October 24, 1915 — Hussein-McMahon Correspondence Starts
Sir Henry McMahon was the British high commissioner in Cairo during World War I.
Sir Henry McMahon, the British high commissioner in Cairo, and Hussein Ibn Ali, the sharif of Mecca, begin an exchange of letters in which the British government promises to back Hussein’s bid to lead a restored Arab caliphate in exchange for his support in the war against the Ottoman Empire. Palestine is not mentioned in their correspondence, but Hussein later says that land is included in the area planned for Arab administration.
October 25, 1976 — World Chess Olympiad Opens in Haifa
The U.S. and Iranian men’s teams compete at the 22nd Chess Olympiad in Haifa on Oct. 25, 1976. By Ya’acov Sa’ar, Israeli Government Press Office, CC BY-SA 3.0.
Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin and the president of the International Chess Federation, Max Euwe, open the 22nd men’s and seventh women’s Chess Olympiad in Haifa despite a Soviet-led boycott. Only 48 of the 90-plus nations in the federation send teams, but 450 players compete, including many Russian Jews who have earned strong reputations since leaving the Soviet Union. In the absence of the Soviets, the Americans win the title.
October 26, 1943 — Journalist Ron Ben-Yishai Is Born
Ron Ben-Yishai, shown in 2008, was wounded twice while reporting on the War of Attrition. By Noa Cafri via Wikimedia Commons.
Ron Ben-Yishai, a war correspondent and recipient of the 2018 Israel Prize, is born in Jerusalem. He begins working for Kol Yisrael, Israel’s leading radio station, as a financial reporter in 1966. He is wounded twice while covering the War of Attrition and switches to Israeli Television in late 1969. Perhaps best known for his First Lebanon War reporting, he later covers wars around the world for TV, radio and print outlets.
October 27, 2018 — Israel Strikes 80 Gaza Targets
The clashes between Great March of Return demonstrators and the Israeli military along the Gaza border fence throughout 2018 led to the exchange of attacks Oct. 27, 2018. By MinoZig via Wikimedia Commons.
After an overnight barrage of roughly 30 rockets from the Gaza Strip toward Israeli border towns, the Israeli Air Force strikes 80 Gaza targets, including Hamas weapons production and military facilities, training sites, and observation posts. Palestinian Islamic Jihad claims responsibility for the rocket attacks, saying they are in retaliation for the killing of four protesters during a demonstration at the Gaza border fence.
October 28, 1948 — Israel Adopts State Flag
Flag bearers lead a Yom HaAtzmaut (Independence Day) parade in Ramat Gan in May 1951, about 2½ years after the Israeli flag’s official adoption. By Hans Pinn, National Photo Collection of Israel, CC BY-SA 3.0.
The iconic banner with two blue stripes and a blue Star of David at its center becomes the official Israeli flag more than five months after the establishment of the state. The flag, adopted by the First Zionist Congress in 1897, had become accepted by Jewish communities throughout the world as the emblem of Zionism. The decision to make it the flag of the State of Israel reflects the power of the Zionist movement.
October 29, 1973 — Israeli-Egyptian Kilometer 101 Talks Start
Israeli Gen. Aharon Yariv prepares to sign a ceasefire agreement at Kilometer 101 on Nov. 11, 1973, after two weeks of talks. Israeli Government Press Office, CC BY-SA 3.0.
After the Yom Kippur War, despite several miscommunications, the first talks between Israeli and Egyptian generals take place in Israeli-controlled territory 101 kilometers (63 miles) east of Cairo. Led by Egypt’s Mohamed Abdel Ghani el-Gamasy and Israel’s Aharon Yariv, the talks last more than three weeks and go beyond such military matters as disengagement and the exchange of POWs to address political issues.
October 30, 1991 — Madrid Peace Conference Begins
Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Shamir, accompanied by Benjamin Netanyahu and others, meets with Soviet President Mikhail Gorbachev at the Soviet Embassy in Madrid on Oct. 29, 1991, the day before the start of the peace conference. By Ya’acov Sa’ar, Israeli Government Press Office, CC BY-SA 3.0.
The Soviet Union and the United States convene a Middle East peace conference in Madrid that uses a two-track approach of bilateral and multilateral talks. The three-day conference includes all Arab states contiguous to Israel, the Gulf Cooperation Council, and Palestinians from the West Bank and Gaza. It is the first time that Israeli and PLO negotiators come together, and those contacts lead to the secret talks behind the 1993 Oslo Accords.
Items are provided by the Center for Israel Education (israeled.org), where you can find more details.