August 15, 2005—Gaza Withdrawl Begins
Soldiers erect a barrier between Israel and the Gaza Strip at the Kisufim checkpoint Aug. 15, 2005, as part of the disengagementI. IDF Spokesperson’s Unit.
Soldiers and police begin carrying out Prime Minister Ariel Sharon’s plan for Israeli disengagement from the Gaza Strip, as approved by the Knesset in February. After the Aug. 14 deadline for settlers to leave, evacuation orders give residents 48 hours to depart. Sharon says, “The extent of pain that I feel at this act is equal only to the measure of resolved recognition that it was something that had to be done.”
August 16, 1966—Israel Obtains Iraqi MiG-21
The MiG-21 from Operation Diamond is housed at the Israeli Air Force Museum in Hatzerim. By Oren Rozen, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
Operation Diamond, the plan to obtain a Russian-made MiG-21 fighter jet, succeeds when Iraqi Christian fighter pilot Munir Redfa lands an Iraqi air force MiG-21 at Israel’s Hatzor Air Force Base. Redfa, escorted in by two Israeli Mirage jets, cut a deal with the Mossad that included a $1 million payment, Israeli citizenship for himself and his family, and guaranteed full-time employment.
August 17, 1898—Russian Zionists Hold First Conference
(Clockwise from bottom left) Yehoshua Ravnitzky, Mordechai “Ben-Ami” Rabinowich, Chaim Nachman Bialik and Ahad Ha’am are shown in 1926. Central Zionist Archives.
A few weeks before the Second Zionist Congress in Basel, Switzerland, 160 Russian Zionists meet secretly in Warsaw, where organizer Ahad Ha’am rallies support for a Jewish cultural renaissance before any Zionist political actions. He writes to scholar Yehoshua Ravnitzky that the young Zionists at the Warsaw meeting are excited to hear someone stand up to political Zionists such as Theodor Herzl.
August 18, 2000—Archaeologist Claire Epstein Dies
Claire Epstein led excavations of the ancient city of Hippos (Susita) on the eastern shore of the Sea of Galilee in the 1950s. By Michael Eisenberg.
Archaeologist Claire Epstein, a London native who participated in many archaeological surveys and excavations in Israel, including discovering the Chalcolithic Period culture (4500 to 3300 B.C.E.) in the Golan, dies at 88 at Kibbutz Ginossar. She began her career at Susita, an ancient Roman city near Kibbutz Ein Gev, where she lived, as an assistant to Michael Avi-Yona during the War of Independence.
August 19, 2003—Bus Bombing Kills 23 in Jerusalem
Suicide bombings on Egged buses were horrifically common in 2003 during the Second Intifada. This No. 4 bus blew up in Jerusalem on June 11, a little more than two months before the Shmuel Hanavi bombing. By Avi Ohayon, Israeli Government Press Office, CC BY-SA 3.0.
A suicide bomber kills 23 Israelis and injures more than 130 others by detonating an 11-pound explosive packed with ball bearings on a bus in the ultra-Orthodox neighborhood of Shmuel Hanavi in central Jerusalem. Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad claim credit. The bombing breaks a 50-day Second Intifada cease-fire. Palestinian Authority Prime Minister Mahmoud Abbas denounces the attack.
August 20, 1967—Author Etgar Keret is Born
Etgar Keret, shown in 2016, is known for quirky stories with surprise twists. By Stephan Röhl, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
Etgar Keret, one of Israel’s most popular writers, is born in Ramat Gan. Keret’s quirky work, mainly short stories and graphic novels, wins critical acclaim as well as sales. He is published in The New Yorker, The New York Times, The Guardian and other publications in addition to his books. He also writes screenplays. A surreal documentary, “Etgar Keret: Based on a True Story,” combines his life with his stories.
August 21, 1969—Australian Arsonist Strikes Al-Aqsa
The Al-Aqsa arson Aug. 21, 1969, extensively damaged this 12th-century pulpit, known as the minbar of Saladin and photographed early in the 20th century.
A new immigrant from Australia, Denis Michael Rohan, sets fire to Al-Aqsa mosque atop the Temple Mount in Jerusalem by pouring kerosene through a keyhole and throwing in a lighted match. A centuries-old pulpit is damaged. Working at Kibbutz Mishmar Hasharon in the Sharon Valley, the 28-year-old Christian reportedly began hearing voices. Under an insanity plea, Rohan is deported back to Australia.
Items are provided by the Center for Israel Education (israeled.org), where you can find more details.
