2007 in Israel
Encyclopedia
Incumbents
- 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...
– 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....
until July 1, (Dalia ItzikDalia ItzikDalia Itzik , born 20 October 1952, is an Israeli politician who currently serves as a member of the Knesset for Kadima. She has previously served in several ministerial positions, and on 4 May 2006 became the first female speaker of the Knesset, and has since served as President of Israel in an...
, acting president January 25 to July 15), Shimon PeresShimon PeresGCMG is the ninth President of the State of Israel. Peres served twice as the eighth Prime Minister of Israel and once as Interim Prime Minister, and has been a member of 12 cabinets in a political career spanning over 66 years...
from July 15 - 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...
until February 14, Gabi AshkenaziGabi AshkenaziGavriel "Gabi" Ashkenazi , was the Chief of General Staff of the Israel Defence Forces from 2007 to 2011.- Background and early life :... - Government of Israel – 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 17 – Lieutenant-General 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...
, the Chief of Staff of the Israeli Army, resigns while inquiries into the performance of 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...
in the action against Hezbollah continue. - January 19 – 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....
, president of the State 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...
takes a leave of absenceLeave of absenceLeave of absence is a term used to describe a period of time that one is to be away from his/her primary job, while maintaining the status of employee...
. Dalia ItzikDalia ItzikDalia Itzik , born 20 October 1952, is an Israeli politician who currently serves as a member of the Knesset for Kadima. She has previously served in several ministerial positions, and on 4 May 2006 became the first female speaker of the Knesset, and has since served as President of Israel in an...
is appointed as acting president. - January 23 – Attorney-General Meni Mazuz announces that he would consider chargingIndictmentAn indictment , in the common-law legal system, is a formal accusation that a person has committed a crime. In jurisdictions that maintain the concept of felonies, the serious criminal offence is a felony; jurisdictions that lack the concept of felonies often use that of an indictable offence—an...
President 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....
with rape, sexual harassmentSexual harassmentSexual harassment, is intimidation, bullying or coercion of a sexual nature, or the unwelcome or inappropriate promise of rewards in exchange for sexual favors. In some contexts or circumstances, sexual harassment is illegal. It includes a range of behavior from seemingly mild transgressions and...
, breach of trust, obstruction of justiceObstruction of justiceThe crime of obstruction of justice, in United States jurisdictions, refers to the crime of interfering with the work of police, investigators, regulatory agencies, prosecutors, or other officials...
, harassmentHarassmentHarassment covers a wide range of behaviors of an offensive nature. It is commonly understood as behaviour intended to disturb or upset, and it is characteristically repetitive. In the legal sense, it is intentional behaviour which is found threatening or disturbing...
of a witness and fraud. - January 24 – President 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....
holds a press conference broadcast live on Israeli news broadcasts in which he accuses journalists of persecuting him and judging him before all the evidence has been presented and before actually being convicted. In addition, he also accuses the police, who he claims did everything to prove that he is guilty. - January 28 – Raleb MajadeleRaleb MajadeleGhaleb Majadele is an Israeli Arab politician. A member of the Knesset for the Labor Party, he became the country's first Muslim minister when appointed Minister without Portfolio on 28 January 2007.-Biography:...
, Israeli Arab politician, becomes Israel's first Muslim ministerCabinet of IsraelThe Cabinet of Israel is a formal body composed of government officials called ministers, chosen and led by the Prime Minister. The Prime Minister must appoint members based on the distribution of votes to political parties during legislative elections, and its composition must be approved by a...
when appointed Minister without portfolioMinister without PortfolioA minister without portfolio is either a government minister with no specific responsibilities or a minister that does not head a particular ministry...
. In March 2007 Majadle received the Science, Culture and Sport portfolio. - February 14 – Gabi AshkenaziGabi AshkenaziGavriel "Gabi" Ashkenazi , was the Chief of General Staff of the Israel Defence Forces from 2007 to 2011.- Background and early life :...
is appointed as the 19th Chief of StaffRamatkalThe Chief of the General Staff, also known as the Commander-in-Chief of the Israel Defense Forces is the supreme commander and Chief of Staff of the Israel Defense Forces. At any given time, the Chief of Staff is the only active officer holding the IDF's highest rank, Rav Aluf , which is usually...
of 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...
. - April 22 – Avraham HirschsonAvraham HirschsonAvraham Hirchson was an Israeli politician. He served as a member of the Knesset for Likud and Kadima between 1981 and 1984, and again from 1992 until 2009. He also held the posts of Minister of Communications, Minister of Finance and Minister of Tourism...
, the Finance Minister of Israel, stands down for three months while the Israeli police investigate a claim that he failed to report an embezzlementEmbezzlementEmbezzlement is the act of dishonestly appropriating or secreting assets by one or more individuals to whom such assets have been entrusted....
case when he was working for a trade union. - April 30 – Israeli PM 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....
is criticised by the Winograd CommissionWinograd CommissionThe Winograd Commission is an Israeli government-appointed commission of inquiry, chaired by retired judge Eliyahu Winograd, which investigated and drew lessons from the Israel-Hezbollah War...
for taking Israel to war2006 Israel-Lebanon conflictThe 2006 Lebanon War, also called the 2006 Israel-Hezbollah War and known in Lebanon as the July War #Other uses|Tammūz]]) and in Israel as the Second Lebanon War , was a 34-day military conflict in Lebanon, northern Israel and the Israeli-occupied territories. The principal parties were Hezbollah...
in Lebanon last year "hastily". - May 3 – Tens of thousands of Israeli protesters at Rabin SquareRabin SquareRabin Square , formerly Kings of Israel Square , is the largest open public city square in central Tel Aviv, Israel. Over the years it has been the site of numerous political rallies, parades, and other public events...
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...
call for Prime Minister 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....
and his government to resign over their mishandling of the 2006 Lebanon warWinograd CommissionThe Winograd Commission is an Israeli government-appointed commission of inquiry, chaired by retired judge Eliyahu Winograd, which investigated and drew lessons from the Israel-Hezbollah War...
. - June 11 – The Israeli reconnaissance satellite Ofek-7Ofek-7Ofek-7, also known as Ofeq 7, is part of the Ofeq family ofearth observation satellites designed and built by Israel Aerospace Industries for the Israel Ministry of Defense....
is launched. - June 13 – In the 2007 Presidential ElectionIsraeli presidential election, 2007Shimon Peres, a former Prime Minister and a member of the Kadima party, was elected by the Knesset as the next President of Israel on 13 June 2007. His opponents were Reuven Rivlin, a former Knesset speaker, of the Likud Party, and Colette Avital, of the Labor party...
, the 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...
elects Shimon PeresShimon PeresGCMG is the ninth President of the State of Israel. Peres served twice as the eighth Prime Minister of Israel and once as Interim Prime Minister, and has been a member of 12 cabinets in a political career spanning over 66 years...
as the ninth president of the State of Israel, by a second-round vote of 86 for and 23 against, following the withdrawal in his favour of the other two candidates. In the first round, Peres had failed to obtain an absolute majority in the 120-member Knesset receiving 58 votes, against 38 for Reuven RivlinReuven RivlinReuven "Rubi" Rivlin is an Israeli lawyer, politician, currently serving as a speaker of the Knesset. He belongs to conservative Likud. A former Speaker of the Knesset, in 2007 he ran in the election for President as the Likud candidate...
and 21 for Colette AvitalColette AvitalColette Avital is an Israeli diplomat and politician. She served as a member of the Knesset for the Labor Party and One Israel between 1999 and 2009.-Biography:...
. (Peres does not assume office until July 15.) - June 28 – President 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....
's lawyers reach a controversial plea bargainPlea bargainA plea bargain is an agreement in a criminal case whereby the prosecutor offers the defendant the opportunity to plead guilty, usually to a lesser charge or to the original criminal charge with a recommendation of a lighter than the maximum sentence.A plea bargain allows criminal defendants to...
with Israel’s attorney general, Menachem MazuzMenachem MazuzMenachem Mazuz is an Israeli jurist, who served as the Israeli Attorney General in the years 2004-2010. Mazuz was born in Djerba, Tunisia, the fourth in a family of nine children of the rabbi of one of the island's Jewish communities...
. According to the deal, Katsav would plead guilty to several counts of sexual harassmentSexual harassmentSexual harassment, is intimidation, bullying or coercion of a sexual nature, or the unwelcome or inappropriate promise of rewards in exchange for sexual favors. In some contexts or circumstances, sexual harassment is illegal. It includes a range of behavior from seemingly mild transgressions and...
and indecent acts and receive a suspended jail sentence, and pay compensation to two of his victims. The more serious rape charges brought by the initial employee, A., have been dropped, as well as Katsav's original charges of her blackmailing him. - July 1 – 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....
resigns as president of the State 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...
. Dalia ItzikDalia ItzikDalia Itzik , born 20 October 1952, is an Israeli politician who currently serves as a member of the Knesset for Kadima. She has previously served in several ministerial positions, and on 4 May 2006 became the first female speaker of the Knesset, and has since served as President of Israel in an...
continues as acting president. - July 1 – Avraham HirschsonAvraham HirschsonAvraham Hirchson was an Israeli politician. He served as a member of the Knesset for Likud and Kadima between 1981 and 1984, and again from 1992 until 2009. He also held the posts of Minister of Communications, Minister of Finance and Minister of Tourism...
resigns as the Finance Minister of IsraelIsraelThe State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
as an investigation into alleged fraud and embezzlementEmbezzlementEmbezzlement is the act of dishonestly appropriating or secreting assets by one or more individuals to whom such assets have been entrusted....
continues. - July 15 – Shimon PeresShimon PeresGCMG is the ninth President of the State of Israel. Peres served twice as the eighth Prime Minister of Israel and once as Interim Prime Minister, and has been a member of 12 cabinets in a political career spanning over 66 years...
assumes office as the ninth president of the State of Israel. - July 18 – The Knesset decides to extend the Tal Law in another five years, until 2012.
- September 6 – Operation OrchardOperation OrchardOperation Orchard was an Israeli airstrike on a nuclear reactor in the Deir ez-Zor region of Syria carried out just after midnight on September 6, 2007. The White House and Central Intelligence Agency later confirmed that American intelligence had also indicated the site was a nuclear facility...
: Israeli Air Force destroys a suspected nuclear reactorNuclear reactorA nuclear reactor is a device to initiate and control a sustained nuclear chain reaction. Most commonly they are used for generating electricity and for the propulsion of ships. Usually heat from nuclear fission is passed to a working fluid , which runs through turbines that power either ship's...
in the Deir ez-Zor regionDeir ez-Zor GovernorateDeir ez-Zor Governorate or Muhafazah Dayr az Zawr is one of the fourteen governorates of Syria. It is situated in eastern Syria, bordering Iraq. It has an area of 33,060 km² and a population of 1,202,000...
of SyriaSyriaSyria , officially the Syrian Arab Republic , is a country in Western Asia, bordering Lebanon and the Mediterranean Sea to the West, Turkey to the north, Iraq to the east, Jordan to the south, and Israel to the southwest....
which was built with the assistance of North KoreaNorth KoreaThe Democratic People’s Republic of Korea , , is a country in East Asia, occupying the northern half of the Korean Peninsula. Its capital and largest city is Pyongyang. The Korean Demilitarized Zone serves as the buffer zone between North Korea and South Korea...
. - October 10 – Israeli teachers' association begins the longest lasting strike in Israel's education system history. The strike ended after 64 days.
- November 23 – An Israeli psychiatristPsychiatristA psychiatrist is a physician who specializes in the diagnosis and treatment of mental disorders. All psychiatrists are trained in diagnostic evaluation and in psychotherapy...
and reserveMilitary reserveA military reserve, tactical reserve, or strategic reserve is a group of military personnel or units which are initially not committed to a battle by their commander so that they are available to address unforeseen situations or exploit suddenly developing...
officerOfficer (armed forces)An officer is a member of an armed force or uniformed service who holds a position of authority. Commissioned officers derive authority directly from a sovereign power and, as such, hold a commission charging them with the duties and responsibilities of a specific office or position...
is charged with giving classified informationClassified informationClassified information is sensitive information to which access is restricted by law or regulation to particular groups of persons. A formal security clearance is required to handle classified documents or access classified data. The clearance process requires a satisfactory background investigation...
to 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...
, Russia and 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...
.
Israeli–Palestinian conflict
The most prominent events related to the Israeli–Palestinian conflict which occurred during 2007 include:- January 19 – Israel releases $100 million in frozen assets to Chairman Mahmoud AbbasMahmoud AbbasMahmoud Abbas , also known by the kunya Abu Mazen , has been the Chairman of the Palestine Liberation Organisation since 11 November 2004 and became President of the Palestinian National Authority on 15 January 2005 on the Fatah ticket.Elected to serve until 9 January 2009, he unilaterally...
of the Palestinian National AuthorityPalestinian National AuthorityThe Palestinian Authority is the administrative organization established to govern parts of the West Bank and Gaza Strip...
, in order to bolster Abbas's position and keep money out of the hands of 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...
government. - June 7–15 – Battle of GazaBattle of Gaza (2007)The Battle of Gaza was a military conflict between Hamas and Fatah that took place between June 7 and 15, 2007 in the Gaza Strip. After winning Palestinian legislative elections in 2006, Hamas and Fatah formed the Palestinan authority national unity government in 2007, headed by Ismail Haniya. In...
: 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...
takes control of the entire 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...
after numerous gun battles, and establishes a separate government while FatahFatahFataḥ is a major Palestinian political party and the largest faction of the Palestine Liberation Organization , a multi-party confederation. In Palestinian politics it is on the left-wing of the spectrum; it is mainly nationalist, although not predominantly socialist. Its official goals are found...
remains in control of 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...
. This in practice divides the area administered by the Palestinian Authority into two. Chairman Mahmoud AbbasMahmoud AbbasMahmoud Abbas , also known by the kunya Abu Mazen , has been the Chairman of the Palestine Liberation Organisation since 11 November 2004 and became President of the Palestinian National Authority on 15 January 2005 on the Fatah ticket.Elected to serve until 9 January 2009, he unilaterally...
and the more moderate FatahFatahFataḥ is a major Palestinian political party and the largest faction of the Palestine Liberation Organization , a multi-party confederation. In Palestinian politics it is on the left-wing of the spectrum; it is mainly nationalist, although not predominantly socialist. Its official goals are found...
party advocate a Palestinian Arab state alongside Israel, while Prime Minister Ismail HaniyaIsmail HaniyaIsmail Haniyeh ; is a senior political leader of Hamas and one of two disputed Prime Ministers of the Palestinian National Authority, the matter being under political and legal dispute. He became Prime Minister after the legislative elections of 2006 which Hamas won...
and the Islamist 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...
party reject Israel's right to exist. - June 25 – 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...
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....
meets with Middle East leaders President of EgyptPresident of EgyptThe President of the Arab Republic of Egypt is the head of state of Egypt.Under the Constitution of Egypt, the president is also the supreme commander of the armed forces and head of the executive branch of the Egyptian government....
Hosni MubarakHosni MubarakMuhammad Hosni Sayyid Mubarak is a former Egyptian politician and military commander. He served as the fourth President of Egypt from 1981 to 2011....
, President of the Palestinian Authority Mahmoud AbbasMahmoud AbbasMahmoud Abbas , also known by the kunya Abu Mazen , has been the Chairman of the Palestine Liberation Organisation since 11 November 2004 and became President of the Palestinian National Authority on 15 January 2005 on the Fatah ticket.Elected to serve until 9 January 2009, he unilaterally...
and King Abdullah II of JordanAbdullah II of JordanAbdullah II ibn al-Hussein is the reigning King of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan. He ascended the throne on 7 February 1999 after the death of his father King Hussein. King Abdullah, whose mother is Princess Muna al-Hussein, is a member of the Hashemite family...
in a summit in Sharm el-SheikhSharm el-SheikhSharm el-Sheikh is a city situated on the southern tip of the Sinai Peninsula, in South Sinai Governorate, Egypt, on the coastal strip along the Red Sea. Its population is approximately 35,000...
aimed at boosting Abbas' leadership of the Palestinian Authority and isolating 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...
after their takeover of Gaza. Olmert announces that he will release 250 Palestinian political prisoners as a gesture of goodwill. - July 20 – Israel has begun releasing 250 Palestinian ArabPalestinian National AuthorityThe Palestinian Authority is the administrative organization established to govern parts of the West Bank and Gaza Strip...
prisoners associated with FatahFatahFataḥ is a major Palestinian political party and the largest faction of the Palestine Liberation Organization , a multi-party confederation. In Palestinian politics it is on the left-wing of the spectrum; it is mainly nationalist, although not predominantly socialist. Its official goals are found...
as a goodwill gesture to the Chairman of the Palestinian National Authority, Mahmoud AbbasMahmoud AbbasMahmoud Abbas , also known by the kunya Abu Mazen , has been the Chairman of the Palestine Liberation Organisation since 11 November 2004 and became President of the Palestinian National Authority on 15 January 2005 on the Fatah ticket.Elected to serve until 9 January 2009, he unilaterally...
. - August 6 – Israeli Prime Minister 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....
arrives in the historic town of 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...
, administered by the Palestinian AuthorityPalestinian National AuthorityThe Palestinian Authority is the administrative organization established to govern parts of the West Bank and Gaza Strip...
, becoming the first Prime Minister of Israel to visit 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...
or 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 more than seven years. Olmert meets with Mahmoud AbbasMahmoud AbbasMahmoud Abbas , also known by the kunya Abu Mazen , has been the Chairman of the Palestine Liberation Organisation since 11 November 2004 and became President of the Palestinian National Authority on 15 January 2005 on the Fatah ticket.Elected to serve until 9 January 2009, he unilaterally...
, Chairman of the Palestinian National Authority. - November 19 – Israel releases 450 Palestinian ArabPalestinePalestine is a conventional name, among others, used to describe the geographic region between the Mediterranean Sea and the Jordan River, and various adjoining lands....
prisoners as a goodwill gesture to the Chairman of the Palestinian National Authority, Mahmoud AbbasMahmoud AbbasMahmoud Abbas , also known by the kunya Abu Mazen , has been the Chairman of the Palestine Liberation Organisation since 11 November 2004 and became President of the Palestinian National Authority on 15 January 2005 on the Fatah ticket.Elected to serve until 9 January 2009, he unilaterally...
, ahead of the 2007 Mideast peace conference with the Palestinian Authority. - November 27 – The Annapolis ConferenceAnnapolis Conference-Attendees:U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice organized and hosted the conference. Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, and U.S. President George W. Bush attended the meeting...
is held in AnnapolisAnnapolis, MarylandAnnapolis is the capital of the U.S. state of Maryland, as well as the county seat of Anne Arundel County. It had a population of 38,394 at the 2010 census and is situated on the Chesapeake Bay at the mouth of the Severn River, south of Baltimore and about east of Washington, D.C. Annapolis is...
, the capital of the US state of MarylandMarylandMaryland is a U.S. state located in the Mid Atlantic region of the United States, bordering Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware to its east...
. The conference marks the first time a two-state solutionTwo-state solutionThe two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict is the consensus solution that is currently under discussion by the key parties to the conflict, most recently at the Annapolis Conference in November 2007...
is articulated as the mutually agreed-upon outline for addressing the Israeli-Palestinian conflictIsraeli-Palestinian conflictThe Israeli–Palestinian conflict is the ongoing conflict between Israelis and Palestinians. The conflict is wide-ranging, and the term is also used in reference to the earlier phases of the same conflict, between Jewish and Zionist yishuv and the Arab population living in Palestine under Ottoman or...
. The conference ends with the issuing of a joint statement from all parties.
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 2007 include:
- January 29 – Eilat bakery bombingEilat bakery bombingThe Eilat bakery bombing occurred on 29 January 2007 when a Palestinian suicide bomber from the Gaza Strip infiltrated the northern suburbs of Eilat, Israel...
: A Palestinian Arab suicide bomber 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...
infiltrates the northern suburbs of Eilat, Israel. Upon seeing the policeIsrael PoliceThe Israel Police is the civilian police force of Israel. As with most other police forces in the world, its duties include crime fighting, traffic control, maintaining public safety, and counter-terrorism...
approaching, he ducks into a neighbourhood bakery and detonates his bomb, killing the three men employed there – all Israeli Jews. - May 2 – 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...
and 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...
launch at least 18 rockets into Israel, damaging a road, hitting a car in a commercial center of SderotSderotSderot is a western Negev city in the Southern District of Israel. According to the Israel Central Bureau of Statistics , at the end of 2009 the city had a total population of 20,700. The city has been an ongoing target of Qassam rocket attacks from the Gaza Strip...
, killing an Israeli woman and lightly wounding 2 others. - May 21 – A man is killed in SderotSderotSderot is a western Negev city in the Southern District of Israel. According to the Israel Central Bureau of Statistics , at the end of 2009 the city had a total population of 20,700. The city has been an ongoing target of Qassam rocket attacks from the Gaza Strip...
after a rocket landed near the car in which he was sitting. - September 10 – Two 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 Beit Hanun at the Zikim Army BaseBahad 4Bahad 4 , commonly known as Batar Zikim is a training base belonging to the Israel Defense Forces.Zikim is located 8 km south of Ashkelon...
in Israel located near the Gaza Border. One of them lands safely in the 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'...
, but the other lands near unfortified barrackBarrackBarrack or Barracks may refer to:*Barracks, military housing*Barrack *Barracks communism, political term*A misspelling of the name of Barack Obama...
s (Zikim military base) at the base where Israeli recruitsArmy recruitRecruit or army recruit is a term often colloquially used to refer to the lowest military rank in various armed services. It usually implies that the soldier so labeled has not yet completed basic training....
were sleeping. This resulted in at least 66 wounded, with at least 10 moderately to seriously. 69 soldiers were wounded by the rocket, 60+ of them had only light-to moderate shrapnel wounds, but four of them were injured seriously. One of the four had to have his leg amputated, and another was in a critical condition. Both 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...
and PRC claimed responsibility.
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 2007 include:
- April 7 – Israeli helicopters fire at least two missiles into the northern 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...
. The missile killed a Palestinian militant "while mounting an operation near the border" in a statement released by 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...
. - May 17 – 2007 Israel-Gaza conflict: An Israeli aircraft bombs a building of 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...
-run Executive Force 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,...
, killing at least one person and injuring about 45 others. - May 20 – 2007 Israel-Gaza conflict: An IAFIsraeli Air ForceThe Israeli Air Force is the air force of the State of Israel and the aerial arm of the Israel Defense Forces. It was founded on May 28, 1948, shortly after the Israeli Declaration of Independence...
plane fires a missile at house 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...
lawmaker Khalil al-Haya, killing eight people and wounding many others; Al-Haya was not at his house at the time of the strike.
Notable deaths
- January 2 – Teddy KollekTeddy KollekTheodor "Teddy" Kollek was mayor of Jerusalem from 1965 to 1993, and founder of the Jerusalem Foundation. Kollek was re-elected five times, in 1969, 1973, 1978, 1983 and 1989...
(b. 1911), Hungarian-born Israeli Mayor of Jerusalem (1965–1993) – natural causes. - January 16 – Yuri SternYuri SternYuri Stern was a Russian-Israeli politician and journalist. He was a member of the Knesset from 1996 until his death, first as a member of Yisrael BaAliyah and later on behalf of Yisrael Beiteinu.-Background:...
(b. 1949), Russian-born Israeli politician – cancer. - February 24 – Mordechai BreuerMordechai BreuerMordechai Breuer was an Orthodox rabbi. He was one of the world's leading experts on Tanakh , and especially of the text of the Aleppo Codex....
(b. 19211921 in GermanyEvents in the year 1921 in Germany.-National level:President*Friedrich Ebert Chancellor*Constantin Fehrenbach to 4 May, then from 10 May Joseph Wirth -Overview:...
), German-born Israeli Bible researcher and orthodox rabbi. - March 17 – Tanya ReinhartTanya ReinhartTanya Reinhart was an Israeli linguist who wrote frequently on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. She contributed columns to the Israeli newspaper Yediot Aharonot and longer articles to the CounterPunch, Znet, and Israeli Indymedia websites....
(b. 19431943 in the British Mandate of PalestineEvents in the year 1943 in the British Mandate of Palestine.-Incumbents:* High Commissioner – Sir Harold MacMichael* Emir of Transjordan – Abdullah I bin al-Hussein* Prime Minister of Transjordan - Tawfik Abu al-Huda-Events:...
), Israeli linguist and peace activist – stroke. - March 19 – Shimon TzabarShimon TzabarShimon Tzabar was a member of the editorial board of . He described himself as a "Hebrew-speaking Palestinian".The son of poultry vendors, he was educated at a religious school...
(b. 19261926 in the British Mandate of PalestineEvents in the year 1926 in the British Mandate of Palestine.-Incumbents:* High Commissioner - Herbert Onslow Plumer* Emir of Transjordan - Abdullah I bin al-Hussein...
), Israeli artist, author, poet and former HaaretzHaaretzHaaretz is Israel's oldest daily newspaper. It was founded in 1918 and is now published in both Hebrew and English in Berliner format. The English edition is published and sold together with the International Herald Tribune. Both Hebrew and English editions can be read on the Internet...
columnist – pneumonia. - April 20 – Yehuda Meir AbramowiczYehuda Meir AbramowiczYehuda Meir Abramowicz was an Israeli rabbi and politician. He served as general secretary of Agudat Yisrael, which he represented in the Knesset from 1972 until 1981, and as Deputy Speaker of the Knesset between 1977 and 1981...
(b. 1914), Russian (Poland)-born Israeli General Secretary of Agudat IsraelAgudat IsraelAgudat Yisrael began as the original political party representing the ultra-Orthodox population of Israel. It was the umbrella party for almost all ultra-Orthodox Jews in Israel, and before that in the British Mandate of Palestine...
(1972–1981). - May 7 – Raffi LavieRaffi LavieRaffi Lavie was an Israeli artist, art educator and music/art critic.-Biography:Lavi was born in Tel Aviv, Mandate Palestine. He began teaching at the Midrasha Art Academy in 1966. In the same year he was also a founder of the group Ten Plus. Lavie's work is a cross between graffiti and abstract...
(b. 19371937 in the British Mandate of PalestineEvents in the year 1937 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 - Ibrahim Hashem-Events:...
), Israeli artist – pancreatic cancer. - May 20 – Baruch KimmerlingBaruch KimmerlingBaruch Kimmerling was an Israeli scholar and professor of sociology at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. Upon his death in 2007, The Times described him as "the first academic to use scholarship to reexamine the founding tenets of Zionism and the Israeli State"...
(b. 1939), Romanian-born Israeli sociologist and historian – cancer. - June 19 – Ze'ev SchiffZe'ev SchiffZe'ev Schiff was an Israeli journalist and military correspondent for Ha'aretz....
(b. 19321932 in FranceSee also:1931 in France,other events of 1932,1933 in France.----Events from the year 1932 in France.-Events:*1 May - Legislative Election held.*6 May - Paul Gorguloff assassinates President Paul Doumer in Paris...
), French-born Israeli military journalist – heart disease. - July 8 – Itzik KolItzik KolItzik Kol , was an Israeli television and film producer considered by many to be a pioneer and originator of Israeli cinema. He died following complications from pneumonia.-Biography:...
(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 film producer – pneumonia. - August 5 – Amos ManorAmos ManorAmos Manor , born Arthur Mendelowitz, was a former Director of the Shin Bet, Israel's internal intelligence and security service, from 1953 until 1963....
(b. 1918), Romanian-born Israeli head of Shin Bet (1953–1963). - August 27 – Gad YaacobiGad YaacobiGad Yaacobi was an Israeli Minister, Alignment Knesset member, and Israel Ambassador to the United Nations.-Biography:Yaacobi was born in Kfar Vitkin during Mandate era, where he completed his high-school studies...
(b. 19351935 in the British Mandate of PalestineEvents in the year 1935 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 - Ibrahim Hashem-Events:...
), Israeli former minister and Labor Party Knesset member – heart failure. - September 27 – Israel SegalIsrael Segal-Biography:Segal was born in the Sha'arei Hesed neighborhood of Jerusalem in Mandate Palestine, in 1944.After his start at Haolam Haze magazine, Segal moved first to Israel Radio, where he covered religious stories, and then on to a position as a lead anchor at Israeli Broadcasting Authority...
(b. 19441944 in the British Mandate of PalestineEvents in the year 1944 in the British Mandate of Palestine.-Incumbents:* High Commissioner - Sir Harold MacMichael until 30 August; John Vereker, 6th Viscount Gort* Emir of Transjordan - Abdullah I bin al-Hussein...
), Israeli writer and journalist – heart failure. - September 27 – Avraham ShapiraAvraham ShapiraAvraham Elkanah Kahana Shapira was a prominent rabbi in the Religious Zionist world. Shapira had been the head of the Rabbinical court of Jerusalem, and both a member and the head of the Supreme Rabbinic Court. He served as the Ashkenazi Chief Rabbi of Israel from 1983 to 1993...
(b. 1914), Israeli rabbi, Ashkenazi chief rabbi of Israel (1983–1993). - October 30 – Yisrael PoliakovYisrael PoliakovYisrael "Poli" Poliakov was an Israeli comedian and actor. Poliakov was born in Jerusalem, and grew up in Tel Aviv. He became one of the three members of the Israeli comedy group, HaGashash HaHiver .-Career:Poliakov originally chose a career as a farmer and studied at the Kfar HaYarok...
(b. 19411941 in the British Mandate of PalestineEvents in the year 1941 in the British Mandate of Palestine.-Incumbents:* High Commissioner - Sir Harold MacMichael* Emir of Transjordan - Abdullah I bin al-Hussein* Prime Minister of Transjordan - Tawfik Abu al-Huda-Events:...
), Israeli actor, member of comedy group HaGashash HaHiverHaGashash HaHiverHaGashash HaHiver |Tracker]]) were an Israeli comedy group. Often called HaGashashim , they are considered a classic of Israeli entertainment and the most influential comedy act in the history of Israel.The three members of the Gashash were:...
– cancer. - December 21 – Saadia MarcianoSaadia MarcianoSaadia Marciano was an Israeli social activist and politician, and founder of the Israeli Black Panthers.-Biography:Born in Oujda, Morocco in 1950, Marciano's family immigrated to Israel before his first birthday, where he grew up in the Musrara neighborhood of Jerusalem...
(b. 1950), Moroccan-born Israeli Black Panthers leader, member of the Knesset.
See also
- 2007 in Israeli film2007 in Israeli filmA list of films produced by the Israeli film industry in 2007.-2007 releases:-Notable deaths:* 8 July – Itzik Kol, Israeli film producer - pneumonia....
- 2007 in Israeli television
- 2007 in Israeli music
- 2007 in Israeli sport
- Israel in the Eurovision Song Contest 2007Israel in the Eurovision Song Contest 2007Israel's state broadcaster formed a committee of music experts to pick the artist to represent Israel. The committee selected Teapacks for Eurovision to be held in Helsinki....
- 2007 in the Palestinian territories2007 in the Palestinian territoriesEvents in the year 2007 in the Palestinian territories.-Incumbents:Palestinian National Authority * President - Mahmoud Abbas * Prime Minister -* Ismail Haniyeh until June 15...