Chronology

Video Number 1
Date	Event
1917
November 2	Balfour Declaration issued: declared that the British government favored "the establishment of a national home for the Jewish people."
	Britain defeats Turkish army in Palestine; occupies area.
1918-48
	Great Britain granted rule over Palestine under terms of the League of Nations Mandate.
1936-1939
April 15, 1936	Arab Revolt in Palestine results in terror attacks on Jews throughout Palestine. In three years, hundreds of Jews are murdered. British troops and Arab forces clash.
1937
July	British Peel Commission Report recommends dividing (partitioning) Palestine between Jews and Arabs because their claims are irreconcilable.
August	20th Zionist Congress agrees to partition with revisions.
1938
March	Joint Conference called by Britain to discuss partition of Palestine; Jews accept; Arabs refuse to talk to the Jews.
1939
May 17	British White Paper limits Jewish immigration and land purchases in Palestine. Rejected by Jews and Arabs.
September 1	Germany invades Poland. World War II begins.
1944
September	British allow formation of Jewish Brigade; approximately 15,000 soldiers fight in Italy.
1945
May 8	German surrender ends World War II in Europe. 5,820,000 Jews killed in Holocaust.
July 26	Labor Party wins election in Britain; Clement Attlee is Prime Minister; Ernest Bevin, Foreign Minister. Favors Arabs.
	Jewish troops in Europe (Jewish Brigade) and Jewish Agency assist Holocaust survivors to flee to Israel.
August 31	British reject U.S. call to allow 100,000 Jewish survivors into Palestine.
1946
January	Britain closes Jewish immigration; intercepts and turns back ships of fleeing Jewish refugees and survivors. Britain sends Jews to camps in Cyprus. Irgun, Lechi and the Haganah intensify attacks on British occupation forces.
May 1	Anglo-American Committee recommends 100,000 Jewish survivors be allowed into Palestine. Rejected by British government.
July 22	Irgun, under leader Menachem Begin, bombs British headquarters at the King David Hotel: 76 killed.
December	22nd Zionist Congress elects David Ben-Gurion as leader of the Jewish Agency and calls for build-up of the Haganah (underground Jewish army).
1947
	Britain asks United Nations to decide future of Palestine. U.N. sets up special committee.
August	U.N. committee recommends partition.
November 29	U.N. votes to accept recommendation for partition.
1948
	Arabs mount bloody attacks on Jews across all of Palestine. Plan coordinated military attack to block U.N. partition and kill Jews.
January 17	Arabs kill and mutilate 35 Jews near Jerusalem.
April 19	Irgun attack on Deir Yasin, 200 Arabs die; later, 200,000 Palestinian Arabs flee for nearby Arab states.
Video Number 2
May 14	Israel declares independence: proclaims Declaration of the Establishment of the State of Israel. Head of provisional government is David Ben-Gurion.
May 14	United States recognized the State of Israel. Russia follows on May 18.
May 14	Five Arab armies (Syrian, Iraqi, Jordanian, Egypt, Lebanese) invade Israel from north, east and south to destroy the new state.
May 18	Battle for Jerusalem begins; Jordan attacks Jews.
May 19-20	Egyptian army slowed at Yad Mordechai south of Tel Aviv; Syrian invasion forces stopped at Kibbutz Degania in Galilee.
May 20	U.N. appoints Count Bernadotte as mediator. Presents highly pro-Arab solution.
May 22	Egyptian forces enter Bethlehem.
May 24	Egyptians sweep past Yad Mordechai advance north along coast to Ashdod. Prepare for attack on Tel Aviv.
May 28	Old City of Jerusalem falls to Jordanians. Jerusalem cut off when roads are blocked.
June 11	Temporary four week truce agreed upon; to go into effect in four days.
June 11-14	New road to Jerusalem built through mountains. Relief convoys bring food and water to starving Jerusalemites and troops.
June 20	Irgun ship Altalena attacked and sunk by Ben-Gurion and Haganah. IDF formed.
June	Israel receives arms from Czechoslovakia, buys airplanes, begins airforce and navy. Israeli troops undergo intense training.
July 8	Fighting renewed. Israelis attempt to relieve siege of Jerusalem. Egyptians launch drive for Tel Aviv.
July 13	Israeli army victories turn back Egyptian threat to Tel Aviv and hold open route to Jerusalem.
July 16	Jordan agrees to cease-fire in Jerusalem. Israel captures Nazareth.
July 18	Arab League and Israel agree to new cease-fire.
August 15	Fighting renewed when Egypt attacks relief convoy sent to bring food to cut-off Israeli settlements in Negev.
September 17	Assassination of U.N. mediator Count Bernadotte by Lechi.
October 21	Israeli forces capture Beersheba in Negev.
October 31	Palestine-Lebanese army cut off in north retreats to Lebanon; Galilee region falls to Israeli forces. Arabs remaining in Galilee and choose to become Israeli citizens.
November 2	Harry Truman re-elected U.S. President.
1949
January 3-5	Israeli force raids 35 miles southward, penetrating deep into the Sinai. Israeli airforce shoots down 5 British fighters sent against the Sinai expedition. Cease-fire.
January 13	U.N. sponsors armistice talks on Rhodes.
January 25	First election for Knesset; Labor wins vote.
February 16	Knesset elects Dr. Chaim Weizmann as Israel's first President.
February 23	Armistice signed between Israel and Egypt.
March 10	First government formed: David Ben-Gurion becomes first Israeli Prime Minister.
March 23	Armistice signed between Israel and Lebanon.
March 24	U.N. Security Council votes 9-1 to favor Israel's admission to the United Nations.
April 3	Armistice signed between Israel and Jordan.
May 11	United Nations General Assembly votes to admit Israel into the United Nations.
July 20	Armistice signed between Israel and Syria.
	More than 550,000 Jewish refugees forced to flee Arab lands arrive in Israel from 1949 through 1950.
	Jewish immigration from Europe reaches 600,000 between 1949 and 1970.
1950
January	Arab League plans stiff commercial boycott of Israel to strangle the new state. Office set up in Syria in 1951 to enforce boycott.
	Israel struggles to build economy, construct housing and bring vital services to its fast growing population
April 24	Jordan annexes West Bank of Palestine occupancy during the Israeli War.
May 19	Egypt closes Suez Canal to Israel.
	Continuing military/terrorist incidents with Egypt, Syria and Jordan.
1951
July 20	King Abdullah of Jordan assassinated by Egyptian agents after secret talks with Israel concerning peace.
	Arab states organize terror attacks on Israel. 967 Israelis killed between 1951-1955.
1952
May 2	Hussein becomes King of Jordan.
July 22	Egyptian military overthrows King and takes control of government.
September 10	West Germany agrees to pay $822 million in reparations for World War II.
November 5	Dwight Eisenhower elected President of the United States.
November 7	Death of Dr. Chaim Weizmann, first President of Israel.
1953
	Increasing terrorist and military attacks by Arab forces all along the Israeli border. Attacks continue until 1956.
December 6	Ben-Gurion retires from government.
Video Number 3
1954
January 26	Moshe Sharett becomes Prime Minister.
April 17	Gamal Abdel Nasser takes control of government of Egypt.
October 19	Egypt gets Britain to sign treaty pulling all British troops out of Egypt. Israel wary.
1955
February 15	Ben-Gurion returns to government as Defense minister.
August 22	Fighting with Egypt erupts in Gaza Strip.
September 27	Communist Czechoslovakia supplies arms to Egypt.
October 20	Egypt, Syria and Saudi Arabia sign military alliance.
November 2	Ben-Gurion becomes Prime Minister again.
December 11	Fighting breaks out over Syrian attacks around Galilee area.
	Straits of Tiran blockaded by Egypt stops all sea trade to Eilat, Israel.
1956
May 12	Jet fighters delivered from France.
May 20	Communist Poland begins supplying arms to Egypt.
June 13	Last British soldiers pulled out of Egypt. British bases closed. Egypt takes over complete control of Suez Canal.
July 26	Egypt nationalizes Suez Canal. Britain and France worry that Egyptian control of Suez could effect their economies.
October	Jordan joins Egyptian-Syrian military pact. Egypt increases military forces in Sinai.
	Britain and France plan to reoccupy Suez Canal. Bring Israel into planning.
October 29	Israel military force crosses border, attacks Egyptian forces in Sinai; advances toward Suez Canal. Beginning of Sinai campaign.
October 30	Britain and France issue ultimatum to Egypt and Israel to clear forces away from Canal area and allow British and French occupation. Rejected by Egypt. Israel stops 30 miles from Canal, takes Sharm el-Sheik to reopen Straits of Tiran to Israeli shipping.
October 31	Britain and France bomb Canal area.
November 5-6	Britain and France land military forces in Canal zone. Capture most of Suez Canal.
November 6	U.S. and Russia demand cease-fire. Britain, France and Israel agree.
November 15	United Nations Emergency Force lands in Egypt to supervise cease-fire.
December 22	After U.S. threats, Britain and France withdraw forces. Israeli forces stay in Sinai.
1957
February 2	U.N. resolution calls on Israel to withdraw from Sinai.
February 3	Israel refuses to withdraw without guarantee of free passage through Straits of Tiran and through Gulf of Aqaba.
February 5	U.S. threatens Israel with economic sanctions.
February 11	U.S. assures Israel it supports "free passage" through the Gulf of Aqaba. Israel refuses U.N. demand to leave Gaza Strip.
March 1	Israel announces withdrawal from Sinai on "assumption" of free passage in Gulf of Aqaba and agreement that U.N. will fence off and administer Gaza Strip. Egypt disregards agreement, moves back into Gaza 48 hours after Israel withdraws.
May	Egypt continues to refuse Israel the right to use the Suez Canal
July 9	Israeli forces battle Syrian attack for 10 hours.
1958
	Immigration increases to Israel.
1960
May 23	Israel captures Nazi war criminal Adolf Eichmann in Argentina. He had been in charge of exterminating Jews in the death camps. In 1961, he goes on trial for crimes.
1962
May 21	Adolf Eichmann found guilty (Dec. 15) and executed.
September 26	U.S. announces military assistance to Israel.
1963
June 16	Ben-Gurion retires from government.
June 26	Levi Eshkol becomes new Prime Minister.
1966
February-October	Syria attacks Israeli settlements in 15 attacks all along border.
1967
January-April	Syria initiates 26 wide-ranging attacks on Israeli settlements.
April 7	Six Syrian planes shot down in clash with Israeli planes.
May 14	Egypt mobilizes military forces.
May 16-17	Egypt declares state of emergency. Syria goes to full military alert.
Video Number 4
May 16	Egyptian military forces advance across Sinai toward Israel.
May 18	Egypt demands full withdrawal of U.N. buffer forces in the Sinai.
May 19	U.N. buffer forces withdraw. Egypt announces that this is the chance to "blot out [Israel's] entire presence."
May 20	Israel mobilizes military forces.
May 22	Egypt again closes the Straits of Tiran and Gulf of Aqaba to Israeli shipping.
May 25	Syria, Iraq, Jordan and Saudi Arabia move troops to mass on Israel's borders. Anti-Israel rhetoric reaches fever pitch.
May 28	Egypt orders all U.N. personnel out of Egypt. Threatens to close Suez Canal.
May 31	Egypt masses 100,000 soldiers, 1,000 tanks along the border of Israel. Israel outnumbered 3 to 1 by surrounding Arab armies.
June 1	Moshe Dayan joins Israeli government as Defense Minister.
June 2	Britain, Canada and U.S. tell Israel they are unable to send ships to open the Straits of Tiran.
June 4	Iraq joins Egypt-Jordan military agreement.
June 5	Israel launches surprise dawn air attack on Egyptian air bases destroying Egyptian airforce on the ground. Six Day War begins.
	Jordan launches attack at Jerusalem.
	Israeli forces cut through West Bank.
June 6	Israeli forces crack Egyptian defenses and race deep behind Egyptian forces to block Sinai mountain passes near Suez Canal.
	Israeli forces surround Jerusalem.
June 7	Israeli forces capture Old City of Jerusalem. West Bank captured up to the Jordan River.
June 7-8	Egyptian Sinai forces destroyed as they try to retreat through the now Israeli controlled mountain passes and coastal roads. Straits of Tiran opened. Entire Sinai in Israel control.
June 8	U.N. call for a cease-fire accepted by Egypt, Jordan and Israel.
June 9-10	Israeli counterattack on Golan Heights drives Syrians back. Golan falls to Israel.
June 10	Syria and Israel accept U.N. cease-fire.
June 11	Israeli ship sails through Straits of Tiran.
June 27	Israel passes laws for administration of the West Bank and incorporating East Jerusalem into Israeli Jerusalem.
September 1	Arabs at Khartoum Conference declare their answer to Israel: "Three No's: No recognition; No negotiations; No peace."
October 21	Egyptian missiles sink the Israeli destroyer Eilat in the Mediterranean.
November 22	U.N. Security Council unanimously accepts Resolution 242.
1968
July 18	Arab terrorists hijack El Al airliner.
October	Israelis drive PLO terrorists under Yassir Arafat from West Bank into Jordan. Lebanon and Jordan become bases for terror attacks against Israel.
October 26	Egypt launches War of Attrition along the Suez Canal, shelling Israeli positions. War lasts until 1970. Bar-lev line of fortifications built along the Canal to protect Israeli troops
1969
January	France shuts off all military aid to Israel.
February 26	Prime Minister Levi Eshkol dies.
March 17	Golda Meir becomes new Prime Minister.
1970
August 19	Egypt, Jordan and Israel accept a U.S. proposal for a 90 day cease-fire to end the War of Attrition.
September 6	Arab terrorists hijack 4 airliners to Jordan.
September	King Hussein of Jordan attacks PLO camps and forces PLO to flee to Syria and Lebanon.
	Gamal Abdul Nasser dies. Anwar Sadat becomes leader of Egypt.
1972
September 5-6	PLO terrorists attack Israeli athletes at the Munich Olympics; 11 athletes killed.
September 8	Israeli airforce retaliates with attacks on PLO bases in Lebanon and Syria.
1973
March	Sadat of Egypt sends envoy to Syria to propose joint military action against Israel.
October	Egyptian military units advance to the Canal each day and then pull back. Syria reinforces its troops along the front lines.
	Israeli intelligence believes Egyptian and Syrian movements are only training exercises.
Video Number 5
October 6	Egypt launches massive attack across Suez Canal, surprising the Israelis on Yom Kippur and breaching the Israeli lines. Yom Kippur War begins.
	Syrian tanks launch massive attack on small Israeli forces guarding the Golan.
October 8	Syrian forces take most of Golan Heights. Only 6 Israeli tanks remain to block Syrian advance into Israel.
October 9	Israeli forces rush north to stop Syrian advance. Six Israeli tanks stall Syrian attack.
October 10	Israeli armored reinforcements join attack in the north, destroying 1,000 Syrian tanks. Push Syrians back to original lines.
	On the Egyptian front, Israeli counterattacks fail. Egyptian forces having made 5 miles of progress dig in and consolidate their lines. Israel forced to fall back and regroup forces 9 miles from Canal.
	Russians begin massive arms shipments to Syria.
October 14	Egypt launches massive attack to break Israeli lines. Attack broken with 305 Egyptian tanks destroyed.
	U.S. begins airlift of supplies to Israel.
October 15	Israeli counterattack under Sharon cuts through Egyptian lines and crosses Canal.
October 18	Israeli forces build second bridge across Suez and move large forces to Egyptian side of Canal.
	On Syrian front, Israeli forces advance past previous border. Take positions only 22 miles from Damascus, the Syrian capital
October 20	Kissinger flies to Russia to discuss cease-fire agreement with the Russians.
October 22	U.N. passes resolution calling on all parties to cease-fire. Accepted by Israel, Syria and Egypt
	Egyptian forces try to open escape roads on the Egyptian side of Canal. Attack on Israeli units breaks the cease-file
October 23-24	Israeli armored units in Egypt complete encirclement of Egyptian 3rd army, pinning it at the Suez Canal.
	Russians threaten to intervene to protect Egypt
	U.S. puts worldwide military forces on nuclear alert to block Russian possibility for intervention.
October 26	Surrounded Egyptian forces make last ditch effort to break out in three hour battle that fails.
December 1	David Ben-Gurion dies.
December 22	Egypt, Jordan, Israel, the U.S. and Russia gather in Geneva, Switzerland for peace talks.
1974
January 17	Egypt and Israel sign an agreement on disengagement.
April 2	State report reveals political and military blunders leading up to and during war.
	Senior Israeli military leaders resign.
April 11	Prime Minister Golda Meir resigns. Yitzhak Rabin becomes Prime Minister.
May	Syrian-Israeli disengagement concluded.
1975
April	Kissinger's shuttle diplomacy wins final agreement from Syrians and Israelis.
September 4-5	Kissinger's shuttle diplomacy wins final agreement from Egypt and Israel.
November 10	U.N. passes PLO resolution that "Zionism is a form of racism."
1976
July 4	Israeli commandos fly to Entebbe, Uganda and, in a daring raid, free 110 hostages (103 Israelis) hijacked by terrorists from an Air France airliner.
1977
May 17	Likud Party defeats Labor in Israel’s 9th general election campaign. First change of Israeli government since 1948 and founding of the state. Menachem Begin becomes Prime Minister.
November	Anwar Sadat, President of Egypt, flies to Jerusalem, Israel to discuss peace. Addresses Knesset.
1978
September 4-17	U.S. President invites Begin and Sadat to the Presidential retreat at Camp David, Maryland to work together and forge a peace agreement. After rough start, final terms agreed to on 17th. Israel to withdraw from all of Sinai in return for peace treaty.
1979
March 26	Formal treaty of peace signed between Israel and Egypt by Begin and Sadat in Washington D.C. U.S. President Carter instrumental in forging final agreement.
1981
October 6	Anwar Sadat assassinated by fundamentalist extremists for making peace with Israel. Hosni Mubarak becomes Egyptian leader.
	Israeli bombers destroy Iraqi atomic reactor at Osiraq. Raid temporarily stops Iraqi atomic weapons program.
1982
April 25	Israel completes full pull-out from Sinai. Returns territory to Egypt.
June 6	Israel invades Lebanon in response to continuing terrorist raids and incidents. Seeks to destroy PLO terrorist bases.
	By mid-June, Israeli forces drive PLO from southern Lebanon to refuge in Beirut.
August	After 3 month siege, Beirut falls to Israeli forces. PLO fighters expelled from Beirut.
August 21	Fighting ceases.
September 14	Bashir Gemayel, Christian Phalangist and president elect of Lebanon, assassinated in Beirut, Lebanon by Lebanese Moslems.
September 16-17	Christian Phalange fighters pass through Israeli lines and attack PLO refugee camps at Sabra and Shatilla. Massacre results.
December 28	Direct Israeli-Lebanese talks begin.
1983
September	Menachem Begin resigns as Prime Minister. Leaves government. Yitzhak Shamir becomes new Prime Minister.
	Israel agrees to withdrawal to Awali River in Lebanon.
1984
September	Israeli elections; No party receives majority; Unity government formed with Labor leader Shimon Peres as Prime Minister.
1985
	Israeli forces withdraw from Lebanon after setting up a security zone to protect border from PLO infiltrators. PLO launches many infiltration attempts.
1986
October	Yitzhak Shamir (Likud) rotates to leadership of Unity government.
1987
December 9	Intifada breaks out in West Bank and Gaza.
1988
November	Elections bring no winner. New Unity government formed with Shamir as leader.
1989
	Liberalization of emigration policy in Russia opens door for Russian Jews.. More than 300,000 Jews arrive in Israel between 1989-1991.
1990
November	Labor Party pulls out of Unity government. Elections return Likud to power. Shamir heads government.
1991
January-February	Gulf War; U.S. coalition forces attack Iraqi forces in Kuwait. Win lightning war. Iraq fires 30 Scud missiles at Israel causing great property damage but only one Israeli killed.
May	14,000 Ethiopian Jews airlifted to Israel in 22 hours.
October	Americans organize Madrid Conference to bring Arab states (Syria, Jordan, Palestinians, Lebanon) together to talk peace arrangements with Israel.
1992
	Peace talks between Israel and Arab states continue in Washington D.C. and other world cities.
June 23	Israeli election returns Labor Party to power. Yitzhak Rabin becomes Prime Minister.