Feb. 7, 1974 — Gush Emunim Is Established
Followers of Rabbi Tzvi Yehuda Kook respond to the Yom Kippur War in October 1973 by launching Gush Emunim (Bloc of the Faithful), a settler movement closely tied to the National Religious Party. Gush Emunim’s declaration of purpose emphasizes the attainment of true Zionism “in spirit and deed” and signals a determination to establish a permanent Jewish presence in the lands Israel captured in June 1967.
Feb. 8, 2005 — Second Intifada Is Declared Over
A summit among Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon, Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas, Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak and Jordanian King Abdullah II at the Egyptian resort of Sharm el-Sheikh concludes with concessions on all sides and declarations that the Second Intifada is over after more than four years of violence. The final death toll is more than 1,000 Israelis and roughly 4,000 Palestinians.
Feb. 9, 1953 — Soviet Embassy Is Bombed
The Soviet Union’s embassy in Tel Aviv is struck by the detonation of 70 pounds of explosives, injuring one diplomat and the wives of two others and damaging the building. The Kingdom of Israel, a terrorist group known to the public as the Tzrifin Underground, is blamed. Despite Israeli apologies, the Soviet Union condemns the government for inciting hatred and violence and breaks off diplomatic relations.
Feb. 10, 2009 — Netanyahu Wins by Finishing Second
Kadima, led by Tzipi Livni since the corruption-related resignation of Prime Minister Ehud Olmert the previous September, wins 28 seats in the election for the 18th Knesset, but Benjamin Netanyahu’s Likud, with 27 seats, is the effective winner because it is better positioned to form a governing coalition. Given the mandate to create a government Feb. 20, Netanyahu puts together a 69-seat majority in the 120-seat parliament.
Feb. 11, 1986 — Sharansky Reaches Israel
Natan Sharansky has his wife, Avital, by his side after his arrival in Israel on Feb. 11, 1986. By Nati Harnik, Israeli Government Press Office, CC BY-SA 3.0.
After eight years in a Siberian labor camp, internationally known Jewish refusenik Anatoly Shcharansky is released to American custody in Berlin by the Soviet Union and flies to Israel, where he arrives under his newly adopted Hebrew name, Natan Sharansky. He first tried to make aliyah in 1973 and was arrested in 1977 on charges of treason and espionage. His wife, Avital, led a tireless campaign for his freedom.
Feb. 12, 1994 — Israel’s First Winter Olympian
The Winter Olympics open with an Israeli team for the first time, consisting entirely of figure skater Michael “Misha” Shmerkin, who competes in Lillehammer, Norway, on Feb. 17 and 19 and finishes 16th. Shmerkin, 24, is a native of the Soviet Union who immigrated to Israel with his family in 1991. When he arrived, Israel had only four ice skating rinks, none of which was the size of an Olympic rink.
Feb. 13, 1955 — Israel Announces Purchase of Dead Sea Scrolls
Prime Minister Moshe Sharett announces at a news conference that Israel has acquired four of the first seven Dead Sea Scrolls discovered in the caves of Qumran. Two Hebrew University faculty members arranged the purchase of the scrolls for $250,000 the previous June from representatives of the Syrian Orthodox Church’s leader in Jerusalem, Metropolitan Mar Samuel. The scrolls are celebrated as evidence of Judaism’s long history in Israel.
Items are provided by the Center for Israel Education (israeled.org), where you can find more details.