April 24, 1950 — Jordan Annexes West Bank, East Jerusalem
A joint session of the newly elected Jordanian Parliament, featuring equal Jordanian and Palestinian representation, formally annexes the areas west of the Jordan River that the country captured during the 1948-49 war with Israel. King Abdullah five months earlier granted citizenship to Palestinians in the West Bank and East Jerusalem. Only Pakistan, Iraq and the United Kingdom recognize the West Bank annexation.
April 25, 1982 — Israel Completes Sinai’s Return to Egypt
Two days after razing the final Israeli settlement in Sinai, Israel executes the final handover of the peninsula to Egypt under the terms of their 1979 peace treaty. The withdrawal comes despite domestic objections and resistance from Israelis who had moved to Sinai after its capture in the 1967 war. But leaving Sinai is the final step the treaty requires of Israel and secures full diplomatic recognition from Egypt.
April 26, 1881 — Pogrom Hits Kyiv
Anti-Jewish violence in the Russian Empire since the assassination of Czar Alexander II in March sweeps into Kyiv after a fight breaks out. Rioters loot and destroy Jewish shops and homes. The first post-assassination pogrom occurred April 15 in Elisavetgrad (now Kirovohrad), and Kyiv officials were warned to prepare for trouble. The police chief told Kyiv’s Jews to protect themselves, and they were warned April 25 to stay inside.
April 27, 1955 — Uzi Is Unveiled During Parade
The Uzi submachine gun makes its public debut as an IDF weapon during a Yom HaAtzmaut parade. Named for its inventor, Uziel Gal, the Uzi was first used in the field two months earlier during Operation Black Arrow, a raid on Egyptian forces in Gaza. Although Gal completed the prototype in 1950, and the IDF adopted the weapon in 1951, it does not receive extensive use until the Sinai campaign in 1956.
April 28, 1918 — AJC Endorses Balfour Declaration
Six months after the British government expresses support for a Jewish homeland in Palestine, the American Jewish Committee issues a bland response in support of the Balfour Declaration. AJC’s weak endorsement reflects the views at the time of most American Jews, who either oppose or vaguely support Zionism. AJC backs Jewish immigration to Palestine for those who want to go but does not foresee an independent Jewish state.
April 29, 1976 — Politician Tamar Zandberg Is Born
Progressive politician Tamar Zandberg is born in Ramat Gan. An urban environmentalist and social democrat known for advocacy on women’s issues, she works as an aide to a Knesset member before winning a Tel Aviv City Council seat in 2008. She is a leader in Israel’s 2011 social protest movement, then is first elected to the Knesset in 2013. She wins the Meretz party leadership in 2018 but loses it in 2019.
April 30, 2003 — U.S., Partners Issue Map to Peace
The Quartet of the United States, Russia, the European Union and the United Nations issues its Roadmap for Peace, a framework for talks to achieve a two-state Israeli-Palestinian resolution. The plan comes amid the violence of the Second Intifada. Israel lists 14 main concerns with the Roadmap but, like the Palestinian Authority, commits to trying to make it work. Hamas rejects it. Talks under the plan make little progress.
Items are provided by the Center for Israel Education (israeled.org), where you can find more details.
