2008 in Israel
Encyclopedia
Events in the year 2008 in Israel.
Notable Palestinian militant operations against Israeli targets
The most prominent Palestinian militant acts and operations
committed against Israeli targets during 2008 include:
Notable Israeli military operations against Palestinian militancy targets
The most prominent Israeli military counter-terrorism
operations (military campaign
s and military operations) carried out against Palestinian militants during 2008 include:
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...
– 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... - Chief of General Staff – 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 21 – The Israeli reconnaissance satellite Ofek-8 is launched.
- January 21 – The senior lecturers' strike at the Israeli universities ends.
- January 30 – The final 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...
report is announced in Binyanei HaUma in Jerusalem. - April 24 – The United States claims 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...
helped 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....
build a nuclear reactorSyria and weapons of mass destructionSyria has allegedly researched, manufactured, and possessed weapons of mass destruction.Western non-governmental organizations have stated they believe Syria has an active chemical weapons program...
at a site destroyedOperation 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...
by Israeli forces in September 2007. - April 28 – Israeli satellite Amos-3AMOS-3AMOS-3, also known as AMOS-60 is an Israeli communications satellite operated by Spacecom. The satellite is powered by twin solar panels, and is based on the Israeli AMOS bus. It will replace AMOS-1 in geosynchronous orbit at 4°W...
is launched into space from the Baikonur CosmodromeBaikonur CosmodromeThe Baikonur Cosmodrome , also called Tyuratam, is the world's first and largest operational space launch facility. It is located in the desert steppe of Kazakhstan, about east of the Aral Sea, north of the Syr Darya river, near Tyuratam railway station, at 90 meters above sea level...
space launch facilitySpaceportA spaceport or cosmodrome is a site for launching spacecraft, by analogy with seaport for ships or airport for aircraft. The word spaceport, and even more so cosmodrome, has traditionally been used for sites capable of launching spacecraft into orbit around Earth or on interplanetary trajectories...
in Kazakhstan. - May 12 – Israeli 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...
raid the Jerusalem city hall to seize documents related to alleged bribes received by 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....
from businessman Moshe Talansky. - May 4 – Former Finance Minister 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...
is indicted with a string of crimes including breach of trust, aggravated fraud, theft, forgery of corporate documents and money laundering. - July 8 – Baha'i Holy PlacesBahá'í World Centre buildingsThe Bahá'í World Centre buildings are buildings that are part of the Bahá'í World Centre in Israel. The Bahá'í World Centre buildings include both the Bahá'í holy places used for pilgrimage and the international administrative bodies of the Bahá'í Faith; they comprise more than 20 different...
in 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...
and Western GalileeGalileeGalilee , is a large region in northern Israel which overlaps with much of the administrative North District of the country. Traditionally divided into Upper Galilee , Lower Galilee , and Western Galilee , extending from Dan to the north, at the base of Mount Hermon, along Mount Lebanon to the...
are designated by UNESCOUNESCOThe United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations...
as World Heritage SiteWorld Heritage SiteA UNESCO World Heritage Site is a place that is listed by the UNESCO as of special cultural or physical significance...
s. - July 16 – Hezbollah swaps2008 Israel-Hezbollah prisoner swapThe 2008 Israel–Hezbollah prisoner exchange took place on July 16, 2008 when Hezbollah transferred the coffins of two Israeli soldiers in exchange for 5 Lebanese militants held by Israel as well as the bodies of 199 mainly Lebanese and Palestinian militants captured in Lebanon or Israel in the...
the bodies of the Israeli soldiers Ehud GoldwasserEhud GoldwasserEhud Goldwasser was an Israeli soldier who was abducted in Israel by Hezbollah along with Eldad Regev on 12 July 2006, sparking the 2006 Israel-Lebanon conflict. His rank was First Sergeant....
and Eldad RegevEldad RegevEldad Regev was an Israeli soldier, born in Qiryat Motzkin, abducted by Hezbollah members along with Ehud Goldwasser on July 12, 2006, in Israel near the Lebanese border, sparking the 2006 Israel-Lebanon conflict. His rank was Sergeant First Class....
in exchange for the LebaneseLebanonLebanon , 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...
DruzeDruzeThe Druze are an esoteric, monotheistic religious community, found primarily in Syria, Lebanon, Israel, and Jordan, which emerged during the 11th century from Ismailism. The Druze have an eclectic set of beliefs that incorporate several elements from Abrahamic religions, Gnosticism, Neoplatonism...
terrorist, Samir KuntarSamir KuntarSamir Kuntar is a Lebanese Druze convicted murderer and former member of the Palestine Liberation Front...
, four Hezbollah prisoners captured during the 2006 Lebanon war and the bodies of 199 Palestinian Arab and Lebanese fighters. - July 30 – 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....
announces that he would not seek re-election as party leader and that he would resign from his position as Prime Minister immediately after a new 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 was named. One reason for resignation is the corruption scandal in which Olmert is embattled. - September 17 – Foreign Minister of Israel Tzipi LivniTzipi LivniTzipporah Malkah "Tzipi" Livni is an Israeli lawyer and politician. She is the current Israeli Opposition Leader and leader of Kadima, the largest party in the Knesset. Raised an ardent nationalist, Livni has become one of her nation's leading voices for the two-state solution. In Israel she has...
is selected as the new leader of the 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...
party, putting her in position to possibly become the first female 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...
since Golda MeirGolda MeirGolda Meir ; May 3, 1898 – December 8, 1978) was a teacher, kibbutznik and politician who became the fourth Prime Minister of the State of Israel....
. - September 21 – 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....
officially submits his resignation to PresidentPresident 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...
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...
. Foreign MinisterForeign Affairs Minister of IsraelThe Foreign Affairs Minister of Israel is the political head of the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The position is one of the most important in the Israeli cabinet after Prime Minister and Defense Minister...
Tzipi LivniTzipi LivniTzipporah Malkah "Tzipi" Livni is an Israeli lawyer and politician. She is the current Israeli Opposition Leader and leader of Kadima, the largest party in the Knesset. Raised an ardent nationalist, Livni has become one of her nation's leading voices for the two-state solution. In Israel she has...
begins talks on forming a new government. - December 16 – 24 RussiaRussiaRussia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
n tourists are killed when their bus plummets into a ravine near Eilat in southern IsraelIsraelThe State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
, making this road accident the deadliest in the state's history. - December 27 – Population Census: 7,465,500 inhabitants in Israel. 75.5% of them are registered as Jewish (about 5,634,300 people), 20.3% of them are registered as ArabsArab citizens of IsraelArab citizens of Israel refers to citizens of Israel who are not Jewish, and whose cultural and linguistic heritage or ethnic identity is Arab....
(about 1,513,200 people), while the remaining 4.2% (about 318,000 people) are registered as "others".
Israeli–Palestinian conflict
The most prominent events related to the Israeli–Palestinian conflict which occurred during 2008 include:- August 25 – Israel releases 199 Palestinian Arab 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...
, as the United States Secretary of StateUnited States Secretary of StateThe United States Secretary of State is the head of the United States Department of State, concerned with foreign affairs. The Secretary is a member of the Cabinet and the highest-ranking cabinet secretary both in line of succession and order of precedence...
, Condoleezza RiceCondoleezza RiceCondoleezza Rice is an American political scientist and diplomat. She served as the 66th United States Secretary of State, and was the second person to hold that office in the administration of President George W. Bush...
, visits the area.
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 2008 include:
- January 24 – Two Palestinian Arabs infiltrate a religious seminary and stab three students 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...
settlement of Kfar EtzionKfar EtzionKfar Etzion is a religious Israeli settlement and kibbutz located in the Judean Hills between Jerusalem and Hebron in the southern West Bank. It has a population of 400 and falls under the jurisdiction of Gush Etzion Regional Council...
before being shot dead. - January 24 – Palestinian Arab gunmen open fire on Israelis outside the ShuafatShuafatShu'fat , also Shuafat and Sha'fat, is a Palestinian Arab neighborhood of East Jerusalem, forming part of north-eastern Jerusalem. Located on the old Jerusalem-Ramallah road about three miles north of the Old City, Shuafat has a population of 35,000 residents...
refugee campRefugee campA refugee camp is a temporary settlement built to receive refugees. Hundreds of thousands of people may live in any one single camp. Usually they are built and run by a government, the United Nations, or international organizations, or NGOs.Refugee camps are generally set up in an impromptu...
on the outskirts of Jerusalem, killing a border police officer and seriously wounding a female officer. - February 4 – 2008 Dimona suicide 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 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...
at a shopping centre in DimonaDimonaDimona is an Israeli city in the Negev desert, to the south of Beersheba and west of the Dead Sea above the Arava valley in the Southern District of Israel. Its population at the end of 2007 was 33,600.-History:...
, Israel. One Israeli elderly woman is killed in the attack while nine other people are wounded (one of them critically). 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...
claims responsibility for the attack. - February 27 – Over 46 Qassam rockets are fired by Palestinian Arab militants into 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'...
and Israel's Southern MediterraneanMediterranean SeaThe Mediterranean Sea is a sea connected to the Atlantic Ocean surrounded by the Mediterranean region and almost completely enclosed by land: on the north by Anatolia and Europe, on the south by North Africa, and on the east by the Levant...
coast, many of them hit the 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...
and the town 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...
, among other Israeli towns and villages in the area. One of the rockets that landes in a parking lot at the Sapir Academic CollegeSapir Academic CollegeSapir College is a college located next to Sderot, in the northern negev of Israel. It has around 8,000 students. Its president is Zeev Tzahor....
killeing 47-year-old Israeli student, Ronni Yechia. - March 6 – Mercaz HaRav massacreMercaz HaRav massacreThe Mercaz HaRav massacre, also called the Mercaz HaRav shooting, was an attack that occurred on 6 March 2008, in which a lone Palestinian gunman shot multiple students at the Mercaz HaRav yeshiva, a religious school in Jerusalem, Israel, after which the gunman himself was shot dead. Eight students...
: Eight Israeli civilians are killed and 9 wounded when a Palestinian ArabPalestinian peopleThe Palestinian people, also referred to as Palestinians or Palestinian Arabs , are an Arabic-speaking people with origins in Palestine. Despite various wars and exoduses, roughly one third of the world's Palestinian population continues to reside in the area encompassing the West Bank, the Gaza...
attacker opens fire at a Jewish seminary in Jerusalem. - April 19 – Kerem Shalom suicide bombing: Three Palestinian Arab suicide bombers break through the border fence to attack the Kerem ShalomKerem ShalomKerem Shalom is a kibbutz in the Eshkol Regional Council and a border crossing near the meeting of the Gaza Strip-Israel-Egypt borders.- Kibbutz :The kibbutz was founded in 1966 adjacent to the triborder area by members of Hashomer Hatzair...
IDF post, blowing themselves up and wounding several Israeli soldiers. 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...
claims responsibility. - May 14 – A Katyusha rocket is fired at the Israeli city of Ashqelon striking a clinic on the third floor of the Huzot shopping mall, serious wounding three people, moderately wounding two and with eleven other people suffering minor wounds. The Popular Front for the Liberation of PalestinePopular Front for the Liberation of PalestineThe Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine is a Palestinian Marxist-Leninist organisation founded in 1967. It has consistently been the second-largest of the groups forming the Palestine Liberation Organization , the largest being Fatah...
claims responsibility. - June 6 – An Israeli man is killed and four other people are wounded when 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 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...
fire a mortar shell at kibbutz NirimNirimNirim is a kibbutz in the northwestern Negev in Israel. Located near the border with the Gaza Strip, about 7 kilometers east of Khan Yunis, it falls under the jurisdiction of Eshkol Regional Council...
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'...
desert. - July 2 – Jerusalem bulldozer attackJerusalem bulldozer attackThe Jerusalem bulldozer attack occurred on July 2, 2008, when an Arab resident of east Jerusalem identified as Hussam Taysir Duwait , attacked several cars on Jaffa Road in Jerusalem, Israel using a front-end loader , killing three people and wounding at...
: A Palestinian Arab resident of east JerusalemEast JerusalemEast Jerusalem or Eastern Jerusalem refer to the parts of Jerusalem captured and annexed by Jordan in the 1948 Arab-Israeli War and then captured and annexed by Israel in the 1967 Six-Day War...
attacks several cars on the Jaffa RoadJaffa RoadJaffa Road is one of the longest and oldest streets in Jerusalem. It crosses the city from east to west, from the Old City walls to downtown Jerusalem, the western portal of Jerusalem and the Jerusalem-Tel Aviv highway. It is lined with shops, businesses and restaurants...
in Jerusalem using a front-end loaderLoader (equipment)A loader is a heavy equipment machine often used in construction, primarily used to load material into or onto another type of machinery .-Heavy equipment front loaders:A loader A loader is a heavy equipment machine often used in construction, primarily used to load material (such as asphalt,...
(erroneously referred to as a bulldozerBulldozerA bulldozer is a crawler equipped with a substantial metal plate used to push large quantities of soil, sand, rubble, etc., during construction work and typically equipped at the rear with a claw-like device to loosen densely-compacted materials.Bulldozers can be found on a wide range of sites,...
in the media), killing three people and wounding at least 30 other pedestrians, before being shot to death. - September 22 – Jerusalem BMW attackJerusalem BMW attackThe Jerusalem BMW attack was a terrorist attack which took place in Jerusalem, Israel on September 22, 2008 in which 19 people were injured by a BMW saloon car...
: At least 19 people are wounded when a Palestinian Arab drives his car into a crowd of 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...
soldiers at a busy intersection in Jerusalem. The driver is shot and killed at the scene by an Israeli soldier.
Notable Israeli military operations against Palestinian militancy targets
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 2008 include:
- February 5 – Israel launches an attack on Palestinian militant targets 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...
, killing eight 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, after Hamas claimed responsibility for the Dimona attack. - February 28 – March 3 – Operation Hot WinterOperation Hot WinterOperation Hot Winter, also called Operation Warm Winter was an Israel Defense Forces military campaign in the Gaza Strip, launched on February 29, 2008 in response to Qassam rockets fired from the Strip by Hamas...
: 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...
military campaign 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...
is launched in response to the constant firing of 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 from the Strip by 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. - March 12 – Israeli commandoCommandoIn English, the term commando means a specific kind of individual soldier or military unit. In contemporary usage, commando usually means elite light infantry and/or special operations forces units, specializing in amphibious landings, parachuting, rappelling and similar techniques, to conduct and...
s kill four Palestinian militants 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 three members of the Islamic Jihad Movement in PalestineIslamic 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...
. - December 27, 2008 – January 18, 2009 – Operation Cast Lead: A large-scale three-week 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...
military campaign 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...
seriously damages the paramilitary infrastructure 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...
. Israel claims that the strikes are a response to frequent Qassam rocket and mortar fire from the Strip on Israel's southern civilian communities.
Notable deaths
- January 8 – Moshe LeviMoshe LeviLeiutanant General Moshe Levy was the 12th Chief of Staff of the Israel Defense Forces . He served in this position from 1983–1987...
(b. 19361936 in the British Mandate of PalestineEvents in the year 1936 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 Chief of Staff of the Israel Defense Forces (1983–1987) – stroke. - January 18 – Uzi CohenUzi Cohen-Early life:Born in moshav Tal Shahar, he moved with his family to Ra'anana at the age of two. He joined the Likud at age 16.-Political career:In 1990, Cohen became the deputy mayor of Ra'anana under mayor Ze'ev Bielski. After Bielski was appointed head of the Jewish Agency, Cohen became interim...
(b. 19521952 in Israel-Incumbents:* Prime Minister of Israel – David Ben-Gurion * President of Israel – Chaim Weizmann until November 9, , Yitzhak Ben-Zvi from December 16...
), Israeli Likud politician – heart attack. - February 26 – Dan ShomronDan ShomronGen. Dan Shomron was the 13th Chief of Staff of the Israel Defense Forces, from 1987 to 1991....
(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 general, Chief of the Israel Defense Forces (1987–1991) – stroke. - February 26 – Aharon AmirAharon AmirAharon Amir was an Israeli Hebrew poet, a literary translator and a writer.- Biography :Amir was born in Kaunas, Lithuania. He moved to Palestine with his family in 1933 and grew up in Tel Aviv. His father,...
(b. 1923), Russian (Lithuania)-born Israeli author and translator – natural causes. - April 1 – Mosko AlkalaiMosko AlkalaiMosko Alkalai was an Israeli stage and film actor. He was best known a for a string of hits including Blaumilch Canal, The Fox in the Chicken Coop and Yana's Friends.-Career:...
(b. 1931), Romanian-born Israeli actor – respiratory failure. - April 1 – Shosh AtariShosh AtariShosh Atari was an Israeli actress, born in Rehovot. She was the sister of Gali Atari.In the 1970s Atari joined Kol Yisrael and in the 1980s she was one of the stars of Reshet Gimel, where she was the host of the music hit programs - "Chadash, Chadish, U-mechudash", "Lohet", and other programs...
(b. 19491949 in IsraelEvents in the year 1949 in Israel.-Incumbents:* Prime Minister of Israel – David Ben-Gurion * President of Israel – Chaim Weizmann...
), Israeli radio presenter and actress – heart attack. - April 20 – Nissan NativNissan NativNissan Nativ was an Israeli actor, director and acting teacher.-Biography:...
(b. 1922), Dutch-born Israeli director, actor and acting teacher. - April 26 – Yossi HarelYossi HarelYossi Harel , born Yosef Hamburger was the supervisor of the Exodus 1947 operation and a leading member of the Israeli intelligence community.-Biography:...
(b. 19181918 in British-administered PalestineEvents in the year 1918 in British-administered Palestine.-Events:* 4 April 1918 – The first edition of the Hebrew-language daily newspaper "Haaretz" is published, sponsored by the British military government in Palestine....
), Israeli HaganahHaganahHaganah was a Jewish paramilitary organization in what was then the British Mandate of Palestine from 1920 to 1948, which later became the core of the Israel Defense Forces.- Origins :...
member, a commander of many illegal immigrants ships headed towards Palestine during the Mandate period, including the ship SS ExodusExodus (ship)Exodus 1947 was a ship that carried Jewish emigrants, that left France on July 11, 1947, with the intent of taking its passengers to the British mandate for Palestine. Most of the emigrants were Holocaust survivor refugees, who had no legal immigration certificates to Palestine...
– cardiac arrest. - May 9 – Shmuel Katz (b. 19141914 in South Africa-Events:* South Africa declares war on Germany* The Clan Stuart, a steamship is blown ashore between Glencairn and Simonstown in the Cape Province* Sydney Buxton, 1st Earl Buxton is appointed the 2nd Governor-General of the Union of South Africa...
), South African-born Israeli writer, historian and journalist. - May 24 – Adam BaruchAdam BaruchBaruch Meir Rosenblum , better known by the pen name Adam Baruch, was an Israeli journalist, newspaper editor, writer and art critic.-Biography:...
(b. 19451945 in the British Mandate of PalestineEvents in the year 1945 in the British Mandate of Palestine.-Incumbents:* High Commissioner - John Vereker, 6th Viscount Gort until 5 November; Sir Alan Cunningham* Emir of Transjordan - Abdullah I bin al-Hussein...
), Israeli journalist, writer and art critic – diabetes complications. - June 1 – Tommy Lapid (b. 1931), Yugoslav (VojvodinaVojvodinaVojvodina, officially called Autonomous Province of Vojvodina is an autonomous province of Serbia. Its capital and largest city is Novi Sad...
, Serbia)-born Israeli journalist and politician, deputy prime minister (2003–2004) – cancer. - August 7 – Ralph KleinRalph Klein (coach)Ralph Klein was an Israeli basketball player and coach.-Early life:Klein was born in Berlin during the time of the Weimar Republic, to an affluent Hungarian Jewish family that returned to Budapest before the outbreak of World War II...
(b. 19311931 in GermanyEvents in the year 1931 in Germany.-National level:President*Paul von Hindenburg Chancellor*Heinrich Brüning -Births:* 29 June — Ralph Klein, German-born Israeli basketball player and coach...
), German-born Israeli basketball player and coach – intestinal cancer. - August 19 – Binyamin GibliBinyamin GibliBinyamin Gibli was the head of Israeli Military Intelligence from June 1950 to March 1955. Gibli was forced to resign in the wake of the Lavon Affair, a failed Israeli operation in Egypt in 1954.-Biography:...
(b. 19191919 in British-administered PalestineEvents in the year 1919 in British-administeredPalestine.-Events:* 3 January - The signing of the Faisal Weizmann Agreement by Emir Feisal and Chaim Weizmann as part of the Paris Peace Conference, 1919.* 26 February - The first official meeting of the Zionist General Council.-Notable births:* 8...
), Israeli head of military intelligence. - August 25 – Josef Tal (b. 19101910 in Germany-National level:* Kaiser - Wilhelm II* Chancellor - Theobald von Bethmann-Hollweg-Kingdoms:* King of Bavaria - Otto of Bavaria* King of Prussia - Kaiser Wilhelm II* King of Saxony - Frederick Augustus III of Saxony...
), German-born Israeli composer – natural causes. - August 27 – Abie NathanAbie NathanAvraham "Abie" Nathan was an Israeli humanitarian and peace activist, perhaps best known as the founder of the Voice of Peace radio station.-Early years:...
(b. 1927), Iranian-born Israeli peace activist, founder of Voice of PeaceVoice of PeaceVoice of Peace was an offshore radio station that served the Middle East for 20 years from the former Dutch cargo vessel MV Peace , anchored off the coast of Tel Aviv...
radio station. - September 1 – Oded SchrammOded SchrammOded Schramm was an Israeli-American mathematician known for the invention of the Schramm–Loewner evolution and for working at the intersection of conformal field theory and probability theory.-Biography:...
(b. 19611961 in Israel-Incumbents:* Prime Minister of Israel – David Ben-Gurion * President of Israel – Yitzhak Ben-Zvi* Chief of General Staff - Haim Laskov until January 1, Tzvi Tzur* Government of Israel - 9th Government of Israel until November 2, 10th Government of Israel...
), Israeli mathematician – fall. - September 16 – Avraham BiranAvraham BiranAvraham Biran was an Israeli archaeologist, best known for heading excavations at Tel Dan in northern Israel. He headed the Institute of Archaeology at Hebrew Union College in Jerusalem for many years.-Biography:...
(b. 1909), Israeli archaeologist – natural causes. - October 27 – Zvi KerenZvi KerenZvi Keren was a New York-born Israeli pianist, musicologist and composer. Upon his death was the last living pupil who was personally authorized by Joseph Schillinger. Considered to be among the pioneers of jazz playing in Israel, and the pioneer in an academic approach to jazz education in...
(b. 19171917 in the United States-January–March:* January 1 – The University of Oregon defeats the University of Pennsylvania 14–0 in college football's 3rd Annual Rose Bowl.* January 11 – German saboteurs set off the Kingsland Explosion at Kingsland, New Jersey , one of the events leading to U.S...
), American-born Israeli pianist, musicologist and composer. - November 17 – Yaakov AlperonYaakov AlperonYaakov Alperon , was an Israeli mobster who was murdered in a car bomb attack. He was reputed to have run Tel Aviv's third-largest crime family, the Alperon crime family.-Biography:...
(b. 19551955 in Israel-Incumbents:* Prime Minister of Israel – Moshe Sharett until November 3, David Ben-Gurion * President of Israel – Yitzhak Ben-Zvi* Chief of General Staff - Moshe Dayan...
), Israeli organized crime mobster – car bomb. - November 27 – Gideon GechtmanGideon GechtmanGideon Gechtman was an Israeli artist and sculptor. His art is most noted for holding a dialogue with death, often in relation with his own biography.-Biography:...
(b. 1942), Egyptian-born Israeli artist – heart failure.
See also
- 2008 in Israeli film2008 in Israeli filmA list of films produced by the Israeli film industry in 2008.-2008 releases:-Notable deaths:* 1 April – Mosko Alkalai, 77, Israeli actor - respiratory failure....
- 2008 in Israeli television
- 2008 in Israeli music
- 2008 in Israeli sport
- Israel in the Eurovision Song Contest 2008Israel in the Eurovision Song Contest 2008- Participant :On 14 February 2008, Israel's broadcaster decided to send Boaz Mauda to Belgrade.- Kdam Eurovision 2008:The following songs were sung by Boaz Mauda in two national finals on 25 and 26 February 2008...
- Israel at the 2008 Summer OlympicsIsrael at the 2008 Summer OlympicsIsrael competed at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, China. This was Israel's 14th participation in the Summer Olympics.43 Israeli athletes competed in Beijing, the largest Israeli delegation in Olympic history, the previous record having been 40 at Sydney 2000...
- 2008 in the Palestinian territories2008 in the Palestinian territoriesEvents in the year 2008 in the Palestinian territories.-Incumbents:Palestinian National Authority * President - Mahmoud Abbas * Prime Minister -...