May 31, 1665 — Shabbetai Zevi Declares Himself Messiah
Shabbetai Zevi, a gifted scholar who has shown signs of mental illness, declares himself the Messiah after meeting with a mystic, Nathan of Gaza, who reinforces Zevi’s delusions. Zevi, who was banished from Smyrna for violating Jewish law, carries his message to Syria and Turkey and gains many followers. Ottoman officials arrest him in 1666 and let him choose conversion to Islam or execution; he picks Islam.
June 1, 1948 — Burma Road Relieves Jerusalem Siege
A convoy returns to Tzrifin after a Burma Road run during the War of Independence in 1948. Palmach Archive.
A convoy takes the newly built Burma Road to bring supplies to the besieged Jewish residents of Jerusalem. Built under the direction of American Mickey Marcus, the road follows an animal trail. The 17 vehicles in the first convoy must be pushed through narrow and steep sections of the barely passable road, but they deliver desperately needed weapons and food. By the end of June, the road is delivering 100 tons of supplies per night.
June 2, 1948 — U.S. Assumes 2-State Reality in U.N. Memo
Less than three weeks after becoming the first country to recognize the State of Israel, the United States delivers a memo to the United Nations to explain its policy in the Middle East. The memo lays out three assumptions: Israel will continue to exist; an Arab state also will exist in Palestine; and it’s in the interest of both sides to have cordial relations. The memo argues that the more support Israel receives, the more its Arab neighbors will accept it.
June 3, 1948 — Ben-Gurion Reports on First 3 Weeks
David Ben-Gurion, serving as the prime minister and defense minister of the Israeli provisional government, reports on the status of the War of Independence, discussions with the United Nations and the new state’s domestic needs. He accuses the British of assisting the Arab war effort, praises the resistance of Jerusalem residents and highlights the large number of arriving immigrants despite the fighting.
June 4, 1899 — Pro-Soviet Politician Ya’akov Hazan is Born
Ya’akov Hazan, a leader in socialist politics through Israel’s first four decades, is born in Russia. He helps found a Zionist scouting movement in Poland and, after making aliyah in 1923, the Kibbutz Artzi movement. He serves in the first seven Knessets, initially with Mapam, then with the Alignment. He urges a pro-Soviet policy and calls the Soviet Union the Jewish people’s second homeland but shifts in the early 1950s.
June 5, 1967 — Six-Day War Begins
Israel strikes the Egyptian air force at 8:15 a.m. while most Egyptian pilots are at breakfast after not seeing the attack they expected at dawn and destroys 204 aircraft within an hour. Ground troops roll into the Sinai, and what becomes known as the Six-Day War quickly expands as Jordan attacks Israel in the morning and Israel hits Syria’s air force in the afternoon. On the war’s first day, Israel destroys 400 Arab aircraft while losing 19.
June 6, 1944 — Allied Forces Land at Normandy
U.S. Gen. Dwight D. Eisenhower orders the largest amphibious assault in history, sending Allied troops onto the beaches of Normandy on D-Day. Despite a determined German defense of fortifications enhanced by Field Marshal Erwin Rommel, especially at Omaha Beach, the Allies gain a solid beachhead. Within a week, more than 325,000 troops have come ashore to fight for the liberation of Europe from the Nazis.
Items are provided by the Center for Israel Education (israeled.org), where you can find more details.
