2006 in Israel
Encyclopedia
Incumbents in government
- Prime Minister of IsraelPrime Minister of IsraelThe Prime Minister of Israel is the head of the Israeli government and the most powerful political figure in Israel . The prime minister is the country's chief executive. The official residence of the prime minister, Beit Rosh Hamemshala is in Jerusalem...
– Ariel SharonAriel SharonAriel Sharon is an Israeli statesman and retired general, who served as Israel’s 11th Prime Minister. He has been in a permanent vegetative state since suffering a stroke on 4 January 2006....
(KadimaKadimaKadima is a centrist and liberal political party in Israel. It was established on 24 November 2005 by moderates from Likud largely to support the issue of Ariel Sharon's unilateral disengagement plan, and was soon joined by like-minded Labor politicians...
) until January 4, Ehud OlmertEhud OlmertEhud Olmert is an Israeli politician and lawyer. He served as Prime Minister of Israel from 2006 to 2009, as a Cabinet Minister from 1988 to 1992 and from 2003 to 2006, and as Mayor of Jerusalem from 1993 to 2003....
(KadimaKadimaKadima is a centrist and liberal political party in Israel. It was established on 24 November 2005 by moderates from Likud largely to support the issue of Ariel Sharon's unilateral disengagement plan, and was soon joined by like-minded Labor politicians...
) - President of IsraelPresident of IsraelThe President of the State of Israel is the head of state of Israel. The position is largely an apolitical ceremonial figurehead role, with the real executive power lying in the hands of the Prime Minister. The current president is Shimon Peres who took office on 15 July 2007...
– Moshe KatsavMoshe KatsavMoshe Katsav is an Israeli politician. He served as the eighth President of Israel, a leading Likud member of the Israeli Knesset, and a Cabinet Minister in its government.... - Chief of General Staff – Dan HalutzDan Halutz' is an Israeli Air Force Lt. General and former Chief of Staff of the Israel Defense Forces and commander of the Israeli Air Force. Halutz was appointed as Chief of Staff on June 1, 2005. On January 17, 2007 he announced his resignation. He has a degree in economics. He was born to a Mizrahi...
- Government of Israel – 30th Government of IsraelThirtieth government of IsraelThe thirtieth government of Israel was formed by Ariel Sharon on 28 February 2003, following Likud's comprehensive victory in the January elections. His coalition initially included Shinui and the National Union, holding 60 of the 120 seats in the Knesset, whilst the two-seat Yisrael BaAliyah...
until January 4, 31st Government of IsraelThirty-first government of IsraelThe thirty-first government of Israel was formed by Ehud Olmert on 4 May 2006, following Kadima's vistory in the March elections. His coalition initially included the Labor Party, Shas and Gil, and held 67 of the 120 seats in the Knesset...
Events
- January 4 – Prime Minister Ariel SharonAriel SharonAriel Sharon is an Israeli statesman and retired general, who served as Israel’s 11th Prime Minister. He has been in a permanent vegetative state since suffering a stroke on 4 January 2006....
suffers a severe hemorrhagic stroke and falls into a coma. As a result, Sharon's deputy Ehud OlmertEhud OlmertEhud Olmert is an Israeli politician and lawyer. He served as Prime Minister of Israel from 2006 to 2009, as a Cabinet Minister from 1988 to 1992 and from 2003 to 2006, and as Mayor of Jerusalem from 1993 to 2003....
begins exercising the powers of the office of Prime MinisterPrime Minister of IsraelThe Prime Minister of Israel is the head of the Israeli government and the most powerful political figure in Israel . The prime minister is the country's chief executive. The official residence of the prime minister, Beit Rosh Hamemshala is in Jerusalem...
. - February 1 – The demolition of nine permanent structures in the communal settlementCommunal settlement (Israel)A community settlement is a type of town in Israel. While in an ordinary town anyone may buy property, in a community settlement the town's residents, who are organized in a cooperative, can veto a sale of a house or a business to an undesirable buyer....
AmonaAmonaAmona is an Israeli settlement in the central West Bank, on a hill overlooking Ofra. Located within the municipal boundaries of the Mateh Binyamin Regional Council, the village was founded in 1997 on a hilltop of privately owned Palestinian land and inhabited by young settlers from Ofra.By late...
in the central West BankWest BankThe West Bank ) of the Jordan River is the landlocked geographical eastern part of the Palestinian territories located in Western Asia. To the west, north, and south, the West Bank shares borders with the state of Israel. To the east, across the Jordan River, lies the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan...
escalates into a violent confrontation between the police and the Special Patrol Unit to the settlers in which hundreds of settlers and dozens of police officers are injured. - February 3 – Hezbollah fires some 30 mortar shells at IDFIsrael Defense ForcesThe Israel Defense Forces , commonly known in Israel by the Hebrew acronym Tzahal , are the military forces of the State of Israel. They consist of the ground forces, air force and navy. It is the sole military wing of the Israeli security forces, and has no civilian jurisdiction within Israel...
outposts along Israel's northern border, lightly wounding an Israeli soldier. In response, the Israeli Air Force strikes Hezbollah targets in southern LebanonLebanonLebanon , officially the Republic of LebanonRepublic of Lebanon is the most common term used by Lebanese government agencies. The term Lebanese Republic, a literal translation of the official Arabic and French names that is not used in today's world. Arabic is the most common language spoken among...
. - February 14 – The Tel AvivTel AvivTel Aviv , officially Tel Aviv-Yafo , is the second most populous city in Israel, with a population of 404,400 on a land area of . The city is located on the Israeli Mediterranean coastline in west-central Israel. It is the largest and most populous city in the metropolitan area of Gush Dan, with...
Magistrates Court sentences Omri SharonOmri SharonOmri Sharon is a former Israeli politician. Sharon served as a member of Knesset between 2003 and 2006. In 2006, he was convicted of fraud and sentenced to nine months in prison. He reported to Maasiyahu Prison to begin serving his sentence in 2008. He was released later the same year, having...
, the Israeli politician and son of former Israeli Prime Minister Ariel SharonAriel SharonAriel Sharon is an Israeli statesman and retired general, who served as Israel’s 11th Prime Minister. He has been in a permanent vegetative state since suffering a stroke on 4 January 2006....
, to a nine-month prison term, a nine-month suspended sentence and a NIS 300,000 fine after he is convicted of violating political fund-raising law and providing false testimony. - March 28 – KadimaKadimaKadima is a centrist and liberal political party in Israel. It was established on 24 November 2005 by moderates from Likud largely to support the issue of Ariel Sharon's unilateral disengagement plan, and was soon joined by like-minded Labor politicians...
leader Ehud OlmertEhud OlmertEhud Olmert is an Israeli politician and lawyer. He served as Prime Minister of Israel from 2006 to 2009, as a Cabinet Minister from 1988 to 1992 and from 2003 to 2006, and as Mayor of Jerusalem from 1993 to 2003....
declares victory in the 17thElections in IsraelElections in Israel are based on nationwide proportional representation. The electoral threshold is currently set at 2%, with the number of seats a party receives in the Knesset being proportional to the number of votes it receives. The Knesset is elected for a four-year term, although most...
Israeli legislative electionIsrael legislative election, 2006Elections for the 17th Knesset were held in Israel on 28 March 2006. The voting resulted in a plurality of seats for the then-new Kadima party, followed by the Labour Party, and a major loss for the Likud party....
, ahead of main opponents LaborLabor (Israel)The Israeli Labor Party , commonly known as HaAvoda , is a social-democratic and labour Zionist political party in Israel. The party is an observer member of both Socialist International and the Party of European Socialists. The Israeli Labor Party was established in 1968 by a merger of Mapai,...
and LikudLikudLikud is the major center-right political party in Israel. It was founded in 1973 by Menachem Begin in an alliance with several right-wing and liberal parties. Likud's victory in the 1977 elections was a major turning point in the country's political history, marking the first time the left had...
. - May 4 – Ehud OlmertEhud OlmertEhud Olmert is an Israeli politician and lawyer. He served as Prime Minister of Israel from 2006 to 2009, as a Cabinet Minister from 1988 to 1992 and from 2003 to 2006, and as Mayor of Jerusalem from 1993 to 2003....
presents his cabinet for a KnessetKnessetThe Knesset is the unicameral legislature of Israel, located in Givat Ram, Jerusalem.-Role in Israeli Government :The legislative branch of the Israeli government, the Knesset passes all laws, elects the President and Prime Minister , approves the cabinet, and supervises the work of the government...
"Vote of Confidence". The 31st governmentThirty-first government of IsraelThe thirty-first government of Israel was formed by Ehud Olmert on 4 May 2006, following Kadima's vistory in the March elections. His coalition initially included the Labor Party, Shas and Gil, and held 67 of the 120 seats in the Knesset...
is approved that day and the members were sworn in. - June 12 – Five people are killed, and about 80 injured, when an Israeli train travelling between Tel AvivTel AvivTel Aviv , officially Tel Aviv-Yafo , is the second most populous city in Israel, with a population of 404,400 on a land area of . The city is located on the Israeli Mediterranean coastline in west-central Israel. It is the largest and most populous city in the metropolitan area of Gush Dan, with...
and HaifaHaifaHaifa is the largest city in northern Israel, and the third-largest city in the country, with a population of over 268,000. Another 300,000 people live in towns directly adjacent to the city including the cities of the Krayot, as well as, Tirat Carmel, Daliyat al-Karmel and Nesher...
collides with a truck on a level crossing near NetanyaNetanyaNetanya is a city in the Northern Centre District of Israel, and is the capital of the surrounding Sharon plain. It is located north of Tel Aviv, and south of Haifa between the 'Poleg' stream and Wingate Institute in the south and the 'Avichail' stream in the north.Its of beaches have made the...
. - July 8 – President Moshe KatsavMoshe KatsavMoshe Katsav is an Israeli politician. He served as the eighth President of Israel, a leading Likud member of the Israeli Knesset, and a Cabinet Minister in its government....
initially complains to the Attorney General of IsraelAttorney General of IsraelThe Attorney General of Israel stands at the head of the legal system of the executive branch and the head of the public legal establishment, in charge of protecting the rule of law and as such entrusted with protecting the public interest from possible harm by government authorities...
, Menahem Mazuz, that he was being blackmailBlackmailIn common usage, blackmail is a crime involving threats to reveal substantially true or false information about a person to the public, a family member, or associates unless a demand is met. It may be defined as coercion involving threats of physical harm, threat of criminal prosecution, or threats...
ed by one of his female employees, whom he was later suspected of rapingRapeRape is a type of sexual assault usually involving sexual intercourse, which is initiated by one or more persons against another person without that person's consent. The act may be carried out by physical force, coercion, abuse of authority or with a person who is incapable of valid consent. The...
.
2006 Lebanon War:
- July 12 – Hezbollah militants fire rockets at Israeli border towns as a diversion for an anti-tank missile attack on two IDF armored Israeli Humvees patrolling the Israeli side of the border fence. The ambush leaves three IDF soldiers dead. Two other IDF soldiers, believed to have been killed outright or mortally wounded, are snatched by Hezbollah to LebanonLebanonLebanon , officially the Republic of LebanonRepublic of Lebanon is the most common term used by Lebanese government agencies. The term Lebanese Republic, a literal translation of the official Arabic and French names that is not used in today's world. Arabic is the most common language spoken among...
. Five more IDF soldiers are killed in a failed rescue attempt. This event and the escalation which follows lead to the 2006 Lebanon War. - July 12 – August 14 – Israel launches Operation Just Reward, a counterattack which began with air force bombing of Hezbollah positions in Southern LebanonSouthern LebanonSouthern Lebanon is the geographical area of Lebanon comprising the South Governorate and the Nabatiye Governorate. These two entities were divided from the same province in the early 1990s...
. - August 1 – August 2 – Operation Sharp and SmoothOperation Sharp and SmoothDuring the 2006 Lebanon War, Operation Sharp and Smooth , also known as the Baalbek operation, was an Israel Defense Forces raid on a Hezbollah-run hospital in Lebanon’s Bekaa Valley...
– Israel Defense Forces raid a Hezbollah-run hospital in Lebanon’s Bekaa Valley. - August 4 – Tyre raid – Night mission is carried out by the Israel Defense Forces frogmen, Shayetet 13Shayetet 13Shayetet 13 is the elite naval commando unit of the Israeli Navy. The unit is considered one of the primary Special Forces units of the Israel Defense Forces . S'13 specializes in sea-to-land incursions, counter-terrorism, sabotage, maritime intelligence gathering, maritime hostage rescue, and...
, in the southern Lebanon town of Tyre. It targets the Hezbollah cell responsible for the rocket attack on HaderaHaderaHadera is a city located in the Haifa District of Israel approximately from the major cities of Tel Aviv and Haifa. The city is located along of the Israeli Mediterranean Coastal Plain...
on the previous day. - August 11 – August 14 – Operation Changing Direction 11 – Final offensive push by the Israel Defense ForcesIsrael Defense ForcesThe Israel Defense Forces , commonly known in Israel by the Hebrew acronym Tzahal , are the military forces of the State of Israel. They consist of the ground forces, air force and navy. It is the sole military wing of the Israeli security forces, and has no civilian jurisdiction within Israel...
during the Lebanon War. - August 14 – A United Nations-brokered ceasefireCeasefireA ceasefire is a temporary stoppage of a war in which each side agrees with the other to suspend aggressive actions. Ceasefires may be declared as part of a formal treaty, but they have also been called as part of an informal understanding between opposing forces...
goes into effect, which brings an end to the 2006 Lebanon War.
Post-war:
- September 9 – A 4.4-magnitude earthquake affects Israel and the West BankWest BankThe West Bank ) of the Jordan River is the landlocked geographical eastern part of the Palestinian territories located in Western Asia. To the west, north, and south, the West Bank shares borders with the state of Israel. To the east, across the Jordan River, lies the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan...
. No injuries are reported. - October 29 – The Attorney-General of Israel delivers a brief to the Supreme Court of IsraelSupreme Court of IsraelThe Supreme Court is at the head of the court system and highest judicial instance in Israel. The Supreme Court sits in Jerusalem.The area of its jurisdiction is all of Israel and the Israeli-occupied territories. A ruling of the Supreme Court is binding upon every court, other than the Supreme...
arguing that the President of IsraelPresident of IsraelThe President of the State of Israel is the head of state of Israel. The position is largely an apolitical ceremonial figurehead role, with the real executive power lying in the hands of the Prime Minister. The current president is Shimon Peres who took office on 15 July 2007...
, Moshe KatsavMoshe KatsavMoshe Katsav is an Israeli politician. He served as the eighth President of Israel, a leading Likud member of the Israeli Knesset, and a Cabinet Minister in its government....
, should stand aside pending a possible indictment for rape. - November 12 – Iranian nuclear program: Israel threatens to launch air strikes on IranIranIran , officially the Islamic Republic of Iran , is a country in Southern and Western Asia. The name "Iran" has been in use natively since the Sassanian era and came into use internationally in 1935, before which the country was known to the Western world as Persia...
's nuclear facilities "as a last resort", and the Iranian foreign ministry responds that it would "retaliate with a crushing blow" should Israel act. - November 21 – The Supreme Court of IsraelSupreme Court of IsraelThe Supreme Court is at the head of the court system and highest judicial instance in Israel. The Supreme Court sits in Jerusalem.The area of its jurisdiction is all of Israel and the Israeli-occupied territories. A ruling of the Supreme Court is binding upon every court, other than the Supreme...
orders the government to recognize same-sex marriages performed abroad. - November 24 – Serial rapist Benny SelaBenny SelaBenny Sela is an Israeli serial rapist.Sela grew up in the Hatikva Quarter of Tel Aviv, and as a young boy, witnessed his alcoholic father commit suicide. He subsequently entered foster care...
escapes from police custody while being transferred to a court hearing. His escape launches a nationwide search, involving thousands of Israeli police officers. - December 8 – Benny Sela is captured near NahariyaNahariyaNahariya is the northernmost coastal city in Israel, with an estimated population of 51,200.-History:Nahariya was founded by German Jewish immigrants from the Fifth Aliyah in the 1930s...
two weeks after his escape.
Israeli–Palestinian conflict
The most prominent events related to the Israeli–Palestinian conflict which occurred during 2006 include:- January 25 – HamasHamasHamas is the Palestinian Sunni Islamic or Islamist political party that governs the Gaza Strip. Hamas also has a military wing, the Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades...
wins the majority of seats in the Palestinian Authority legislative electionPalestinian legislative election, 2006On January 25, 2006, elections were held for the Palestinian Legislative Council , the legislature of the Palestinian National Authority . Notwithstanding the 2005 municipal elections and the January 9, 2005 presidential election, this was the first election to the PLC since 1996; subsequent...
. Israel, the United States, the European Union, and several European and Western countries cut off their aid to the Palestinian Authority, as they view the Islamist political party who rejects Israel's right to exist as a terrorist organization. - March 23 – Israeli security sources capture the HamasHamasHamas is the Palestinian Sunni Islamic or Islamist political party that governs the Gaza Strip. Hamas also has a military wing, the Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades...
military commander in the West BankWest BankThe West Bank ) of the Jordan River is the landlocked geographical eastern part of the Palestinian territories located in Western Asia. To the west, north, and south, the West Bank shares borders with the state of Israel. To the east, across the Jordan River, lies the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan...
, Ibrahim HamedIbrahim HamedIbrahim Hamed is a Hamas military commander in the West Bank who ordered suicide bombing attacks during the Al-Aqsa Intifada until he was apprehended by Israeli security sources on May 23, 2006...
, who ordered suicide bombing attacks during the Al-Aqsa IntifadaAl-Aqsa IntifadaThe Second Intifada, also known as the Al-Aqsa Intifada and the Oslo War, was the second Palestinian uprising, a period of intensified Palestinian-Israeli violence, which began in late September 2000...
, in a RamallahRamallahRamallah is a Palestinian city in the central West Bank located 10 kilometers north of Jerusalem, adjacent to al-Bireh. It currently serves as the de facto administrative capital of the Palestinian National Authority...
raid. - June 9 – An explosion occurs on a busy Gaza beach, killing eight Palestinian Arab civilians. Following the blast, an internal Israel Defense ForcesIsrael Defense ForcesThe Israel Defense Forces , commonly known in Israel by the Hebrew acronym Tzahal , are the military forces of the State of Israel. They consist of the ground forces, air force and navy. It is the sole military wing of the Israeli security forces, and has no civilian jurisdiction within Israel...
(IDF) enquiry is initiated. Israel later stated that "(t)he chances that artillery fire hit that area at that time are nil". Nevertheless, Israel acknowledged that it had been shelling 250 m away from the family's location; Palestinians claimed that the explosion was Israel's responsibility. Reports have concluded Israel had not been responsible for the blast.
Notable Palestinian militant operations against Israeli targets
The most prominent Palestinian militant acts and operations
Palestinian political violence
Palestinian political violence refers to acts of violence undertaken to further the Palestinian cause. These political objectives include self-determination in and sovereignty over Palestine, the liberation of Palestine and establishment of a Palestinian state, either in place of both Israel and...
committed against Israeli targets during 2006 include:
- January 19 – Rosh Ha'ir restaurant bombing: 20 Israelis are injured in a bombing at a fast-food restaurant in Tel AvivTel AvivTel Aviv , officially Tel Aviv-Yafo , is the second most populous city in Israel, with a population of 404,400 on a land area of . The city is located on the Israeli Mediterranean coastline in west-central Israel. It is the largest and most populous city in the metropolitan area of Gush Dan, with...
. - February 3 – At least three Qassam rocketQassam rocketThe Qassam rocket is a simple steel artillery rocket developed and deployed by the Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades, the military arm of Hamas. Three models have been produced and used between 2001 and 2011....
s are fired from GazaGazaGaza , also referred to as Gaza City, is a Palestinian city in the Gaza Strip, with a population of about 450,000, making it the largest city in the Palestinian territories.Inhabited since at least the 15th century BC,...
by Palestinian Arab militants at Israeli civilian targets. One rocket strikes a home in Kibbutz KarmiaKarmiaKarmia is a kibbutz in southern Israel. Located between Ashkelon and the Gaza Strip, it falls under the jurisdiction of Hof Ashkelon Regional Council. In 2006 it had a population of 464....
, injuring four people, including a one-year-old infant. The home belongs to a family recently evicted during Israel's 2005 unilateral disengagement from the Gaza StripIsrael's unilateral disengagement planIsrael's unilateral disengagement plan , also known as the "Disengagement plan", "Gaza expulsion plan", and "Hitnatkut", was a proposal by Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon, adopted by the government on June 6, 2004 and enacted in August 2005, to evict all Israelis from the Gaza Strip and from...
. - March 28 – For the first time, a Katyusha rocketRocketA rocket is a missile, spacecraft, aircraft or other vehicle which obtains thrust from a rocket engine. In all rockets, the exhaust is formed entirely from propellants carried within the rocket before use. Rocket engines work by action and reaction...
is fired from the Gaza StripGaza Stripthumb|Gaza city skylineThe Gaza Strip lies on the Eastern coast of the Mediterranean Sea. The Strip borders Egypt on the southwest and Israel on the south, east and north. It is about long, and between 6 and 12 kilometres wide, with a total area of...
into Israel. (JPost)(BBC)(MSNBC) Katyushas, frequently used by Hezbollah in Lebanon, had never previously been fired from Gaza. Large numbers of Qassam rockets began landing in the Western NegevNegevThe Negev is a desert and semidesert region of southern Israel. The Arabs, including the native Bedouin population of the region, refer to the desert as al-Naqab. The origin of the word Neghebh is from the Hebrew root denoting 'dry'...
in March 2006. - March 30 – Kedumim bombingKedumim bombingThe Kedumim bombing was a suicide bombing which occurred on May 30, 2006 in a vehicle near the Israeli settlement of Kedumim in the West Bank. Four people were killed in the attack....
: Four Israelis are killed, including one child, by a Palestinian Arab suicide bomber posing as Jewish hitchhiker, in KedumimKedumimKedumim , also spelled Qedumim, is an Israeli settlement and a town located in the Samarian hills of the West Bank that was founded during Hanukkah 1975 and now enjoys the municipal status of local council. Founded in 1975 by members of the Gush Emunim settlement movement, its current population is...
. - April 17 – 2006 Tel Aviv shawarma restaurant bombing: A suicide attackSuicide attackA suicide attack is a type of attack in which the attacker expects or intends to die in the process.- Historical :...
carried out by the Palestinian Islamic Jihad together with Al-Aqsa Martyrs' BrigadesAl-Aqsa Martyrs' BrigadesThe al-Aqsa Martyrs' Brigades is a coalition of Palestinian nationalist militias in the West Bank. The group's name refers to the al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem...
near the Old Tel Aviv Central Bus StationOld Tel Aviv Central Bus StationThe Old Tel Aviv Central Bus Station was the main bus station of Tel Aviv between the years 1941 until 1993. The station served intercity bus routes as well as local city and suburban buses...
. 11 Israelis are killed in the attack while 68 were wounded. - June 25 – 2006 Hamas cross-border raid2006 Hamas cross-border raidThe 2006 Hamas cross-border raid was a cross-border raid which was carried out on June 25, 2006 in which a Palestinian militant squad thought to consist of 7 to 8 militants managed to cross the border through an underground tunnel near the Kerem Shalom Crossing and attack Israel Defense Forces ...
: a group of HamasHamasHamas is the Palestinian Sunni Islamic or Islamist political party that governs the Gaza Strip. Hamas also has a military wing, the Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades...
militants infiltrate an Israeli army post on the Israeli side of the southern Gaza Strip border after crossing through an underground tunnel near the Kerem Shalom border, kill two IDF soldiers and manage to capture and abduct the IDFIsrael Defense ForcesThe Israel Defense Forces , commonly known in Israel by the Hebrew acronym Tzahal , are the military forces of the State of Israel. They consist of the ground forces, air force and navy. It is the sole military wing of the Israeli security forces, and has no civilian jurisdiction within Israel...
soldier Gilad ShalitGilad ShalitGilad Shalit is an Israeli – French citizen and Israel Defense Forces soldier. On 25 June 2006, he was captured inside Israel by Hamas militants in a cross-border raid via underground tunnels near the border with Gaza. The Hamas militants held him for over five years, until he was released on...
back into the Gaza StripGaza Stripthumb|Gaza city skylineThe Gaza Strip lies on the Eastern coast of the Mediterranean Sea. The Strip borders Egypt on the southwest and Israel on the south, east and north. It is about long, and between 6 and 12 kilometres wide, with a total area of...
. Shalit has been held as a prisoner in the Gaza Strip by Hamas since then. During the attack, two Palestinian militants involved in the attack were also killed. - June 25 – Murder of Eliyahu Asheri: The Palestinian Arab militant group PRCPopular Resistance CommitteesThe Popular Resistance Committees are a coalition of various armed Palestinian factions that oppose the conciliatory approach adopted by the Palestinian Authority and Fatah towards Israel...
kidnapsKidnappingIn criminal law, kidnapping is the taking away or transportation of a person against that person's will, usually to hold the person in false imprisonment, a confinement without legal authority...
and an hour later kills a 19-year-old Israeli tertiary student, Eliyahu AsheriEliyahu AsheriThe murder of Eliyahu Asheri was a terror attack which carried out on June 25, 2006, in which Palestinian Popular Resistance Committees militants kidnapped, and later murdered the 17 year-old Israeli high school student Eliyahu Asheri....
. - July 5 – First Qassam rocketQassam rocketThe Qassam rocket is a simple steel artillery rocket developed and deployed by the Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades, the military arm of Hamas. Three models have been produced and used between 2001 and 2011....
of increased strength is fired into the schoolyard in the Southern Israeli coastal city of AshkelonAshkelonAshkelon is a coastal city in the South District of Israel on the Mediterranean coast, south of Tel Aviv, and north of the border with the Gaza Strip. The ancient seaport of Ashkelon dates back to the Neolithic Age...
. This is the first time that rockets capable of reaching a significantly large Israeli city are fired by Palestinian Arabs into Israel and, accordingly, the first instance that such a city is attacked. No one was injured in this attack.
Notable Israeli military operations against Palestinian militancy targets
The most prominent Israeli military counter-terrorism
Counter-terrorism
Counter-terrorism is the practices, tactics, techniques, and strategies that governments, militaries, police departments and corporations adopt to prevent or in response to terrorist threats and/or acts, both real and imputed.The tactic of terrorism is available to insurgents and governments...
operations (military campaign
Military campaign
In the military sciences, the term military campaign applies to large scale, long duration, significant military strategy plan incorporating a series of inter-related military operations or battles forming a distinct part of a larger conflict often called a war...
s and military operations) carried out against Palestinian militants during 2006 include:
- March 14 – Operation Bringing Home the GoodsOperation Bringing Home the GoodsOperation Bringing Home the Goods was a raid launched by the Israel Defense Forces on March 14, 2006, during the Second Intifada, on a Palestinian prison in Jericho. The prison held several prisoners wanted by Israel, whose incarceration was monitored by British and American wardens...
: IDF military operation in a Palestinian Authority prison in JerichoJerichoJericho ; is a city located near the Jordan River in the West Bank of the Palestinian territories. It is the capital of the Jericho Governorate and has a population of more than 20,000. Situated well below sea level on an east-west route north of the Dead Sea, Jericho is the lowest permanently...
in order to capture several Palestinian Arab prisoners located there who had assassinated the Israeli politician Rehavam Ze'evi. The operation is conducted as a result of the expressed intentions of the newly elected HamasHamasHamas is the Palestinian Sunni Islamic or Islamist political party that governs the Gaza Strip. Hamas also has a military wing, the Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades...
government to release these prisoners. - May 14 – The Israeli Navy intercepted a Palestinian boat carrying a large amount of explosives near the Gaza StripGaza Stripthumb|Gaza city skylineThe Gaza Strip lies on the Eastern coast of the Mediterranean Sea. The Strip borders Egypt on the southwest and Israel on the south, east and north. It is about long, and between 6 and 12 kilometres wide, with a total area of...
in an attempted smuggling operation. The boat contained about 450 kg of TNT and parts of mines. - May 14 – The IDFIsrael Defense ForcesThe Israel Defense Forces , commonly known in Israel by the Hebrew acronym Tzahal , are the military forces of the State of Israel. They consist of the ground forces, air force and navy. It is the sole military wing of the Israeli security forces, and has no civilian jurisdiction within Israel...
kill Elias al-Ashkar, the senior Islamic JihadIslamic Jihad Movement in PalestineThe Islamic Jihad Movement in Palestine known in the West as simply Palestinian Islamic Jihad , is a small Palestinian militant organization. The group has been labelled as a terrorist group by the United States, the European Union, the United Kingdom, Japan, Canada, Australia and Israel...
commander in the JeninJeninJenin is the largest town in the Northern West Bank, and the third largest city overall. It serves as the administrative center of the Jenin Governorate and is a major agricultural center for the surrounding towns. In 2007, the city had a population of 120,004 not including the adjacent refugee...
area who was accused of planning several suicide attackSuicide attackA suicide attack is a type of attack in which the attacker expects or intends to die in the process.- Historical :...
s that killed nearly 30 people. Six other Palestinian Arabs are also killed., - June 13 – The IDFIsrael Defense ForcesThe Israel Defense Forces , commonly known in Israel by the Hebrew acronym Tzahal , are the military forces of the State of Israel. They consist of the ground forces, air force and navy. It is the sole military wing of the Israeli security forces, and has no civilian jurisdiction within Israel...
kill eleven people in a missile strike on a van carrying Palestinian Arab militants and rockets driving through a densely civilian populated area in Gaza. Nine among those killed are civilian bystanders. - June 28 – November 26 – Operation Summer Rains: Israel launches an offensive against militants in GazaGazaGaza , also referred to as Gaza City, is a Palestinian city in the Gaza Strip, with a population of about 450,000, making it the largest city in the Palestinian territories.Inhabited since at least the 15th century BC,...
in response to the killing of two soldiers and the kidnapping of the Israeli soldier Corporal Gilad ShalitGilad ShalitGilad Shalit is an Israeli – French citizen and Israel Defense Forces soldier. On 25 June 2006, he was captured inside Israel by Hamas militants in a cross-border raid via underground tunnels near the border with Gaza. The Hamas militants held him for over five years, until he was released on...
on June 25, 2006, and the firing of Qassam rockets toward Israel. - June 29 – Israeli soldiers arrest 62 HamasHamasHamas is the Palestinian Sunni Islamic or Islamist political party that governs the Gaza Strip. Hamas also has a military wing, the Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades...
members in the West BankWest BankThe West Bank ) of the Jordan River is the landlocked geographical eastern part of the Palestinian territories located in Western Asia. To the west, north, and south, the West Bank shares borders with the state of Israel. To the east, across the Jordan River, lies the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan...
, including 8 ministers and 20 lawmakers in the Palestinian Authority. Israeli officials announce that the suspects will face standard criminal proceedings. - November 4 – Operation Autumn Clouds: Israel Defense ForcesIsrael Defense ForcesThe Israel Defense Forces , commonly known in Israel by the Hebrew acronym Tzahal , are the military forces of the State of Israel. They consist of the ground forces, air force and navy. It is the sole military wing of the Israeli security forces, and has no civilian jurisdiction within Israel...
mount a series of air strikes as part of an on-going GazaGazaGaza , also referred to as Gaza City, is a Palestinian city in the Gaza Strip, with a population of about 450,000, making it the largest city in the Palestinian territories.Inhabited since at least the 15th century BC,...
offensive, killing at least eight. - November 8 – 2006 shelling of Beit Hanoun2006 shelling of Beit HanounThe 2006 shelling of Beit Hanoun was an incident on November 8, 2006 in which Israel Defense Forces shells hit a row of houses in the Gaza Strip town of Beit Hanoun, killing 19 Palestinians and wounding more than 40...
: An incident in which the Israel Defense ForcesIsrael Defense ForcesThe Israel Defense Forces , commonly known in Israel by the Hebrew acronym Tzahal , are the military forces of the State of Israel. They consist of the ground forces, air force and navy. It is the sole military wing of the Israeli security forces, and has no civilian jurisdiction within Israel...
' shells hit a row of houses in the Gaza StripGaza Stripthumb|Gaza city skylineThe Gaza Strip lies on the Eastern coast of the Mediterranean Sea. The Strip borders Egypt on the southwest and Israel on the south, east and north. It is about long, and between 6 and 12 kilometres wide, with a total area of...
town of Beit HanounBeit HanounBeit Hanoun is a city on the north-east edge of the Gaza Strip. According to the Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics, the town had a population of 32,187 in mid-year 2006. It is administered by the Palestinian Authority...
, killing 19 Palestinian Arabs and wounding more than 40. Israel apologized and attributed the incident to a technical malfunction.
Notable deaths
- January 28 – Yitzchak KaduriYitzchak KaduriYitzhak Kaduri, also spelled Kadouri, Kadourie, Kedourie; "Yitzhak" also spelled Yitzchak , was a renowned Mizrahi Haredi rabbi and kabbalist who devoted his life to Torah study and prayer on behalf of the Jewish people. He taught and practiced the kavanot of the Rashash...
(b. c.1899), Iraqi-born estimated aged 107, a renowned Mizrahi Haredi rabbi and kabbalist. - February 14 – Shoshana Damari (b. 1923), Yemeni-born "Queen of Israeli song" – pneumonia.
- April 13 – Michael Shir (b. 1923), Polish-born Israeli writer, founder of children's magazine, Ezbeoni.
- April 26 – Professor Yuval Ne'emanYuval Ne'emanYuval Ne'eman , was a renowned Israeli theoretical physicist, military scientist, and politician. He was a minister in the Israeli government in the 1980s and early 1990s.-Biography:...
(b. 19251925 in the British Mandate of PalestineEvents in the year 1925 in the British Mandate of Palestine.-Incumbents:* High Commissioner - Sir Herbert Louis Samuel until 30 June; Herbert Onslow Plumer* Emir of Transjordan - Abdullah I bin al-Hussein...
), Israeli physicist, founder of the Israel Space Agency and former science minister. - April 28 – Ben-Zion OrgadBen-Zion OrgadBen-Zion Orgad was an Israeli composer....
(b. 19261926 in Germany-National level:President*Paul von Hindenburg Chancellor* Hans Luther to 12 May, then from 17 May Wilhelm Marx -Events:* 1 January - the city of Cologne is badly hit by flooding in the River Rhine....
), German-born Israeli composer – cancer. - May 11 – Yossi BanaiYossi BanaiYossi Banai was an Israeli performer, singer, actor, and dramatist.-Biography:Banai was born in Jerusalem, and grew up in the neighborhood of the Mahane Yehuda market...
(b. 19321932 in the British Mandate of PalestineEvents in the year 1932 in the British Mandate of Palestine.-Incumbents:* High Commissioner - Sir Arthur Grenfell Wauchope* Emir of Transjordan - Abdullah I bin al-Hussein* Prime Minister of Transjordan - Abdallah Sarraj-Events:...
), Israeli singer and actor. - May 19 – Yitzhak Ben-AharonYitzhak Ben-AharonYitzhak Ben-Aharon was an Israeli left-wing politician.He was a Knesset member from the first to the fifth Knessets and in the seventh and eighth, and a former Minister of Transport and General secretary of the Histadrut. The philosopher Yeshayahu Ben-Aharon is his son.-Early life and...
(b. 1906), aged 99, Austro-Hungarian (BukovinaBukovinaBukovina is a historical region on the northern slopes of the northeastern Carpathian Mountains and the adjoining plains.-Name:The name Bukovina came into official use in 1775 with the region's annexation from the Principality of Moldavia to the possessions of the Habsburg Monarchy, which became...
)-born founder of the Israeli Labor Party. - May 23 – Bracha Eden (b. 1928), Israeli pianist – brain hemorrhage.
- June 7 – Joseph Dorfman (b. 1940), Soviet-born Russian-Israeli composer of contemporary classical music and a ShostakovichDmitri ShostakovichDmitri Dmitriyevich Shostakovich was a Soviet Russian composer and one of the most celebrated composers of the 20th century....
scholar. - June 25 – Eliyahu AsheriEliyahu AsheriThe murder of Eliyahu Asheri was a terror attack which carried out on June 25, 2006, in which Palestinian Popular Resistance Committees militants kidnapped, and later murdered the 17 year-old Israeli high school student Eliyahu Asheri....
(b. 19881988 in Israel-Incumbents:* Prime Minister of Israel - Yitzhak Shamir * President of Israel - Chaim Herzog* Chief of General Staff - Dan Shomron* Government of Israel - 22nd Government of Israel until December 22, 23rd Government of Israel-Events:...
), Israeli civilian kidnapped and murdered by Palestinian Arab terrorists. - June 25 – Gad NavonGad NavonRabbi Gad Navon was the third chief Rabbi of the IDF.-Biography:He was born in Morocco in 1922 with the name Mimun Fahima He was ordained there as Rabbi after completing the whole Talmud and being recognized as an expert...
(b. 1922), Moroccan-born Former Chief Israeli military rabbi – cancer. - July 25 – Ezra FleischerEzra FleischerEzra Fleischer was a Romanian-Israeli Hebrew-language poet and philologist.- Biography :...
(b. 1928), Romanian-born Israeli poet and professor at Hebrew University of Jerusalem. - August 21 – S. YizharS. YizharYizhar Smilansky , better known by his pen name S. Yizhar , was an Israeli writer and a great innovator in modern Hebrew literature.His pen name was given to him by the poet and editor Yitzhak Lamdan, when in 1938 he published Yizhar's first story Ephraim Goes Back to Alfalfa in his literary...
(b. 1916), Israeli author – heart disease. - August 29 – Benjamin Rawitz-CastelBenjamin Rawitz-CastelBenjamin Rawitz-Castel , was an Israeli classical pianist and piano teacher.He was born and raised in Haifa. After graduation from the Donia Weizman Conservatoire of music in Haifa he continued his studies in Tel Aviv with Ilona Vincze, and at the Tel Aviv University and the Royal Brussels...
(b. 19461946 in the British Mandate of PalestineEvents in the year 1946 in the British Mandate of Palestine.-Incumbents:* High Commissioner – Sir Alan Cunningham* Emir of Transjordan – Abdullah I bin al-Hussein until 25 May...
), Israeli pianist – battered. - November 21 – Eliezer WaldenbergEliezer WaldenbergEliezer Yehuda Waldenberg was known as the Tzitz Eliezer after his monumental halachic treatise Tzitz Eliezer that covers a wide breadth of halacha, including Jewish medical ethics, as well as ritual halachic issues from Shabbat to kashrut...
(b. 1915), Israeli Haredi rabbi. - December 16 – Pnina SalzmanPnina SalzmanPnina Salzman was an Israeli classical pianist and piano pedagogue....
(b. 19221922 in the British Mandate of PalestineEvents in the year 1922 in the British Mandate of Palestine.-Incumbents:* High Commissioner - Sir Herbert Louis Samuel* Emir of Transjordan - Abdullah I bin al-Hussein* Prime Minister of Transjordan - Mazhar Raslan until 10 March; 'Ali Rida Basha al-Rikabi...
), Israeli classical pianist – natural causes. - December 28 – Gershon ShakedGershon Shaked-Biography:Born Gerhard Mandel in Vienna, Austria, he immigrated to Palestine alone in 1939, and was later followed by his parents. He attended Gymnasia Herzliya in Tel Aviv...
(b. 1929), Austrian-born Israeli author and professor of Hebrew literature. - December 31 – Ya'akov HodorovYa'akov HodorovYa'akov Hodorov was an Israeli football goalkeeper in the 1940s, 1950s, and 1960s. He was considered by many to be Israel's best goalkeeper in history, and among the best goalkeepers of his generation.-Football career:Hodorov started his football career at Maccabi Rishon LeZion at the age of 15...
(b. 19271927 in the British Mandate of PalestineEvents in the year 1927 in the British Mandate of Palestine.-Incumbents:* High Commissioner - Herbert Onslow Plumer* Emir of Transjordan - Abdullah I bin al-Hussein* Prime Minister of Transjordan - Hasan Khalid Abu al-Huda-Events:...
), Israeli football goalkeeper – stroke.
See also
- 2006 in Israeli film
- Israel in the Eurovision Song Contest 2006Israel in the Eurovision Song Contest 2006Israel’s entry for the Eurovision Song Contest 2006 was by Eddie Butler, who had previously represented Israel in the 1999 European Song Contest...
- Israel at the 2006 Winter OlympicsIsrael at the 2006 Winter OlympicsIsrael competed at the 2006 Winter Olympics in Turin, Italy.Five Israeli athletes participated in the Games, the same as in Salt Lake City in 2002. They included two ice dance couples: Galit Chait and Sergei Sakhnovski, who made their third participation in the Olympics, and the brother-sister team...
- 2006 in the Palestinian territories2006 in the Palestinian territoriesEvents in the year 2006 in the Palestinian territories.-Incumbents:Palestinian National Authority * President - Mahmoud Abbas* Prime Minister - Ahmed Qurei until March 29, Ismail Haniyeh -Events:...