1989 in Israel explained

Events in the year 1989 in Israel.

Incumbents

President of Israel – Chaim Herzog
Prime Minister of Israel – Yitzhak Shamir (Likud)
President of the Supreme Court – Meir Shamgar
Chief of General Staff – Dan Shomron
Government of Israel – 23rd Government of Israel

Events

6 May – Gili & Galit represents Israel at the Eurovision Song Contest with the song “Derekh Hamelekh” ("The King's Road").^[1]
July – The 1989 Maccabiah Games are held.
July 28 – Israeli commandos entered Lebanon and kidnapped Sheik Abdel Karim Obeid, chief of Hezbollah. (see Ron Arad).^[2]
September 19–22 – Mount Carmel forest fire: One of the largest forest fire in Israel's history. The fire extended over 6,000 dunam (1,500 acres), devastates 3,200 dunam (790 acres) of natural forest areas of Aleppo pine on Mount Carmel in northern Israel, close to the city of Haifa.^[3]

Israeli–Palestinian conflict

The most prominent events related to the Israeli–Palestinian conflict which occurred during 1989 include:

Notable Palestinian militant operations against Israeli targets

The most prominent Palestinian Arab terror attacks committed against Israelis during 1989 include:

February 24 - Sergeant Binyamin Meisner ambushed and killed with cement block thrown from rooftop in the Kasbah in Nablus.
March 21 – 1989 Tel Aviv stabbing attack: A knife-wielding Palestinian Arab attacks Israeli civilians at random in Tel Aviv, killing two and wounding a third.
May 3 – Hamas; Kidnapping and murder of Avi Sasportas and Ilan Saadon.
July 6 – Tel Aviv Jerusalem bus 405 attack: The first Palestinian Arab suicide attack is carried out inside Israel's borders on a crowded Egged bus when a Palestinian Islamic Jihad member seizes the steering wheel from the driver and pulls the bus over a steep precipice into a ravine in the area of Qiryat Ye'arim. 16 passengers are killed.

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 1989 include:

May 19 – First Intifada: The Palestinian leader Ahmed Yassin, the founder and spiritual leader of Hamas, was arrested by Israel. Yassin was later on sentenced to life imprisonment for his involvement in attacks against Israelis.^[4]

Notable Israeli militant operations

The most prominent Israeli terror attacks committed against Palestinians during 1989 include:

February & March – Sicarii claimed responsibility for multiple arsons and graffiti attacks of leftist Jewish political figures considered sympathetic to the plight of Palestinians.^[5]
April 10 – Lone gunman wearing an Israeli army-issue uniform shot down four Arabs outside Jerusalem's Old City with a sub-machine gun. Sicarii claims responsibility for the shooting.

Unknown dates

The founding of the kibbutz Neot Smadar.

Notable births

March 4 – Omer Goldman, Israeli activist
April 4 – Benaia Barabi, singer and musician
May 26 – Amit Farkash, Canadian-born Israeli actress and singer
July 8 – Yarden Gerbi, Israeli judoka
July 11 – Liel Kolet, Israeli singer, of Indian Jewish descent
July 22 – Yon Tumarkin, Israeli actor
August 10 – Ben Sahar, Israeli footballer
October 8 – Hagit Yaso, Israeli singer
December 26 – Noga Erez, Israeli singer, songwriter

Notable deaths

January 4 – Dvora Netzer (born 1897), Russian (Ukraine)-born Israeli politician.
February 21 – Moshe Unna (born 1902), German-born Israeli politician.
April 9 – Moshe Ziffer (born 1902), Austro-Hungarian (Galicia)-born Israeli sculptor.
June 22 – Menahem Stern (born 1925), Polish-born Israeli historian.
October 14 – Dov Sadan (born 1902), Austro-Hungarian (Galicia)-born Israeli academic and politician.
October 20 – Dahn Ben-Amotz (born 1924), Polish-born Israeli journalist and author.
Full date unknown
- Manfred Aschner (born 1901) German (Silesia)-born Israeli microbiologist and entomologist.
- Akiva Vroman (born 1912), Dutch-born Israeli geologist.

Notes and References

Web site: 1989 Israel – Derech hamelech. Diggiloo Thrush. 2021-07-29.
Web site: Israelis Seize Imam in Lebanon;Local Shiite Leader Allegedly Involved in Kidnapping . 2017-07-05 . 2012-11-05 . https://web.archive.org/web/20121105082550/http://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/washingtonpost/access/73890037.html?dids=73890037:73890037&FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS:FT&type=current&date=Jul+29,+1989&author=Jackson+Diehl&pub=The+Washington+Post+(pre-1997+Fulltext)&desc=Israelis+Seize+Imam+In+Lebanon%3BLocal+Shiite+Leader+Allegedly+Involved+In+Kidnapping&pqatl=google . dead .
Web site: Huge Blaze Raging Out of Control in Mount Carmel National Park 5 Fires Set Deliberately; 8,000 Dunams Destroyed Near Haifa . 2017-07-05 . 2012-11-05 . https://web.archive.org/web/20121105081610/http://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/jpost/access/99196033.html?dids=99196033:99196033&FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS:FT&date=Sep+20,+1989&author=By+DAVID+RUDGE%3B+Jerusalem+Post+Reporter&pub=Jerusalem+Post&desc=HUGE+BLAZE+RAGING+OUT+OF+CONTROL+IN+MOUNT+CARMEL+NATIONAL+PARK+5+FIRES+SET+DELIBERATELY%3B+8,000+DUNAMS+DESTROYED+NEAR+HAIFA&pqatl=google . dead .
Web site: Israel holds 200 Moslem activists; Shamir threatens to step down . 2017-07-05 . 2012-11-05 . https://web.archive.org/web/20121105082540/http://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/chicagotribune/access/24530816.html?dids=24530816:24530816&FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS:FT&type=current&date=May+22,+1989&author=Chicago+Tribune+wires.&pub=Chicago+Tribune+(pre-1997+Fulltext)&desc=Israel+holds+200+Moslem+activists%3B+Shamir+threatens+to+step+down&pqatl=google . dead .
News: Underground group targets Jewish leftists. Roseberg. Carol. April 28, 1989. The Globe and Mail. A8. Carol Rosenberg.