June 27, 1967 — Israel Annexes East Jerusalem
After capturing the roughly 2.3 square miles known as East Jerusalem from Jordan during the war in early June, Israel formally annexes that area and some surrounding West Bank land — a total of 27 square miles — into an expanded, unified Jerusalem municipality with protected access to all holy sites. Israel offers the residents of the annexed areas the option of becoming Israeli citizens, but most decline.
June 28, 1919 — Poland Provides Legal Protections for Jews
The Republic of Poland, reconstituted as an independent nation after World War I, adopts its Minorities Treaty to protect the rights of various minority groups. In addition to general assurances, the treaty specifically mentions cultural and civil liberties for Jews, who make up 10% to 15% of the population. The Polish Constitution also offers civil liberties to minorities and promises to protect their national protections. Poland renounces the Minorities Treaty in September 1934.
June 29, 1946 — British Round Up Resistance Fighters
The British military launches Operation Agatha, a two-week series of raids against Jewish resistance fighters, on a day that comes to be known as Black Sabbath. Involving 17,000 soldiers, the operation seizes weapons and arrests 2,700 Jews, including future Prime Minister Moshe Sharett, most of whom are held at a special camp at Rafiah. Captured documents demonstrate the cooperation among Jewish resistance movements.
June 30, 2012 — Yitzhak Shamir Dies
Israel’s seventh prime minister, Yitzhak Shamir, dies at age 96. Born Yitzhak Yzernitzky in Poland during World War I, he made aliyah in 1935 and enrolled in the Hebrew University. He joined the Irgun in 1937, then jumped to the more militant Stern Gang during World War II. He changed his name to Shamir to help hide from the British. He was first elected to the Knesset in 1973 and became prime minister at the head of Likud in 1983.
July 1, 1973 — Military Attaché Is Killed in Maryland
Col. Yosef “Joe” Alon, a military attaché at the Israeli Embassy in Washington, is shot five times in his driveway in Chevy Chase, Maryland, and dies within an hour at a hospital. A Voice of Palestine radio broadcast says Alon’s slaying is revenge for the killing two days earlier of the head of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine. No one is ever arrested in the case, which some investigations link to Black September.
July 2, 2010 — Benayoun Signs With Chelsea
Midfielder Yossi Benayoun leaves Liverpool for fellow English Premier League club Chelsea, owned by Russian-Israeli billionaire Roman Abramovich. Benayoun, born in Dimona in 1980, began his professional soccer career with Hapoel Be’er Sheva at 16 and won a championship with Maccabi Haifa. He moved to Spain’s La Liga in 2002, then to England for West Ham United. He returns to the Israeli professional league in 2014.
July 3, 1904 — Theodor Herzl Dies
Theodor Herzl, considered the father of modern Zionism, dies of cardiac sclerosis at age 44 in Edlach, Austria, seven years after he organized the First Zionist Congress. His will calls for no speeches, flowers or pomp at his funeral, but 6,000 people follow his hearse to the cemetery. The will also requests that the Jewish people bring his remains to Israel, and his body is reburied on Mount Herzl in Jerusalem in 1949.
Items are provided by the Center for Israel Education (israeled.org), where you can find more details.
