1953 in Israel

Incumbents

Events
  • 11 February – The Soviet Union breaks diplomatic relations with Israel after an explosion occurs in the Soviet embassy building in Tel Aviv, which was planted by the Tzrifin Underground.
  • 4 March – The remains of Naftali Herz Imber, a Ukrainian-born Jewish poet who wrote the lyrics of Israel's national anthem "Hatikvah", are brought to Israel from New York in accordance with his will.
  • 26 May – Two members of the radical religious Jewish underground organisation Brit HaKanaim are arrested while on their way to plant an explosive device in Israeli Ministry of Education building, in protest against the State Education Law (חוק חינוך ממלכתי).
  • 20 April – The Israel Prize is awarded for the first time.
  • July – The 1953 Maccabiah Games are held.
  • 6 August – Israeli Air Force Mosquito FB.6, disappears in flight over the Mediterranean: two crew are missing.[1]
  • 12 August – The State Education Law (חוק חינוך ממלכתי) is approved by the Knesset.
  • 29 August – Three young Israeli men and two young Israeli women who attempt secretly to cross the border into Jordan in order see the ancient city of Petra are killed by Jordanian soldiers.
  • 8 September – The founding of the kibbutz Metzer.
  • 22 September – The Conquest of the desert world's fair opened in Jerusalem.
  • 28 September – Following military action against the 'Azazme bedouin the IDF established the kibbutz Ktzi'ot.
  • 14 October – Operation Shoshana (מבצע שושנה), also known as Qibya massacre: Following an attack in which an Israeli mother and her two children are killed, IDF forces under the command of Ariel Sharon attack the Arab village Qibya in the West Bank, which had been annexed by Jordan in 1950. Sixty-nine Jordanian citizens are killed during the operation.
  • 5 November – David Ben-Gurion announces his intention to resign as Prime Minister of Israel.
  • 6 December – Moshe Dayan is appointed as the fourth Chief of Staff of the Israel Defense Forces.

Israeli–Palestinian conflict

The most prominent events related to the Israeli–Palestinian conflict that occurred during 1953 include:

Notable Palestinian militant operations against Israeli targets

Main articles: Palestinian political violence § Partition of Palestine to establishment of PLO (1947–1964), and List of attacks against Israeli civilians before 1967

The most prominent Palestinian fedayeen terror attacks committed against Israelis during 1953 include:

  • 14 April – Armed Palestinian infiltrators tried for the first time to infiltrate Israel by sea, but were unsuccessful. One of the boats was intercepted and the other boat escaped.
  • 25 May – Armed Palestinian Arab militants, who infiltrated to Israel from Jordan, attack an Israeli family in Beit Nehemia, killing a woman and wounding her husband and her two children.
  • 7 June – Armed Palestinian Arab militants, who infiltrated to Israel from Jordan, attacked residential areas in southern Jerusalem, killing a youngster and wounding three others.
  • 9 June – Armed Palestinian Arab militants, who infiltrated to Israel from Jordan, attacked a farming community near Lod, and killed one of the residents. The gunmen threw hand grenades and sprayed gunfire in all directions. On the same night, another group of terrorists attacked a house in the town of Hadera. This occurred a day after Israel and Jordan signed an agreement, with UN mediation, in which Jordan undertook to prevent terrorists from crossing into Israel from Jordanian territory.
  • 10 June – Armed Palestinian Arab militants, who infiltrated to Israel from Jordan, enter kibbutz Mishmar Ayalon and kill a 19-year-old Israeli woman in her sleep.
  • 11 June – Armed Palestinian Arab militants, who infiltrated to Israel from Jordan, throw hand grenades into a young couple's home in the moshav Kfar Hess, killing an Israeli woman and severely wounding her husband.[2]
  • 2 September – Armed Palestinian Arab militants, who infiltrated to Israel from Jordan, throw hand grenades in all directions in the neighborhood of Katamon, in the heart of Jerusalem. No one was hurt.
  • 12 October – Yehud attack: Armed Palestinian Arab militants, who infiltrated to Israel from Jordan, throw hand grenades into a home in the Yehud, killing two young children (a 3-year-old girl and a one-and-a-half year old boy).

Notable Israeli military operations against Palestinian militancy targets

The most prominent Israeli military counter-terrorism operations (military campaigns and military operations) carried out against Palestinian militants during 1953 include:

  • 25 February – Al Burj: An IDF patrol shoot dead and mutilate bodies of five shepherds. Sheep numbering 177 confiscated.[3]
  • 28 February – Near Beit Jibrin: IDF execute five smugglers from the Gaza Strip.[4]
  • February – 12 March to 15 infiltrators from the Gaza Strip killed when they trigger a 50 kg TNT booby-trap while trying to steal water pipelines near Yad Mordechai.[5]
  • 22 April – IDF snipers in West Jerusalem open fire across the armistice line killing six.[6]
  • 11 August – Armoured 7th Brigade kill 6 in a wide-ranging attack around Surif, Wadi Fukin and Beit Aula.[7]
  • 28 August – Unit 101's first combat operation. An attack on Bureij refugee camp kills 20 refugees including 7 women and five children.[8]

Unknown dates

Notable births
  • 31 March – Ehud Banai, Israeli singer.
  • 5 April – Raleb Majadele, Israeli Arab politician who became Israel's first Muslim minister.
  • 11 April – Adi Talmor, Israeli journalist and news presenter (died 2011).
  • 14 June – Hana Laszlo, Israeli actress and comedian.
  • 29 December – Gali Atari, Israeli singer.

Notable deaths

Major public holidays
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See also
  • 1953 in Israeli music
  • 1953 in Israeli sport

References
  1. Aloni, Shlomo, "Last of the Fighting 'Wooden Wonders': The DH Mosquito in Israeli Service", Air Enthusiast No. 83, Stamford, Lincs., UK, September/October 1999, p. 44.
  2. Major Arab Terrorist Attacks against Israelis Prior to the 1967 Six-Day War Israel Ministry of Foreign Affiairs website. Retrieved 13 April 2011
  3. Morris, Benny (1993) Israel's Border Wars, 1949–1956. Arab Infiltration, Israeli Retaliation, and the Countdown to the Suez War. Oxford University Press, ISBN 0-19-827850-0. pp. 171-172. Quotes American vice-consul: "this particular incident seems to have a rather unusual quality of brutality about it."
  4. Morris. p. 172.
  5. Morris, Benny (1993) Israel's Border Wars, 1949–1956. Arab infiltration, Israeli retaliation, and the countdown to the Suez War. Oxford University Press, ISBN 0-19-827850-0. p. 134.
  6. Morris. p. 221.
  7. Morris. p. 225.
  8. Morris. p. 242.

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