On March 1st, 1922, Yitzhak Rabin, Israel’s 5th Prime Minister who served two non-consecutive terms, was born in Jerusalem to parents who came to Israel from the former Russia Empure during what is now known as the “Third Aliyah” Zionist immigration to Israel. He was the first Israeli Prime Minister to be born in the land of Israel, carrying a birth certificate from the British Mandate for Palestine.

01 March 2023

Read more: This Day In History: Warrior Turned Peacemaker Yitzhak Rabin Was Born

On February 25th, 1994, Baruch Goldstein, a Jewish American immigrant, and member of the radical Kach party led by Rabbi Meir Kahane, opened fire at Muslim worshippers in Hebron with a semi-automatic weapon, killing twenty nine and wounding 125 before being beaten to death by survivors fighting for their lives. The massacre, which was defined as such by the deeply disturbed Israeli public and government led to two days of riots between Jews and Arabs in Judea and Samaria.  

26 February 2023

Read more: This Day In History: Baruch Goldstein Opens Fire In Hebron Shrine, Killing 29

On February 23rd, 1965, “Sallah Shabbati”, the Israeli film about the life of Arabic-speaking Jewish migrants to Israel becomes Israel’s first Oscar-nominated film when it was nominated in the Best Foreign Language Category for the 37th Academy Awards.  

23 February 2023

Read more: This Day In History: Israel Gets First Film Nominated For Oscar Awards

On February 21st, 1852, Pope Pius IX wrote to the Grand Duke of Tuscany, Leopold II, in protest of his decision to grant full emancipation to Jews.  Leopold II had succeeded his father as Grand Duke roughly 30 years earlier and continued his father’s liberal outlook which seeks to grant freedom and education to as many as possible, something the Catholic Church was not necessarily in favor of.

21 February 2023

Read more: This Day In History: Pope Protests Italian Grand Duke's Emancipation Of Jews

On February 20th, 2009, Benjamin Netanyahu, along with his Likud party lost the popular vote in Israel and still received the mandate to form a government from President Shimon Peres after the Kadima party demonstrated its inability to form a coalition. Netanyahu surprises everyone by offering to bring leading rivals Kadima, which under Tzipi Livni was the largest party and Labor into a unity government while avoiding sitting with any extremist parties on both ends. 

20 February 2023

Read more: This Day In History: Despite Election Loss, Netanyahu Asked To Form Government