1988 in Israel - Events

Events

• 6 January - Michel Sabbah is consecrated as Roman Catholic Bishop of Jerusalem becoming the first Palestinian Arab to hold this position.
• 17 January - Education Minister Yitzhaq Navon orders the mobilisation of high school students to assist in the citrus fruit harvest in a crisis caused by the absence of Palestinian Arab workers.
• 18 February - Israeli authorities close Tari al-Sharara a Hebrew/Arabic newspaper published in Israel.
• 25 February - A camera crew working for a US network film four Israeli soldiers breaking arms of two bound Palestinian Arabs. On 15 March the IDF announced that one of the soldiers had been sentenced to 21 days in prison, a second to ten days.
• 13 March - An estimated 200,000-250,000 Israelis demonstrate in support of Prime Minister Shamir's rejection of US peace proposals. The day before, 12 March, Peace Now held a demonstration of 50,000 in favour of the plan.
• 24 March – An Israeli court sentences Mordechai Vanunu to 18 years in prison for disclosing Israel's nuclear weapons program to The Sunday Times.
• 25 April – In Israel, Ivan Demjanjuk is sentenced to death for war crimes committed in World War II. He was accused by survivors of being the notorious guard at the Treblinka extermination camp known as "Ivan the Terrible". The conviction was eventually overturned in 1993 by the Israeli Supreme Court.
• 18 June - UK government expels Israeli diplomat and orders end of Mossad activities in UK following the killing of Naji al-Ali.
• 16 August - Two prisoners are killed when 1,000 Palestinian Arab detainees riot at Ktzi'ot Prison.
• 19 September – Israel launches Ofek-1, its first reconnaissance satellite, into space.
• 1 November – In the Israeli election, Likud wins 47 seats, Labour wins 49, but Likud Prime Minister Yitzhak Shamir remains in office.
• 22 December – Yitzhak Shamir presents his cabinet for a Knesset "Vote of Confidence". The 23rd Government is approved that day and the members are sworn in.