July 18, 1290 — England Expels Its Jews

King Edward I orders the expulsion of the Jews from England, where they had settled in significant numbers only in the 11th century. Despite gaining legal protections early in the 12th century, Jews suffer massacres in 1189 and 1190, then are subject to high taxation and other persecution. Most of England’s approximately 4,000 Jews move to France or Germany. Jews are not allowed to return to England until 1656.

July 19, 1999 — Top Officer Stella Levy Dies

Stella Levy, who commanded the Israel Defense Forces’ Women’s Corps from 1964 to 1970, dies. She was born in Syria in 1924 and moved to Haifa in 1929. She participated in the IDF’s first officer training course for women. During her military service, she oversaw the transit camps for new immigrants. She unsuccessfully ran for the Knesset in 1977, then was appointed to fill a vacancy in 1981. But she lost the seat that year.

July 20, 1951 — Jordan’s King Abdullah Is Assassinated

Palestinian nationalists assassinate Jordan’s first king, Abdullah I, at the entrance to al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem. Abdullah established Transjordan as an emirate under the British Mandate for Palestine in 1921 and made it a kingdom upon independence in 1946. He discussed peace before Israel declared independence but chose to bring his British-trained Arab Legion into the 1948 war and captured the area known as the West Bank.

July 21, 1948 — U.S. Opposes Stationing Troops in Israel

Responding to a request from the U.N. mediator in Israel for U.S. Marines to be stationed temporarily in Jerusalem to support a truce, Philip Jessup writes a seven-point memo to Secretary of State George Marshall on why the United States should say no. Jessup, the acting U.S. representative to the United Nations, argues among other points that the U.S. public would oppose such a use of the military, and it would hurt U.S.-Arab relations.

July 22, 1946 — Irgun Bombs King David Hotel

The militant Jewish organization Irgun bombs Jerusalem’s King David Hotel, the British administrative headquarters in Palestine, as part of a violent campaign to drive the British out of the Land of Israel. Despite warnings called in to the hotel and to the Palestine Post, the King David is not evacuated, and 91 people are killed, including 41 Arabs, 28 Britons and 17 Jews. David Ben-Gurion is among those who condemn the bombing

July 23, 2002 — Knesset Enacts Tal Law on Haredi Draft

On a 51-41 vote, the Knesset approves the Tal Law, an effort to address the growing problem of Haredi yeshiva students receiving exemptions from military service. The law allows Haredim to defer service until age 22, when they must choose vocational training and 16 months in the military or a year of civilian service. The Supreme Court rules the law unconstitutional in 2012, and the issue of ultra-Orthodox military service remains unresolved.

July 24, 1920 — Congresswoman Bella Abzug Is Born

Bella Abzug, the first Jewish woman elected to Congress, is born in the Bronx to Orthodox Jewish immigrant parents from Russia. A member of the Zionist youth group Hashomer Hatzair (The Young Guard), she gains experience for her future career in politics by lecturing about Zionism at subway stops to raise money for Jewish settlement in Palestine. She serves three terms in the U.S. House after first being elected in 1970.

Items are provided by the Center for Israel Education (israeled.org), where you can find more details.