Today in Israeli History: January 12 – January 18

January 12, 1981 — Bedouin Knesset Member is Assassinated

Knesset members Hamad Abu-Rabia and Moshe Dayan sit side by side during the Knesset debate over an interim disengagement agreement with Egypt in September 1975. By Moshe Milner, Israeli Government Press Office.

Hamad Abu-Rabia, the first Bedouin to serve in the Knesset, is fatally shot at age 51 in his car outside the Holy Land Hotel in Jerusalem, where he stays while the parliament is meeting. It is the first assassination of a Knesset member. The culprits are the sons of a Druze political rival, Jabr Muadi, who is blocked from returning to the Knesset when Abu-Rabia refuses to surrender the only seat won by the United Arab List in 1979.

January 13, 1898 — Zola Accuses French of Antisemitism

Emile Zola was convicted of libel in February 1898 over the “J’Accuse” letter he published in a French newspaper Jan. 13, 1898, and he lived in England for more than a year to avoid prison.

The newspaper L’Aurore publishes a 4,500-word letter from Emile Zola under the front-page headline “J’Accuse” (“I Accuse”), in which the acclaimed writer charges French President Felix Faure and his government with antisemitism in the Dreyfus Affair. Zola points out the many flaws in the treason conviction of army Capt. Alfred Dreyfus in 1894 and mocks the acquittal of the true spy, Maj. Ferdinand Esterhazy, in a just-completed sham trial.

January 14, 2018 — Netanyahu Visits India

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu sees off his Indian counterpart, Narendra Modi, at Ben Gurion Airport in July 2017. Six months later, Netanyahu paid a return visit to India. By Haim Zach, Israeli Government Press Office.

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 in an effort 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.

January 15, 2014 — Israel Joins CERN as Full Member

Foreign Minister Avigdor Liberman represents Israel at the flag-raising ceremony at CERN on Jan. 15, 2014. By Laurent Egil, CERN.

A flag-raising ceremony at the Geneva headquarters of the European Organization for Nuclear Research marks Israel’s new status as the 21st full member of the 60-year-old organization known as CERN. Deputy Prime Minister Avigdor Liberman is given a tour of the Large Hadron Collider, the world’s largest particle accelerator. Israelis first worked with CERN in 1991, and Israel became an associate member in 2011.

January 16, 1948 — Arab Troops Kill Convoy of 35

The slain soldiers from the Convoy of 35 were buried on Mount Herzl after the War of Independence.

All 35 Haganah soldiers in a convoy bringing supplies to the blockaded Gush Etzion settlements are killed in a day of fighting with Arab troops. What is known as the Convoy of 35 was trying to bring relief on foot to Gush Etzion after motorized efforts fail, but the mission is foiled when Arab civilians spot the convoy around dawn. Nearby British troops do not intervene in the battle but report that the Arabs mutilate the Jewish bodies.

January 17, 1986 — Israel, Spain Establish Diplomatic Ties

Israeli President Chaim Herzog accepts the credentials of Spain’s new ambassador to Israel, Pedro Lopez Aguirrebengoa, in Jerusalem on April 14, 1986. By Nati Harnik, Israeli Government Press Office.

Spain becomes the last Western European nation to open formal diplomatic relations with Israel, which previously Spain had not officially recognized. Establishing ties with Israel is a condition for Spain to gain admission to the European Community, the precursor to the European Union. Spain keeps the Arab League informed of its plans, pledges continuing close ties to the Arab world and denounces Israeli occupation of Palestinian lands.

January 18, 1991 — Iraqi Scuds Strike Israel

The chief IDF spokesman, Nachman Shai, briefs reporters in Israel about tensions with Iraq in 1991. Courtesy of Nachman Shai.

The morning after U.S.-led allied forces launch airstrikes on Iraq at the start of the Persian Gulf War, eight Iraqi Scud missiles hit Israel in the predawn hours. Seven people are wounded, and several residential buildings are damaged in Haifa and Tel Aviv. The Scuds are the first of nearly 40 missiles Iraq fires at Israel in an effort to spur retaliation and thus fracture the coalition against Saddam Hussein, but Israel holds its fire.

Items are provided by the Center for Israel Education (israeled.org), where you can find more details.