom were children), and wounding 24.
Dawson Field, Jordan
Three airliners holding over 400 passengers were hijacked and taken to the Jordanian airport by the PFLP. The hostages were released in exchange for terrorists held in Germany, Switzerland, and England.
1972
IBM Israel research offices in Haifa. Photo courtesy
The Israeli psyche may have been scarred when 11 Israeli Olympic team members were taken hostage and eventually killed along with a police officer by the Palestinian terrorist group Black September in the summer. But that didn’t stop international giants from casting their eyes toward Israeli talent. IBM Israel opened its first R&D center at the Technion’s Computer Science Building in Haifa. Today, more than 1,000 people work at IBM R&D offices across Israel.
Lod Airport, Israel
One passenger and 5 Israeli soldiers were killed during a rescue operation by Israeli commandos on a hijacked Belgian airliner; the 4 Palestinian Black September terrorists were killed. The hostages were freed.
Lod Airport, Israel
26 killed and 78 wounded after PFLP-trained Japanese Red Army terrorists opened fire in the passenger terminal.
Munich, Germany
11 members of the Israeli Olympic wrestling team and 1 German policeman were massacred by Fatah terrorists at the Munich Olympic Games after an unsuccessful rescue attempt by West German authorities.
London, England
A Black September letter bomb kills Ami Shehori, an attache at the Israeli embassy in London.
1973
In the same year that the Yom Kippur War breaks out, Avraham Bachri and Moshe Dolev invent the Rav Bariach geometric door lock, the cylinders of which connect throughout the door frame. The Pladelet (Hebrew for “steel door”) was the first steel security door introduced to the market, and by 1978 was the bestselling steel door in Israel. Today RB-Doors has sold more than four million steel doors throughout the world.
Naturally.
1974
Intel sets up a chip design center in Haifa, its first outside the US. The first PC microprocessor, the Intel 8088 chip, was designed here in 1978 and went on to dominate the desktop computer market. Other significant Intel chips, the Centrino and Sandy Bridge, also were developed in Israel.
Kiryat Shemona, Israel
Eighteen were killed, 8 of whom were children, by PFLP terrorists who detonated their explosives during a failed rescue attempt by Israeli authorities.
Maalot, Israel
Twenty-seven were killed, 21 of whom were children, and 78 were wounded by PFLP terrorists in a school after an unsuccessful rescue attempt.
1975
Israel unveils its first locally manufactured fighter jet, the Kfir, on Independence Day. The Kfir became a mainstay of the Israel Air Force for 20 years, and was used by the US Navy and Marine Corps for air combat training
Tel Aviv, Israel
Terrorists take over the Savoy Hotel; 4 people are killed.
Jerusalem, Israel
Fourteen were killed and 80 injured in Zion Square bombing attack, in which the bomb was hidden in a refrigerator.
1976
World's first automated library system invented in Israel
A team of Hebrew University librarians, systems analysts and computer programmers launches an effort to create the world’s first automated library system, known as Aleph
Miss Israel Rina Mor wins the Miss Universe competition
Entebbe, Uganda
An Air France airliner was hijacked by a joint German/PFLP terrorist group, which diverted the flight to Entebbe airport. About 258 passengers and crew were held hostage until all non-Israeli passengers were released. On July 4th, Israeli commandos flew to Uganda and rescued the remaining hostages. All terrorists were killed, as well as 3 passengers and operation leader Lieutenant-Colonel Yonatan Netanyahu.
Istanbul, Turkey
Four were killed, and 20 were wounded by PFLP and Japanese Red Army terrorists in an attack at Istanbul airport.
1977
Maccabi Tel Aviv wins the European Basketball Championship.
Israeli director Moshé Mizrahi wins an Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film for “Madame Rosa.”
AfiMilk introduces the world’s first electronic milk meter.
Rummikub, invented by a Romanian who immigrated to Israel in the 1930s, becomes the bestselling game in the United States.
Naturally.