Israeli History

1948	Formal establishment of IDF and War of Independence Complete mobilization of society for a people fighting for their existence.

1956	Sinai Campaign Fought to put an end to terrorist incursions into Israel and lift the Egyptian blockade on Eilat.

1967	Six-day War Defensive, preemptive Israeli strike for survival against Arab armies. Success on three fronts (Egyptian, Jordanian and Syrian within 6 days resulted in extensive areas of captured territory, particularly Judea, Samaria, Gaza and the Golan Heights, as well as the unification of Jerusalem.

1968-71	War of Attrition Terrorism, guerrilla warfare and static artillery exchanges, particularly across the Suez Canal.

1973	Yom Kippur War Surprise Egyptian and Syrian attacks on the holiest Jewish day of the year. Despite initial losses, the IDF ended the war on the western band of the Suez and deep within Syrian territory.

1976	Operation Jonathan, the Entebbe Rescue Operation. Climax of the war against terrorism with a daring Israeli rescue of hostages held in Uganda.

1978	Operation Litani. Wide-ranging and thorough anti-terrorist operation undertaken after terrorist coastal road massacre of 37 civilians. The IDF occupied part of Southern Lebanon.

1979	Peace treaty with Egypt. Securing of Israel's southern border and formalization of peace with the predominate Arab nation.

1981	Destruction of Iraqi nuclear reactor. Aware of the growing power and danger from peripheral Arab states, Israel launches a successful air attack on the Iraqi Osirak nuclear reactor.

1982	Peace for Galilee War. Conventional, two and a half month war which resulted in the expelling of terrorists from Beirut.

1982-85	IDF deployment in Lebanon Counter-insurgency campaign against terrorists with high casualty rate on both sides.

1985-90	Comparative stabilization of the security zone in Southern Lebanon.

1987-95	Arab uprising (Intifada) in the occupied territories. The goal of the Intifada was to establish a sovereign Palestinian state through an uprising of a large number of residents and terrorist operations within the pre-1967 Israeli borders.

1991	Desert Storm Gulf War. First real threat of destruction to Israel from conventional and non-conventional Iraqi weapons. For the first time, the rear served as the main theater of operations, and the IDF invested operational efforts in defending civilians.

1993	Declaration of Principles with the Palestinians (Oslo 1). Initial redeployment of the IDF.

1993	Operation Accountability on the Lebanese border. Operation to ensure the safety of Israel's northern settlements and force the Lebanese government to control and limit the activities of Hizbullah terrorists operating against Israel from southern Lebanon.

1994	Peace treaty with Jordan. Formalization and expansion of unofficial relations which had existed between the two countries.

1995	Interim agreement on the West Bank and Gaza (Oslo 2). Redeployment of IDF.

1996	Operation Accountability (Grapes of Wrath II) on the Lebanese border. Operation to ensure the safety of Israel's northern settlements and hit major Hizbullah targets and infrastructure in southern Lebanon, in order to pressure the Lebanese government to restrain Hizbullah.

1996	Flare-up in the territories. Palestinian Police join rioters and fire on Israeli troops.

1996	First class of women cadets enter Israeli Air Force Pilot School

1997	Redeployment in Hebron (in the context of Oslo 2)

1997	Tragic helicopter accident