Israel's History:
1956

1956:
by Dave Rosenberg, 2002-2003 Hanefesh Israel Affairs VP

So what happened in Israel in 1956? A bunch of things, including:

• Sinai Campaign
  On October 29th, 1956, the Sinai Campaign began. IDF soldiers parachuted deep into the Sinai Desert, not far from the Mitla Pass. On October 30th the governments of Britain and France demanded that both Israel and Egypt cease hostilities and withdraw their forces ten miles from both sides of the Suez Canal. Israel accepted the demand but Egypt rejected it. The next day Britain and Frnace launched an aerial attack, destroying Egypt's air force and conquering Port Said and Port Fuad. Within eight days the combined forces captured the entire Sinai Peninsula, in a brilliant operation which won praise from military experts throughout the world.

  In the course of the war hundreds of Egyptians were captured and much weaponry fell into the hands of the IDF. At the end of the war the Straits of Tiran were opened, free passage on the waterways was assured, and the Egyptian threat was removed. An indirect outcome of the war was the immigration of the many Egyptian Jews to Israel. The war cost the lives of 172 IDF soldiers.

  America and the rest of the international community pressured Israel to retreat to the armistice border, and an international emergency force was stationed on the border between Israel and Egypt. American guarantees ensured that quiet was maintained in the region until just before the outbreak of the Six Day War in June 1967.

• Tel Aviv University Founded
  The Tel Aviv School of Law and Economics, an Institute of Natural Sciences, and an institute of Jewish Studies all joined together to form the University of Tel Aviv.
• The Mafdal (National Religious Party) is established.
• IDF soldiers, contravening orders, open fire on Arab villagers in Kfar Kassem violating the curfew, killing 49; those responsible are given extended prison sentences.
• The twenty-fourth Zionist Congress convenes; Nahum Goldman assumes the presidency of the Zionist Organization after the post has been vacant for ten years.