1961 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...
– David Ben-GurionDavid Ben-Gurion' was the first Prime Minister of Israel.Ben-Gurion's passion for Zionism, which began early in life, led him to become a major Zionist leader and Executive Head of the World Zionist Organization in 1946...
(MapaiMapaiMapai was a left-wing political party in Israel, and was the dominant force in Israeli politics until its merger into the Israeli Labor Party in 1968...
) - 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...
– Yitzhak Ben-ZviYitzhak Ben-ZviYitzhak Ben-Zvi was a historian, Labor Zionist leader, the second and longest-serving President of Israel.-Biography:... - Chief of General Staff - Haim Laskov until January 1, Tzvi TzurTzvi TzurAfter his retirement Tzur was appointed as the general manager of Mekorot, Israel's national water company. Under pressure from Moshe Dayan to enter the political fray, in the 1965 elections he was elected to the Knesset on the Rafi list, David Ben-Gurion's party...
- Government of Israel - 9th Government of IsraelNinth government of IsraelThe ninth government of Israel was formed by David Ben-Gurion on 17 December 1959 following the November 1959 elections. Ben-Gurion largely kept the same coalition partners as during the previous government The ninth government of Israel was formed by David Ben-Gurion on 17 December 1959 following...
until November 2, 10th Government of IsraelTenth government of IsraelThe tenth government of Israel was formed on 2 November 1961 following the August elections. Although David Ben-Gurion was appointed Prime Minister, the government was actually formed by Minister of Finance, Levi Eshkol...
Events
- January 1 – Tzvi TzurTzvi TzurAfter his retirement Tzur was appointed as the general manager of Mekorot, Israel's national water company. Under pressure from Moshe Dayan to enter the political fray, in the 1965 elections he was elected to the Knesset on the Rafi list, David Ben-Gurion's party...
is appointed as the 6th 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...
. - July 5 – The first Israeli rocket, Shavit 2Shavit 2Shavit 2 was the first sounding rocket which Israel launched on 5 July 1961 for meteorological research. Full details of the rocket are still classified. It was a two stages Solid-fuel rocket, built by RAFAEL Armament Development Authority. The weight of Shavit 2 was 250 kilogram and its height...
, is launched. - April 11 – Adolf EichmannAdolf EichmannAdolf Otto Eichmann was a German Nazi and SS-Obersturmbannführer and one of the major organizers of the Holocaust...
's trial begins before an Israeli court in Jerusalem. Eichmann is indicted on 15 criminal charges, including crimes against humanity, crimes against the Jewish people and membership in an outlawed organization. The trial is the subject of a great deal of international controversy and creates huge international interest. - May 22 – Population Census: 2,179,491 inhabitants in Israel.
- July – The 1961 Maccabiah Games1961 Maccabiah GamesThe 1961 6th Maccabiah Games attracted 1,000 athletes from 27 countries.First-time countries included Guatemala and Congo-Kinshasa.The new Kfar Ha’Maccabiah Village served as home to the competing athletes....
are held. - December 11 – Adolf EichmannAdolf EichmannAdolf Otto Eichmann was a German Nazi and SS-Obersturmbannführer and one of the major organizers of the Holocaust...
is convicted of crimes against humanity by a panel of three Israeli judges. - December 15 – An Israeli war crimes tribunal sentences Adolf EichmannAdolf EichmannAdolf Otto Eichmann was a German Nazi and SS-Obersturmbannführer and one of the major organizers of the Holocaust...
to death for his part in The HolocaustThe HolocaustThe Holocaust , also known as the Shoah , was the genocide of approximately six million European Jews and millions of others during World War II, a programme of systematic state-sponsored murder by Nazi...
.
Israeli–Palestinian conflict
The most prominent events related to the Israeli–Palestinian conflict which occurred during 1961 include:Notable Palestinian militant operations against Israeli targets
The most prominent Palestinian fedayeen terror attack
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...
s committed against Israelis during 1961 include:
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 1961 include:
Notable births
- March 3 – Ze'ev Nechama, Israeli singer, songwriter and composer.
- May 3 – Ya'akov EilonYa'akov EilonYa'akov Eilon is an Israeli television presenter. Alongside Miki Haimovich, he is the anchor of Channel 10 news.Born Ya'akov Pijade in 1961, in 1993 Eilon and Haimovich became the first news anchors on the new commercial Channel 2, until moving to Channel 10 in 2002.-References:...
, Israeli journalist and news anchorman. - June 10 – Sey Heiman, Israeli singer.
- July 27 – Erez TalErez TalErez Tal is an Israeli broadcasting personality.-Biography:His first hit program was "Ma Yesh" , broadcast on Galatz, Israel's Army radio, where he started his partnership with Avri Gilad....
, Israeli media personality. - December 10 – 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:...
, Israeli mathematician (d. 20082008 in IsraelEvents in the year 2008 in Israel.-Incumbents:* Prime Minister of Israel – Ehud Olmert * President of Israel – Shimon Peres* Chief of General Staff – Gabi Ashkenazi* Government of Israel – 31st Government of Israel-Events:...
).
Notable deaths
- March 22 – Gideon MerGideon MerGideon Mer was an Israeli scientist whose work was mostly concerned with the eradication of malaria.Gideon Mer was born in Lithuania, then part of Imperial Russia. He studied medicine in Russia and France where he also graduated....
(b. 1894), Russian (Lithuania)-born Israeli physician, scientist and malaria researcher. - April 30 – Peretz NaftaliPeretz NaftaliPeretz Naftali was a Zionist activist and Israeli politician who served in several ministerial portfolios in the 1950s.-Biography:Born in Berlin in Germany, Naftali joined the Social Democratic Party in 1911...
(b. 18881888 in GermanyEvents in the year 1888 in Germany."Year of the Three Emperors"-National level:* Kaiser — William I to 9 March, then Frederick III to 15 June, then Wilhelm II* Chancellor — Otto von Bismarck-Kingdoms:* King of Bavaria — Otto of Bavaria...
), German-born Zionist activist and Israeli politician. - May 30 – Binyamin MintzBinyamin MintzBinyamin Mintz was an Israeli politician who served briefly as Minister of Postal Services From July 1960 until his death.-Biography:Born in Łódź in the Russian Empire , Mintz studied in a hasidic Ger school and was a member of Young Agudat Israel...
(b. 1903), Russian (Poland)-born Israeli politician. - June 25 – Ezra IchilovEzra IchilovEzra Ichilov was an Israeli politician who served as a member of the Knesset for the General Zionists and the Liberal Party between 1951 and 1961.-Biography:...
(b. 1907), Israeli politician.