Januaries Past for Israel and Jews

Knesset Proclamation re Jerusalem, January 1950. Public domain screenshots of text

New Year’s Day is generally a time for looking forward rather than back as people optimistically hope a new year  will bring a fresh start and new beginnings.  Not here though! A brief look back at some past January “Highlights” for Israel and World Jewry.


In the world of war
January 1991 saw the start of “Desert Storm” leading to the US Liberation of Kuwait from Iraqi occupation. The start of the war also saw Saddam Hussein “respond” by launching Scud Missiles at Israel. At the time; the great concern was that the Iraqi missiles might be carrying chemical or biological materials.
Meanwhile flash forward 25+ Years (January 2009): The three-week-long Israel response to Hamas attacks, “Operation Cast Lead” came to an end.


In the World of Terrorism
1996: Hamas’ Yahya Ayyash – “The Engineer”  – was Killed in Gaza by an Israeli booby-trapped cellphone
….
1998: Ramzi Yousef was sentenced for the (first) World Trade Center bombing in 1993..
2002: Israel announced the capture of the “Karine A” – Yasser Arafat’s effort to smuggle in arms to the Palestinian Authority.

In the World of Antisemitism and The Holocaust
In 1898: Emile Zola’s famed “J’Accuse” about the court martial and sentencing to Devils Island of Captain Alfred Drefyus case was published in the Paris newspaper  L’Aurore.
In 1942: The one day Wannsee Conference of Nazi officials who met to plan “The Final Solution.”
Three years later: January 1945, Auschwitz and Birkenau were liberated by Soviet Troops while just 10 days previously; the Swedish diplomat Raoul Wallenberg disappeared in Hungary while in Soviet custody. And was never seen again.

Other:
January 2006 saw Israeli Prime Minister, Ariel Sharon tragically suffer his (second) stroke. Sharon went into a coma in which he remained until his death in January 2014 (Ehud Olmert succeeding Sharon over as Prime Minister.)  Just a year previously,  2005: Mahmoud Abbas was elected President of the Palestinian Authority for a 4 year term.  20 years later; despite no further PA Presidential elections; Abbas remains the PA’s President. Palestinian democracy in action!

In 1975: The effort to “Free Soviet Jewry” get a big boost as the “Jackson-Vanik” Amendment (named after Senator Henry “Scoop” Jackson and Congressman Charles Vanik) finally was signed into law by President Ford.

January 1933: Adolf Hitler was named Chancellor of Germany. Some 30+ Years later (January 1965); Hitler’s “nemesis,” Winston Churchill died and was afforded a rare  State funeral for a commoner.

In 1979: The Shah of Iran fled into exile (in part due to American actions and inactions. Two years later; Ayatollah Khomeini’s Iran finally freed the American hostages after 444 days (on the day that Ronald Reagan was inaugurated as President)

January 1950: The Knesset approved a resolution proclaiming Jerusalem as the Capital of Israel
 “Whereas with establishment of the state of Israel, Jerusalem once more becomes the capital; Whereas practical difficulties which caused the Knesset and government institutions to be temporarily housed elsewhere have now for the most part been removed and the government is carrying out the transfer of its institutions to Jerusalem; The Knesset expresses the wish that construction of the seat of the government and Knesset in Jerusalem proceed speedily on the site allotted by the government for this purpose.”

Finally a couple of broader January (beyond the obvious various Presidential inaugurations every 4th January for the past 90 years): 1986 – The Space shuttle Challenger exploded just after takeoff. All seven of its crew members were killed.
And January 1865 – The 13th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution abolishing slavery in the US was passed by the House of Representatives.

So as we embark on a new January of a new year: Wishing all Friends of Israel – Jews and non-Jews, Liberals and Conservatives – a wonderful 2025!  And to cite Genesis 12:3 the hope if perhaps not the expectation, that “I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee”