Jan. 10, 2000 — Syria Peace Talks End
Seven days of peace talks between Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak and Syrian Foreign Minister Farouk al-Shara, focusing on trading all or part of the Golan Heights for peace, conclude without any resolution in West Virginia. Israeli Foreign Minister David Levy says the talks, facilitated by U.S. President Bill Clinton, never come close to resolving issues. The negotiations are supposed to resume Jan. 19 but never restart.
Jan. 11, 1929 — Gen. Rafael Eitan Is Born
Rafael Eitan, the 11th IDF chief of staff, is born in Tel Adashim. He joins the elite Palmach at 16. As a paratrooper and pilot, he is wounded four times in various wars. He reaches the rank of lieutenant general as the chief of staff in 1978. He champions army programs to help underprivileged youths integrate into Israeli society. His career ends in 1983 amid the controversy over the Sabra and Shatila massacres in Lebanon.
Jan. 12, 1989 — Maccabi Tel Aviv Wins in Moscow
In the first competition for Israeli athletes in the Soviet Union since the Six-Day War in June 1967, the Maccabi Tel Aviv basketball team beats CSKA Red Army in Moscow, 97-92. The game reflects a thaw in relations between Israel and the Soviet Union since they re-established consular relations in 1987. Still, only 200 Maccabi fans are granted visas to travel to the game at the last minute, so Soviet Jews make up much of the crowd.
Jan. 13, 1922 — Zionist Leader Meets With President Harding
Nahum Sokolow, the president of the World Zionist Congress’ Executive Committee, meets with U.S. President Warren Harding for nearly an hour during a U.S. tour to raise money for Jewish settlement in Palestine. Sokolow briefs Harding on the hardships and persecution faced by European Jews and progress on the Zionist enterprise. Sokolow’s son Florian says Harding offers his sympathy for Zionism and promises U.S. government support.
Jan. 14, 2018 — Netanyahu Visits India
Benjamin Netanyahu pays the first state visit to India by an Israeli prime minister in more than 15 years, reciprocating a trip to Israel by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi in 2017. Netanyahu meets with government, military and business leaders to continue expanding bilateral trade, which has grown more than 20 times since the two countries normalized relations in 1992. He also visits India’s small Jewish community.
Jan. 15, 1958 — Kastner Is Cleared of Nazi Collaboration
Israel (Rudolf) Kastner is cleared by the Israeli Supreme Court of any wrongdoing in his activities during World War II as the head of the Judenrat (Jewish Council) in Hungary under the Nazi occupation. Kastner is estimated to have saved 33,000 Hungarian Jews from the death camps but is accused by a Hungarian Jew living in Jerusalem in 1952 of collaboration and concealment of information about the Holocaust.
Jan. 16, 2003 — Columbia Launches With Israeli Astronaut
The space shuttle Columbia launches from the Kennedy Space Center with Israel’s first astronaut, Ilan Ramon, among the crew. The son and grandson of Auschwitz survivors, Ramon marks Shabbat and eats kosher food in space. No one knows at the time that a piece of foam breaks off the shuttle’s external tank during the launch and damages a wing. As a result, Columbia disintegrates on re-entry Feb. 1, killing all seven crew members.
Items are provided by the Center for Israel Education (israeled.org), where you can find more details.
