Events in the year 2011 in

Israel Israel, officially the State of Israel, is a country in West Asia. It Borders of Israel, shares borders with Lebanon to the north, Syria to the north-east, Jordan to the east, Egypt to the south-west, and the Mediterranean Sea to the west. Isr ...

Incumbents

President of Israel The president of the State of Israel (, or ) is the head of state of Israel. The president is mostly, though not entirely, ceremonial; actual executive power is vested in the Cabinet of Israel, cabinet led by the Prime Minister of Israel, pr ...

–

Shimon Peres Shimon Peres ( ; ; born Szymon Perski, ; 2 August 1923 – 28 September 2016) was an Israeli politician and statesman who served as the prime minister of Israel from 1984 to 1986 and from 1995 to 1996 and as the president of Israel from 2007 t ...

Prime Minister of Israel The prime minister of Israel (, Hebrew abbreviations, Hebrew abbreviation: ; , ''Ra'īs al-Ḥukūma'') is the head of government and chief executive of the Israel, State of Israel. Israel is a parliamentary republic with a President of Isra ...

–

Benjamin Netanyahu Benjamin Netanyahu (born 21 October 1949) is an Israeli politician who has served as the prime minister of Israel since 2022, having previously held the office from 1996 to 1999 and from 2009 to 2021. Netanyahu is the longest-serving prime min ...

(

Likud Likud (, ), officially known as Likud – National Liberal Movement (), is a major Right-wing politics, right-wing, political party in Israel. It was founded in 1973 by Menachem Begin and Ariel Sharon in an alliance with several right-wing par ...

) * President of the Supreme Court –

Dorit Beinisch Dorit Beinisch (; born February 28, 1942) is a retired Israeli jurist. She was the 9th president of the Supreme Court of Israel. Appointed on September 14, 2006, after the retirement of Aharon Barak, she served in this position until February 28 ...

* Chief of General Staff –

Gabi Ashkenazi Gabriel "Gabi" Ashkenazi (; born 25 February 1954) is an Israeli politician and former military leader. He previously served as the minister of foreign affairs. He was the Chief of General Staff of the Israel Defense Forces from 2007 to 2011. ...

to 14 February,

Benny Gantz Benjamin Gantz ( ; born 9 June 1959) is an Israeli politician and retired army general. He served as a Minister without portfolio#Israel, minister without portfolio from 2023 to 2024, as the Ministry of Defense (Israel), minister of defense bet ...

Government of Israel The Cabinet of Israel (; ) is the cabinet which exercises Executive (government), executive authority in the State of Israel. It consists of Minister (government), ministers who are chosen and led by the Prime Minister of Israel, prime ministe ...

– 32nd Government of Israel

Events

Domestic events

* January 17 – The leader of the

Israeli Labor Party The Israeli Labor Party (), commonly known in Israel as HaAvoda (), was a Social democracy, social democratic political party in Israel. The party was established in 1968 by a merger of Mapai, Ahdut HaAvoda and Rafi (political party), Rafi. Unt ...

Ehud Barak Ehud Barak ( ; born Ehud Brog; 12 February 1942) is an Israeli former general and politician who served as the Prime Minister of Israel, prime minister from 1999 to 2001. He was leader of the Israeli Labor Party, Labor Party between 1997 and 20 ...

and four other Labor Party MKs announce their resignation from the party and the formation of a new "centrist Zionist and democratic" faction called "

Independence Independence is a condition of a nation, country, or state, in which residents and population, or some portion thereof, exercise self-government, and usually sovereignty, over its territory. The opposite of independence is the status of ...

". * February 1 – Prime Minister

cancels the appointment of

Yoav Gallant Yoav Gallant (; born 8 November 1958) is an Israeli politician and former military officer who served as Ministry of Defense (Israel), minister of defense between 2022 and 2024. Gallant was an officer in the Southern Command (Israel), Southern ...

to the post of Israel Defense Forces chief. The announcement came after months of scandal surrounding his appointment due to allegations that he had illegally seized public lands near his home in Moshav

Amikam Amikam () is a moshav in northern Israel. Located near Zikhron Ya'akov, it falls under the jurisdiction of Alona Regional Council, whose headquarters are located in the moshav. In , it had a population of . West of the moshav is the Alona Park with ...

, and after the State Comptroller

Micha Lindenstrauss Micha Lindenstrauss (; 28 June 1937 – 2 May 2019) was an Israeli judge and the State Comptroller of Israel between 2005 and 2012. Biography Micha Lindenstrauss was born in Berlin, Germany. His family immigrated to Mandatory Palestine when he w ...

stated that Galant lied to in an affidavit about exceeding his building rights. * February 6 – 24-year-old

Anat Kamm Anat Kamm (alternative spelled ''Anat Kam'', ; born in 1987 in Jerusalem) is an Israeli journalist and former whistleblower, who was convicted for espionage resulting in jail time for her role in the Anat Kamm–Uri Blau affair where she leaked m ...

, a former Israeli soldier, is convicted in the

Tel Aviv Tel Aviv-Yafo ( or , ; ), sometimes rendered as Tel Aviv-Jaffa, and usually referred to as just Tel Aviv, is the most populous city in the Gush Dan metropolitan area of Israel. Located on the Israeli Mediterranean coastline and with a popula ...

District Court after pleading guilty (in a

plea bargain A plea bargain, also known as a plea agreement or plea deal, is a legal arrangement in criminal law where the defendant agrees to plead guilty or no contest to a charge in exchange for concessions from the prosecutor. These concessions can include a ...

) to leaking more than 2,000 secret military documents to a journalist from the Israeli ''

Haaretz ''Haaretz'' (; originally ''Ḥadshot Haaretz'' – , , ) is an List of newspapers in Israel, Israeli newspaper. It was founded in 1918, making it the longest running newspaper currently in print in Israel. The paper is published in Hebrew lan ...

'' newspaper. * February 14 –

is appointed as the 20th

Chief of Staff The title chief of staff (or head of staff) identifies the leader of a complex organization such as the armed forces, institution, or body of persons and it also may identify a principal staff officer (PSO), who is the coordinator of the supportin ...

of the

Israel Defense Forces The Israel Defense Forces (IDF; , ), alternatively referred to by the Hebrew-language acronym (), is the national military of the State of Israel. It consists of three service branches: the Israeli Ground Forces, the Israeli Air Force, and ...

. * March 22 – The former

Moshe Katsav Moshe Katsav (; born Musa Qassab; 5 December 1945) is an Israeli former politician and was the president of Israel from 2000 to 2007. He was also a leading Likud member of the Israeli Knesset and a minister in its Cabinet of Israel, cabinet. He ...

is sentenced to seven years in prison, two years probation and payment of compensation to his victims on charges of rape,

indecent assault Indecent assault is an offence of aggravated assault in some common law-based jurisdictions. It is characterised as a sex crime and has significant overlap with offences referred to as sexual assault. England and Wales Indecent assault was a broa ...

sexual harassment Sexual harassment is a type of harassment based on the sex or gender of a victim. It can involve offensive sexist or sexual behavior, verbal or physical actions, up to bribery, coercion, and assault. Harassment may be explicit or implicit, wit ...

and

obstruction of justice In United States jurisdictions, obstruction of justice refers to a number of offenses that involve unduly influencing, impeding, or otherwise interfering with the justice system, especially the legal and procedural tasks of prosecutors, investiga ...

. * March 24 – Israeli women's basketball team Elitzur Ramla wins the women EuroCup final in France after defeating the French team

ASPTT Arras Arras Pays d'Artois is a French women's basketball team based in the city of Arras, playing in the Ligue Féminine de Basketball. Formerly a section of multisports club ASPTT Arras, it became an independent club in 2008. It reached the final of t ...

61–53. This was the first time in which an Israeli women's basketball team won a European cup. * March 29 – The

Knesset The Knesset ( , ) is the Unicameralism, unicameral legislature of Israel. The Knesset passes all laws, elects the President of Israel, president and Prime Minister of Israel, prime minister, approves the Cabinet of Israel, cabinet, and supe ...

approves an amendment to the

Nationality Law Nationality law is the law of a sovereign state, and of each of its jurisdictions, that defines the legal manner in which a national identity is acquired and how it may be lost. In international law, the legal means to acquire nationality and for ...

in a 37–11 vote. The amendment empowers the Israeli court system to revoke the citizenships of Israeli citizens convicted of terrorism, aiding the enemy in wartime, causing war, serving in enemy forces or espionage. * March 30 –

Analog television Analog television is the original television technology that uses analog signals to transmit video and audio. In an analog television broadcast, the brightness, colors and sound are represented by amplitude, instantaneous phase and frequency, ...

broadcasts end In Israel, as the

Communications Minister of Israel The Ministry of Communications (, ''Misrad HaTikshoret'') is the Israeli government agency responsible for regulating and overseeing communications infrastructure and services. Its primary role is to manage telecommunications, broadcasting, and ...

requires all full power stations to send their signals digitally. * 12 May –

Dana International Sharon Cohen (; born 2 February 1969), professionally known as Dana International (), is an Israeli Pop music, pop singer. She has released eight albums and three additional compilation albums. She was the winner of the Eurovision Song Contest ...

represents Israel at the Eurovision Song Contest with the song "

Ding Dong A Ding Dong is a chocolate cake produced and distributed in the United States by Hostess Brands and in Canada from Vachon Inc. under the name King Dons; in some U.S. markets, it was previously known as Big Wheels. With the exception of a brief p ...

" reaching the semi-final round. * June – The cottage cheese boycott begins. * June 17 – A massive gas explosion in an apartment building in

Netanya Netanya () () or Natanya (), is a city in the "Planet Bekasi" Central District (Israel), Setanyahu of Israel, Israel BAB ih, and is the capital of the surrounding Sharon plain. It is north of Tel Aviv, and south of Haifa, between the Poleg stre ...

's Independence Square kills three teenage girls (all recent immigrants from France) and an Israeli Arab and injures over 90 others. * June 29 –

Nahal Zin fuel leak The Nahal Zin fuel leak () was a severe ecological disaster caused in June 2011 when a backhoe loader struck and ruptured an underground fuel pipeline in southern Israel. 1.5 million liters of jet fuel leaked into the surrounding soil, resulting i ...

– a

backhoe loader A backhoe loader, also called a loader backhoe, loader excavator, tractor excavator, digger or colloquially shortened to backhoe within the industry, is a heavy equipment (construction), heavy equipment vehicle that consists of a tractor-like u ...

performing maintenance repairs on an underground fuel pipeline in the Negev strikes and ruptures the pipeline, resulting in a massive leak. * July 12 – The

approves a new anti-boycott law, which would allow an Israeli individual or an Israeli organization proposing a boycott against Israel, Israeli institutions or territory under Israel's control, to be sued for compensation by a party claiming that it could be damaged by such a boycott. * July 14 –

2011 Israeli housing protests The 2011 Israeli social justice protests (), which are also referred to by various other names in the media, were a series of demonstrations in Israel beginning in July 2011 involving hundreds of thousands of protesters from a variety of socio- ...

begin. * August 19 – The first line of the

Jerusalem Light Rail The Jerusalem Light Rail (, ''HaRakevet HaKala Birushalayim'', , ''Qiṭār Al-Quds Al-Khafīf'') is a light rail system in Jerusalem. Currently, the Red Line (Jerusalem Light Rail), Red Line is the only one in operation, the first of several ...

is opened to the public. * September 21 – Construction work on the Red Line of the

Tel Aviv Light Rail The Tel Aviv Light Rail (, Romanized: ''Ha'rakēvet Ha'kalā Be'Tel Avīv'', , Romanized: ''Qītar Tall ʾAbīb Al-khāfifa''), also known as Dankal (, ) is a mass transit system for Gush Dan, the Tel Aviv metropolitan area in central Israel. T ...

, begins. * October 5 – Israeli scientist Daniel Shechtman wins the 2011

Nobel Prize for Chemistry The Nobel Prize in Chemistry () is awarded annually by the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences to scientists in the various fields of chemistry. It is one of the five Nobel Prizes established by the will of Alfred Nobel in 1895, awarded for outst ...

for the discovery of

quasicrystal A quasiperiodicity, quasiperiodic crystal, or quasicrystal, is a structure that is Order and disorder (physics), ordered but not Bravais lattice, periodic. A quasicrystalline pattern can continuously fill all available space, but it lacks trans ...

s. * November 10 – The

Supreme Court of Israel The Supreme Court of Israel (, Hebrew acronym Bagatz; ) is the Supreme court, highest court in Israel. It has ultimate appellate jurisdiction over all other courts, and in some cases original jurisdiction. The Supreme Court consists of 15 jud ...

has upheld a seven-year rape sentence against former President

. Katsav was given one month to put his affairs in order, and will begin serving his sentence on December 7. * November 13 – An

i cabinet committee passes legislation backed by prime minister

Binyamin Netanyahu Benjamin Netanyahu (born 21 October 1949) is an Israeli politician who has served as the prime minister of Israel since 2022, having previously held the office from 1996 to 1999 and from 2009 to 2021. Netanyahu is the longest-serving prime min ...

to limit potentially tens of millions in foreign funding to

non-government organizations A non-governmental organization (NGO) is an independent, typically nonprofit organization that operates outside government control, though it may get a significant percentage of its funding from government or corporate sources. NGOs often focus ...

Global affairs

* April 18 –

becomes

CERN The European Organization for Nuclear Research, known as CERN (; ; ), is an intergovernmental organization that operates the largest particle physics laboratory in the world. Established in 1954, it is based in Meyrin, western suburb of Gene ...

nuclear group member. * July 10 – Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announces Israel's recognition of the Republic of

South Sudan South Sudan (), officially the Republic of South Sudan, is a landlocked country in East Africa. It is bordered on the north by Sudan; on the east by Ethiopia; on the south by the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Uganda and Kenya; and on the ...

and offers the new state economic help, following its declaration of independence from the

Sudan Sudan, officially the Republic of the Sudan, is a country in Northeast Africa. It borders the Central African Republic to the southwest, Chad to the west, Libya to the northwest, Egypt to the north, the Red Sea to the east, Eritrea and Ethiopi ...

, the previous day.

Arab and Middle Eastern affairs

* February 5 – Amidst the

2011 Egyptian protests The 2011 Egyptian revolution, also known as the 25 January Revolution (;), began on 25 January 2011 and spread across Egypt. The date was set by various youth groups to coincide with the annual Egyptian "Police holiday" as a statement against ...

, an explosion occurs at the

Arab Gas Pipeline The Arab Gas Pipeline is a natural gas pipeline in the Middle East. It originates near Arish in the Sinai Peninsula and was built to export Egyptian natural gas to Jordan, Syria, and Lebanon, with branch underwater and overland pipelines to and ...

near the

El Arish ʻArish or el-ʻArīsh ( ' ) is the capital and largest city of the North Sinai Governorate of Egypt, as well as the largest city on the Sinai Peninsula, lying on the Mediterranean coast northeast of Cairo and west of the Egypt–Gaza border ...

natural gas compressor station in Egypt, which supplies natural gas to Israel and Jordan. As a result, supplies to Israel and Jordan were halted. * April 27 – Natural gas supplies to

Jordan Jordan, officially the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, is a country in the Southern Levant region of West Asia. Jordan is bordered by Syria to the north, Iraq to the east, Saudi Arabia to the south, and Israel and the occupied Palestinian ter ...

and

are hit by an explosion in the

in the town of

Arish ʻArish or el-ʻArīsh ( ' ) is the capital and largest city of the North Sinai Governorate of Egypt, as well as the largest city on the Sinai Peninsula, lying on the Mediterranean coast northeast of Cairo and west of the Egypt–Gaza border ...

in North Sinai near

Egypt Egypt ( , ), officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, is a country spanning the Northeast Africa, northeast corner of Africa and Western Asia, southwest corner of Asia via the Sinai Peninsula. It is bordered by the Mediterranean Sea to northe ...

's border with Israel with an armed gang believed responsible. * June 12 – Beginning of

Ilan Grapel affair The Ilan Grapel affair was an alleged Israeli espionage incident in Egypt involving dual U.S.-Israeli citizen Ilan Grapel. On 12 June 2011, Egyptian authorities arrested Grapel on charges of fomenting unrest in Egypt as a Mossad agent in the wake ...

ian officials report the arrest of the 27-year-old

Israeli-American Israeli Americans () are Americans who are of full or partial Israeli descent. The Israeli-American community, while predominantly Jewish, also includes various ethnic and religious minorities reflective of Israel's diverse demographics. This c ...

Ilan Grapel on suspicion of espionage for Israel. Israeli officials have rejected the Egyptian accusations. Later that year, Egyptian officials admitted Ilan Grapel was not a spy, and he was scheduled for release in exchange for 25 Egyptian prisoners held in Israel. * July 12 – Gunmen blow up an

ian natural gas pipeline to

and

in the town of

El-Arish ʻArish or el-ʻArīsh ( ' ) is the capital and largest city of the North Sinai Governorate of Egypt, as well as the largest city on the Sinai Peninsula, lying on the Mediterranean coast northeast of Cairo and west of the Egypt–Gaza border. T ...

in the

Sinai Peninsula The Sinai Peninsula, or simply Sinai ( ; ; ; ), is a peninsula in Egypt, and the only part of the country located in Asia. It is between the Mediterranean Sea to the north and the Red Sea to the south, and is a land bridge between Asia and Afri ...

. * September 2 –

Turkey Turkey, officially the Republic of Türkiye, is a country mainly located in Anatolia in West Asia, with a relatively small part called East Thrace in Southeast Europe. It borders the Black Sea to the north; Georgia (country), Georgia, Armen ...

expels

's ambassador, downgrades ties with Israel to second secretary level and cancels all military agreements with Israel, hours before a UN report investigating the 2010 Gaza flotilla raid is published. * September 9 – 2011 Israeli embassy attack: several thousand Egyptian protesters forcibly infiltrate into the Israeli embassy in

, situated in

Giza Giza (; sometimes spelled ''Gizah, Gizeh, Geeza, Jiza''; , , ' ) is the third-largest city in Egypt by area after Cairo and Alexandria; and fourth-largest city in Africa by population after Kinshasa, Lagos, and Cairo. It is the capital of ...

, after breaking down a recently constructed wall to protect the compound. The six embassy staff in a safe room were evacuated eventually from the site by Egyptian

commando A commando is a combatant, or operative of an elite light infantry or special operations force, specially trained for carrying out raids and operating in small teams behind enemy lines. Originally, "a commando" was a type of combat unit, as oppo ...

s, following the personal intervention of US President

Barack Obama Barack Hussein Obama II (born August 4, 1961) is an American politician who was the 44th president of the United States from 2009 to 2017. A member of the Democratic Party, he was the first African American president in American history. O ...

. Following the attack, the deputy ambassador remained in Cairo, and 85 staff members and their families returned to Israel. * September 14 – Israel evacuates the Israeli embassy in Jordan following a warning of a violent anti-Israel demonstration planned to take place near the embassy building. Nearly all the embassy staff returned to Israel at midnight. * September 27 – An explosion destroys the

in Egypt's

supplying natural gas to

and

. * October 11 – The US

Federal Bureau of Investigation The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is the domestic Intelligence agency, intelligence and Security agency, security service of the United States and Federal law enforcement in the United States, its principal federal law enforcement ag ...

and

Drug Enforcement Administration The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) is a Federal law enforcement in the United States, United States federal law enforcement agency under the U.S. Department of Justice tasked with combating illicit Illegal drug trade, drug trafficking a ...

claim to have disrupted an attempt to bomb the Israeli and the Saudi embassies in Washington DC and an alleged terrorist plot to assassinate the

Saudi Arabia Saudi Arabia, officially the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA), is a country in West Asia. Located in the centre of the Middle East, it covers the bulk of the Arabian Peninsula and has a land area of about , making it the List of Asian countries ...

n ambassador, with possible links to

Iran Iran, officially the Islamic Republic of Iran (IRI) and also known as Persia, is a country in West Asia. It borders Iraq to the west, Turkey, Azerbaijan, and Armenia to the northwest, the Caspian Sea to the north, Turkmenistan to the nort ...

. * October 27 – End of

: Israel releases 25

ian prisoners in order to secure the release of Israeli-American Ilan Grapel, who held been held in Egypt for more than four months on dubious espionage charges.

Israeli–Palestinian conflict

Flickr - Israel Defense Forces - Iron Dome Battery Deployed Near Ashkelon

Flickr - Israel Defense Forces - Gilad Shalit Salutes Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu

The most prominent events related to the Israeli–Palestinian conflict that occurred during 2011 include: * January 23 – The

Palestine Papers The Palestine Papers is a collection of confidential documents about the Israeli–Palestinian peace process leaked to Al Jazeera, which published them between 23 and 26 January 2011. Nearly 1,700 documents from the office of the main PLO neg ...

: thousands of confidential documents relating to diplomatic correspondence detailing the inner workings of the

Israeli-Palestinian peace process Israelis (; ) are the citizens and nationals of the State of Israel. The country's populace is composed primarily of Jews and Arabs, who respectively account for 75 percent and 20 percent of the national figure, followed by other ethnic and ...

, are exposed by the

Al-Jazeera Al Jazeera Media Network (AJMN; , ) is a private-media conglomerate headquartered in Wadi Al Sail, Doha, funded in part by the government of Qatar. The network's flagship channels include Al Jazeera Arabic and Al Jazeera English, which pr ...

news network. Following this, the

Palestinian Authority The Palestinian Authority (PA), officially known as the Palestinian National Authority (PNA), is the Fatah-controlled government body that exercises partial civil control over the Palestinian enclaves in the Israeli occupation of the West Bank, ...

condemns Al-Jazeera for releasing the documents and denies that the Palestinian Authority had agreed to make far-reaching concessions on

Jerusalem Jerusalem is a city in the Southern Levant, on a plateau in the Judaean Mountains between the Mediterranean Sea, Mediterranean and the Dead Sea. It is one of the List of oldest continuously inhabited cities, oldest cities in the world, and ...

as the documents purportedly reveal. * February 19 – The U.S.

vetoes A veto is a legal power to unilaterally stop an official action. In the most typical case, a president or monarch vetoes a bill to stop it from becoming law. In many countries, veto powers are established in the country's constitution. Veto po ...

a draft of a UN

Security Council The United Nations Security Council (UNSC) is one of the six principal organs of the United Nations (UN) and is charged with ensuring international peace and security, recommending the admission of new UN members to the General Assembly, an ...

resolution critical of

Israeli settlements Israeli settlements, also called Israeli colonies, are the civilian communities built by Israel throughout the Israeli-occupied territories. They are populated by Israeli citizens, almost exclusively of Jewish identity or ethnicity, and hav ...

in the West Bank. * April 4 – Dirar Abu Seesi, a

Palestinian Palestinians () are an Arab ethnonational group native to the Levantine region of Palestine. *: "Palestine was part of the first wave of conquest following Muhammad's death in 632 CE; Jerusalem fell to the Caliph Umar in 638. The indigenous p ...

engineer from

Gaza Gaza may refer to: Places Palestine * Gaza Strip, a Palestinian territory on the eastern coast of the Mediterranean Sea ** Gaza City, a city in the Gaza Strip ** Gaza Governorate, a governorate in the Gaza Strip Mandatory Palestine * Gaza Sub ...

, is indicted at

Beersheba Beersheba ( / ; ), officially Be'er-Sheva, is the largest city in the Negev desert of southern Israel. Often referred to as the "Capital of the Negev", it is the centre of the fourth-most populous metropolitan area in Israel, the eighth-most p ...

's District Court, accused of developing missiles and upgrading rockets for attacks on Israel; he claims that the

Mossad The Institute for Intelligence and Special Operations (), popularly known as Mossad ( , ), is the national intelligence agency of the Israel, State of Israel. It is one of the main entities in the Israeli Intelligence Community, along with M ...

kidnapped him. * April 7 – The

Iron Dome Iron Dome () is an Israeli mobile all-weather air defense system, developed by Rafael Advanced Defense Systems and Israel Aerospace Industries. The system is designed to intercept and destroy short-range rockets and artillery shells fired f ...

mobile air defense system successfully intercepts a

Grad rocket The BM-21 "Grad" () is a Self-propelled artillery, self-propelled 122 mm multiple rocket launcher designed in the Soviet Union. The system and the M-21OF rocket were first developed in the early 1960s, and saw their first combat use in Marc ...

launched from the

Gaza Strip The Gaza Strip, also known simply as Gaza, is a small territory located on the eastern coast of the Mediterranean Sea; it is the smaller of the two Palestinian territories, the other being the West Bank, that make up the State of Palestine. I ...

at the Israeli city

Ashkelon Ashkelon ( ; , ; ) or Ashqelon, is a coastal city in the Southern District (Israel), Southern District of Israel on the Mediterranean Sea, Mediterranean coast, south of Tel Aviv, and north of the border with the Gaza Strip. The modern city i ...

, marking the first time in history a short-range rocket was ever intercepted. * April 24 – A group of 15 Israeli Jewish worshipers entered the Palestinian city of

Nablus Nablus ( ; , ) is a State of Palestine, Palestinian city in the West Bank, located approximately north of Jerusalem, with a population of 156,906. Located between Mount Ebal and Mount Gerizim, it is the capital of the Nablus Governorate and a ...

to pray in the Jewish holy site

Joseph's Tomb Joseph's Tomb (, ''Qever Yosef''; , ''Qabr Yūsuf'') is a funerary monument located in Balata village at the eastern entrance to the valley that separates Mounts Gerizim and Ebal, northwest of Jacob's Well, on the outskirts of the West Ban ...

, without coordinating their visit with the IDF as required by law. After finishing praying, as the Jewish worshipers were leaving Nablus, their cars came under fire from a

police jeep. Five

is were injured in the attack and the nephew of

i Culture and Sport Minister

Limor Livnat Limor Ahava Livnat (; ; born 22 September 1950) is an Israeli former politician. She served as a member of the Knesset for Likud between 1992 and 2015, and was Minister of Communications, Minister of Education, and Minister of Culture & Sport. ...

was killed. * May 15 – The 2011 Israeli border demonstrations took place to commemorate what the

Palestinians Palestinians () are an Arab ethnonational group native to the Levantine region of Palestine. *: "Palestine was part of the first wave of conquest following Muhammad's death in 632 CE; Jerusalem fell to the Caliph Umar in 638. The indigenou ...

observe as

Nakba Day Nakba Day () is the day of commemoration for the ''Nakba'', also known as the Palestinian Catastrophe, which comprised the destruction of Palestinian society and homeland in 1948, and the permanent displacement of a majority of the Palestinian ...

. Various groups of people attempted to approach or breach Israel's borders from the

West Bank The West Bank is located on the western bank of the Jordan River and is the larger of the two Palestinian territories (the other being the Gaza Strip) that make up the State of Palestine. A landlocked territory near the coast of the Mediter ...

Lebanon Lebanon, officially the Republic of Lebanon, is a country in the Levant region of West Asia. Situated at the crossroads of the Mediterranean Basin and the Arabian Peninsula, it is bordered by Syria to the north and east, Israel to the south ...

Syria Syria, officially the Syrian Arab Republic, is a country in West Asia located in the Eastern Mediterranean and the Levant. It borders the Mediterranean Sea to the west, Turkey to Syria–Turkey border, the north, Iraq to Iraq–Syria border, t ...

and

. At least a dozen people were killed. * June 5 –

Israeli forces The Israel Defense Forces (IDF; , ), alternatively referred to by the Hebrew-language acronym (), is the national military of the State of Israel. It consists of three service branches: the Israeli Ground Forces, the Israeli Air Force, and ...

fire on pro-Palestinian protesters attempting to breach the Syria-Israeli ceasefire-line in the

Golan Heights The Golan Heights, or simply the Golan, is a basaltic plateau at the southwest corner of Syria. It is bordered by the Yarmouk River in the south, the Sea of Galilee and Hula Valley in the west, the Anti-Lebanon mountains with Mount Hermon in t ...

on Naksa Day, marking the anniversary of the 1967

Six-Day War The Six-Day War, also known as the June War, 1967 Arab–Israeli War or Third Arab–Israeli War, was fought between Israel and a coalition of Arab world, Arab states, primarily United Arab Republic, Egypt, Syria, and Jordan from 5 to 10June ...

; Syria claims that close to 20 people were killed and over 325 injured, while Israeli officials confirmed at least 12 injures. * July –

Freedom Flotilla II "Freedom Flotilla II – Stay Human" was a flotilla that planned to break the maritime blockade of the Gaza Strip by Israel by sailing to Gaza on 5 July 2011. Ultimately, the sailing did not take place. The flotilla was organized by a coa ...

** July 19 – The French-flagged yacht ''Dignité Al Karama'', which was to have been part of the

, is intercepted and boarded without incident by Israeli commandos, off the coast of Gaza, and escorted to the

Port of Ashdod The Port of Ashdod () is one of Israel's three main cargo ports. The port is located in Ashdod, about 40 kilometers south of Tel Aviv, adjoining the mouth of the Lachish River. Its establishment significantly enhanced the country's port capacity ...

. * July – Flightilla: Pro-Palestinian activists attempt to reach the West Bank by flying first to Israel from European airports. Most of them are stopped before boarding the planes or detained upon arriving to Ben Gurion airport and deported shortly after. * September 2 – A UN report investigating the 2010 Gaza flotilla raid is published, which finds that the IDF acted 'legitimately' in trying to enforce Israel's blockade of the

Gaza strip The Gaza Strip, also known simply as Gaza, is a small territory located on the eastern coast of the Mediterranean Sea; it is the smaller of the two Palestinian territories, the other being the West Bank, that make up the State of Palestine. I ...

, except for the lack of a final warning to the activists and the use of "excessive" force. * September 23 – During the opening of the

General Assembly of the United Nations The United Nations General Assembly (UNGA or GA; , AGNU or AG) is one of the six principal organs of the United Nations (UN), serving as its main deliberative, policymaking, and representative organ. Currently in its 79th session, its powers, ...

, the

President of the Palestinian National Authority The president of the Palestinian National Authority () is the highest-ranking political position (equivalent to head of state) in the Palestinian National Authority (PNA). From 2003 to 2013, the president appointed the prime minister of the Pa ...

Mahmoud Abbas Mahmoud Abbas (; born 15 November 1935), also known by the Kunya (Arabic), kunya Abu Mazen (, ), is a Palestinian politician who has been serving as the second president of Palestine and the President of the Palestinian National Authority, P ...

makes a bid for a UN recognition in a unilateral declaration of a

Palestinian state Palestine, officially the State of Palestine, is a country in West Asia. Recognized by 147 of the UN's 193 member states, it encompasses the Israeli-occupied West Bank, including East Jerusalem, and the Gaza Strip, collectively known as th ...

, which would exist in the

and the

and have the

East Jerusalem East Jerusalem (, ; , ) is the portion of Jerusalem that was Jordanian annexation of the West Bank, held by Jordan after the 1948 Arab–Israeli War, as opposed to West Jerusalem, which was held by Israel. Captured and occupied in 1967, th ...

as its capital. * September 23 – The quartet of Middle East negotiators – the United States,

European Union The European Union (EU) is a supranational union, supranational political union, political and economic union of Member state of the European Union, member states that are Geography of the European Union, located primarily in Europe. The u ...

, Russia and the United Nations call on both

and Palestine to resume negotiations. * October 11 – The Cabinet of

approves the

Gilad Shalit prisoner exchange The Gilad Shalit prisoner exchange (; ), also known as Wafa al-Ahrar () ("Faithful to the free"), followed a 2011 agreement between Israel and Hamas to release Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit in exchange for 1027 prisoners — almost all Palestinia ...

. * October 18 – Israel and

Hamas The Islamic Resistance Movement, abbreviated Hamas (the Arabic acronym from ), is a Palestinian nationalist Sunni Islam, Sunni Islamism, Islamist political organisation with a military wing, the Qassam Brigades. It has Gaza Strip under Hama ...

begin a major

prisoner swap A prisoner exchange or prisoner swap is a deal between opposing sides in a conflict to release prisoners: prisoners of war, spies, hostages, etc. Sometimes, dead bodies are involved in an exchange. Geneva Conventions Under the Geneva Conve ...

in which the

Israeli Army The Israeli Ground Forces () are the Army, ground forces of the Israel Defense Forces (IDF). The commander is the GOC Army Headquarters, General Officer Commanding with the rank of major general, the ''Mazi'', subordinate to the Chief of the Gen ...

soldier

Gilad Shalit Gilad Shalit (, ''Gilˁad Šaliṭ'' ; born 28 August 1986) is a former MIA soldier of the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) who, on 25 June 2006, was captured by Palestinian militants in a cross-border raid via tunnels near the Israeli border. Ham ...

, who had been held in captivity for over five years, is released in exchange for 1,027 Palestinian and Israeli Arab prisoners held in Israel, of whom 477 prisoners are released immediately, including 280 serving

life sentences Life imprisonment is any sentence of imprisonment under which the convicted individual is to remain incarcerated for the rest of their natural life (or until pardoned or commuted to a fixed term). Crimes that result in life imprisonment are co ...

for planning and perpetrating terror attacks, and 550 prisoners are to be released in December 2011. Notable Palestinian militant operations against Israeli targets
The most prominent Palestinian militant acts and operations committed against Israeli targets during 2011 include: * March 12 –

Itamar attack The Itamar attack, * * also called the Itamar massacre, was a terrorist attack on an Israeli family in the Israeli settlement of Itamar in the West Bank that took place on 11 March 2011, in which five members of the same family were murdere ...

: Two

teens armed with knives infiltrated the

settlement of Itamar and stabbed to death five Israeli family members, including the parents and three of their children, aged 11, 3 and a four-month-old infant. * March 23 – 2011 Jerusalem bus bombing: an explosive device was placed in a suitcase on the sidewalk exploded next to bus number 74 near the Jerusalem International Convention Center complex. A woman is killed in the explosion and at least 50 people are injured. * April 4 – Israeli actor and peace activist

Juliano Mer-Khamis Juliano Mer-Khamis (; ; born Juliano Khamis; 29 May 19584 April 2011) was an Israeli–Palestinian actor, director, filmmaker, and political activist of Jewish and Palestinian Eastern Orthodox Christian parentage. On 4 April 2011, he was assass ...

, of both Jewish and

Christian Arab Arab Christians () are the Arabs who adhere to Christianity. The number of Arab Christians who live in the Middle East was estimated in 2012 to be between 10 and 15 million. Arab Christian communities can be found throughout the Arab world, bu ...

origin, is gunned down in the

by masked militants. * April 7 – 2011 Israeli school bus anti-tank missile attack: An anti-tank missile fired from the Gaza Strip hits a school bus, moderately wounding the bus driver, and critically injuring a 16-year boy who later died of his wounds. * August 18 – 2011 southern Israel attacks: Eight people were killed and dozens are injured in southern Israel after a string of terrorist attacks on a highway targeting two civilian buses and cars as well a military bus responding to the attacks. Although no organization took responsibility for the attacks the Israeli security establishment blamed the

Popular Resistance Committees The Popular Resistance Committees (PRC; , ''Lijān al-Muqāwama al-Shaʿbiyya'') is a coalition of a number of armed Palestinian groups opposed to what they regard as the conciliatory approach of the Palestinian Authority and Fatah towards Isra ...

(PRC) in Gaza for carrying out the attacks. In retaliation, Israel launched an air raid on the town of

Rafah Rafah ( ) is a city in the southern Gaza Strip, Palestine, and the capital of the Rafah Governorate. It is located south-west of Gaza City. In 2017, Rafah had a population of 171,889. Due to the Gaza war, about 1.4 million people from Gaza C ...

in which six Palestinians militants from the Popular Resistance Committee were killed, among them two seniors in the organization. * August 29 – 2011 Tel Aviv nightclub attack: a 20-year-old Palestinian stole an Israeli

taxi A taxi, also known as a taxicab or simply a cab, is a type of vehicle for hire with a Driving, driver, used by a single passenger or small group of passengers, often for a non-shared ride. A taxicab conveys passengers between locations of thei ...

cab and rammed it into a police checkpoint guarding the popular

Haoman 17 Haoman 17 (, ''lit.'' The Artist 17) is a chain of nightclubs in Israel. Haoman 17 in Jerusalem has been rated one of the top night clubs in the world. It was opened in 1995 by Ruben Lublin and a group of young promoters from Jerusalem. The Tel ...

nightclub A nightclub or dance club is a club that is open at night, usually for drinking, dancing and other entertainment. Nightclubs often have a Bar (establishment), bar and discotheque (usually simply known as disco) with a dance floor, laser lighti ...

, which was filled with 2,000 Israeli teenagers. After crashing into the checkpoint, the attacker jumped out of the vehicle and began stabbing several people. Five civilians and four police officers were injured in the attack. File:Negevbus 03.jpg, 2011 Israeli school bus anti-tank missile attack File:Fogel.jpg, Funeral of the victims of the

Givat Shaul Givat Shaul (, lit. (''Saul's Hill''); ) is a neighborhood in West Jerusalem. The neighborhood is located at the western entrance to the city, east of the neighborhood of Har Nof and north of Kiryat Moshe. Givat Shaul stands 820 meters above sea ...

File:Terror Strikes Israeli Civilians in Southern Israel.jpg, The charred remains of the Egged bus hit by suicide bomber during the 2011 southern Israel cross-border attacks Notable Israeli military operations against Palestinian militancy targets
The most prominent Israeli

counter-terrorist Counterterrorism (alternatively spelled: counter-terrorism), also known as anti-terrorism, relates to the practices, military tactics, techniques, and strategies that governments, law enforcement, businesses, and intelligence agencies use to com ...

operations (

military campaign A military campaign is large-scale long-duration significant military strategy plan incorporating a series of interrelated military operations or battles forming a distinct part of a larger conflict often called a war. The term derives from th ...

s and

military operations A military operation (op) is the coordinated military actions of a state, or a non-state actor, in response to a developing situation. These actions are designed as a military plan to resolve the situation in the state or actor's favor. Operatio ...

) carried out against

Palestinian militants Palestinian political violence refers to acts of violence or terrorism committed by Palestinians with the intent to accomplish political goals in the context of the Israeli–Palestinian conflict. Common objectives of political violence by Pal ...

during 2011 include: * March 15 – The

Israeli Navy The Israeli Navy (, ''Ḥeil HaYam HaYisraeli'', ; ) is the Israel Defense Forces#Arms, naval warfare service arm of the Israel Defense Forces, operating primarily in the Mediterranean Sea theater as well as the Gulf of Eilat and the Red Sea th ...

intercepts the cargo ship "

Victoria Victoria most commonly refers to: * Queen Victoria (1819–1901), Queen of the United Kingdom and Empress of India * Victoria (state), a state of Australia * Victoria, British Columbia, Canada, a provincial capital * Victoria, Seychelles, the capi ...

", which was carrying a long list of advanced weapons that were smuggled from

and were allegedly bound for the militant organizations operating in the

. * March 16 – The

Israeli Air Force The Israeli Air Force (IAF; , commonly known as , ''Kheil HaAvir'', "Air Corps") operates as the aerial and space warfare branch of the Israel Defense Forces (IDF). It was founded on May 28, 1948, shortly after the Israeli Declaration of Indep ...

attacks a training site of the Palestinian militant group Al Qassam brigades in the southern part of

city in response to a rocket launched from the Gaza Strip at the Israeli southern communities in the

Sdot Negev Regional Council Sdot Negev Regional Council (, ''Mo'atza Azorit Sdot Negev'', ''lit.'' Negev Fields Regional Council), formerly Azata Regional Council (, ''Mo'atza Azorit Azata''), is a regional council (Israel), regional council in the northwestern Negev dese ...

in the southern district of Israel. Palestinians reported that three people were killed in the attack and three were wounded.

Notable deaths

* January 3 –

Yosef Shiloach Yosef Shiloach (; 9 July 1941 – 3 January 2011) was an Israeli actor. Biography Yosef Shiloach was born in Kurdistan to a Kurdish Jewish family. He immigrated to Israel at the age of nine.Ze'ev Segal (born 1947), Israeli jurist and journalist. * January 13 –

Tuviah Friedman __NOTOC__ Tuviah Friedman (; 23 January 1922 – 13 January 2011) was a Nazi hunter and director of the Institute for the Documentation of Nazi War Crimes in Haifa, Israel. Friedman was born in Radom, Poland, in 1922. During World War II he was i ...

(born 1922), Polish-born Israeli

Nazi hunter A Nazi hunter is an individual who tracks down and gathers information on alleged former Nazis, or SS members, and Nazi collaborators who were involved in the Holocaust, typically for use at trial on charges of war crimes and crimes against hum ...

. * January 14 –

David Coren David Coren (; 8 June 1917 – 14 January 2011) was an Israeli politician who served as a member of the Knesset for the Alignment between 1969 and 1977. He also served as head of and as president of the Western Galilee College. Biography Born D ...

(born

1917 Events Below, the events of World War I have the "WWI" prefix. January * January 9 – WWI – Battle of Rafa: The last substantial Ottoman Army garrison on the Sinai Peninsula is captured by the Egyptian Expeditionary Force's ...

), Israeli politician. * January 20 – Sonya Peres (born 1923), Ukrainian-born wife of

President President most commonly refers to: *President (corporate title) * President (education), a leader of a college or university *President (government title) President may also refer to: Arts and entertainment Film and television *'' Præsident ...

. * February 10 – Michael Harsgor (born 1924), Romanian-born Israeli historian. * February 24 – Jerrold Kessel (born 1945), South African-born Israeli journalist and author. * February 28 –

Netiva Ben-Yehuda Netiva Ben Yehuda (; July 1928, Tel Aviv – 28 February 2011) was an Israeli author, editor and media personality. She was a commander in the pre-state Jewish underground Palmach. Biography Netiva ("Tiva") Ben-Yehuda was born in Tel Aviv, in Ma ...

(born 1928), Israeli author and radio personality. * March 12 –

Tawfik Toubi Tawfik Toubi (, ; 11 May 1922 – 12 March 2011) was a Mandatory Palestine-born Israeli Arab communist politician. He was the last surviving member of the first Knesset. Tawfik Toubi was married to Olga Touma and one of his sons, Elias Toubi ...

(born 1922), Israeli Arab communist politician. * March 14 –

Giora Leshem Giora Leshem (born Moshe Giora Rotstein, ; February 3, 1940– March 14, 2011(Hebrew/ref>) was an Israeli poet and translator and one of the founders of the Keshev poetry publishing house. At the time of his death, Keshev was the largest independent ...

(born 1940), Israeli poet and publisher. * March 18 –

Ze'ev Boim Ze'ev Boim (; 30 April 1943 – 18 March 2011) was an Israeli politician. He was the mayor of Kiryat Gat before becoming a Knesset member for Likud and later Kadima. Boim was Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Minister of Housing ...

(born 1943), Israeli

member. * March 22 –

Reuven Shefer Reuven Shefer (; 7 June 1925 – 22 March 2011) was an Israeli theater and film actor. Biography Shefer was born in Tel Aviv. In 1957 Shefer joined the band "The Theatre Club Quartet" (רביעיית מועדון התיאטרון). Shefer played ...

(born 1925), Israeli actor. * March 30 –

Jacques Amir Ya'akov Jacques Amir (; 15 March 1933 – 31 March 2011) was an Israeli politician who served as a member of the Knesset for the Alignment between 1974 and 1988. Biography Born Jacques Amzalag in Mogador (now Essaouira) in Morocco, the son of Yi ...

(born 1933), Moroccan-born Israeli politician. * March 30 – Tamar Golan (born 1925), Israeli journalist and diplomat. * April 4 –

(born 1958), Israeli actor, director, filmmaker and political activist of Jewish and Arab origin. * April 25 – Avraham Tiar (born 1924), Tunisian-born Israeli politician. * May 1 –

Moshe Landau Moshe Landau (; 29 April 1912 – 1 May 2011) was an Israeli judge. He served on the Supreme Court of Israel from 1953 until his retirement in 1982. Landau was the fifth President of the Supreme Court, from 1980 to 1982. Described as one of Isr ...

(born 1912), German-born Israeli jurist and president of the Supreme Court of Israel. * May 5 –

Yosef Merimovich Yosef "Yosale" Merimovich (; 24 July 1924 – 5 May 2011) was a football player and manager. A one-club man, he played as a forward for Maccabi Tel Aviv between 1947 and 1958, winning six championships and six cups. Born in Cyprus, he represent ...

(born 1924), Cypriot-born Israeli football player and manager. * May 20 – Arieh Handler (born 1915), Israeli Zionist leader. * May 24 –

Arthur Goldreich Arthur Goldreich (25 December 1929 – 24 May 2011) was a South African-Israeli abstract painter and a key figure in the anti-apartheid movement in the country of his birth and a critic of Israel. Early life Goldreich was born in Pietersburg, So ...

(born 1929), South African-born Israeli political activist. * June 3 –

Sammy Ofer Sammy Ofer (; born Shmuel Herskovich; 22 February 1922 – 3 June 2011) was an Israeli shipping magnate and one of the richest men in the country. Early life Shmuel Herskovich was born in 1922 in Galați, Romania, to a Jewish family.John ReedId ...

(born 1922), Romanian-born Israeli businessman and the richest man in Israel at the time of his death. * June 7 – Gavriel Tsifroni (born 1914), Russian (Lithuania)-born Israeli journalist. * June 7 – Haim Yisraeli (born 1927), Polish-born Israeli civil servant. * June 10 –

Al Schwimmer Adolph William Schwimmer (;‎ June 10, 1917 – June 10, 2011) was an American World War II veteran who was the founder and first CEO of Israel Aerospace Industries. Early life In 1917, Schwimmer was born in New York City, the son of immigr ...

(born 1917), American-born Israeli businessman, founder of

Israel Aerospace Industries Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI; ), is Israel's major aerospace and aviation manufacturer, producing aerial and astronautic systems for both military and civilian usage. It has 14,000 employees as of 2021. IAI is state-owned by the government ...

. * June 16 – Yehuda Kiel (born 1916), Russian-born Israeli educator and bible commentator. * June 17 – Nathan Sharon (born 1925), Polish-born Israeli biochemist. * June 27 –

Michel Yehuda Lefkowitz Michel Yehuda Lefkowitz (; 1913 – 27 June 2011) was an Israeli Haredi Torah leader and rosh yeshiva in Bnei Brak for over 70 years. He was a '' maggid shiur'' at Yeshivas Tiferes Tzion from 1940 to 2011 and rosh yeshiva of Yeshivas Ponovezh L� ...

(born 1913), Russian (Belarus)-born Israeli rabbi. * July 29 – Elazar Abuhatzeira (born c. 1941), Moroccan-born orthodox Sephardi rabbi. * July 29 –

Shulamit Shamir Sarah Shulamit Shamir (; Levy; 19 April 1923 – 29 July 2011) was the wife of the seventh Prime Minister of Israel, Yitzhak Shamir. Shulamit was active in various voluntary organizations and was the founder of the Public Council for the Elderl ...

(born 1923), Bulgarian-born wife of former prime minister

Yitzhak Shamir Yitzhak Shamir (, ; born Yitzhak Yezernitsky; October 22, 1915 – June 30, 2012) was an Israeli politician and the seventh prime minister of Israel, serving two terms (1983–1984, 1986–1992). Before the establishment of the State of Israel, ...

. * August 5 – Adi Talmor (born 1953), Israeli journalist and news presenter. * August 11 – Noah Flug (born 1925), Polish-born Israeli economist, advocate for rights of Holocaust survivors. * August 20 – Rafael Halperin (born 1924), Austrian-born Israeli businessman, rabbi and former professional wrestler. * August 29 – Ayala Zacks-Abramov (born Timeline of Ottoman Syria history#Notable births, 1912), Israeli art patron. * September 6 – Dan David (businessman), Dan David (born 1929), Romanian-born Israeli businessman and philanthropist. * September 11 – Yuli Ofer (born 1924), Romanian-born Israeli businessman and entrepreneur. * September 26 – Michael Shor (born 1920), Soviet (Ukraine)-born Israeli security official, former CEO of Israel Military Industries. * September 27 – Ida Fink (born 1921), Polish-born Israeli author. * October 2 – Moshe Wertman (born 1924), Polish-born Israeli politician. * October 2 – Taha Muhammad Ali (born 1931), Arab-Israeli poet. * October 4 – Hanan Porat (born 1943), Israeli rabbi, educator and politician. * October 4 – Shmuel Shilo (born 1929), Polish-born Israeli actor and director. * October 7 – Avner Treinin (born 1928), Israeli poet and chemist. * October 23 – Amnon Salomon (born 1940), Israeli cinematographer. * November 6 – Peretz Kidron (born 1933), Austrian-born Israeli writer, journalist and translator. * November 7 – Dov Schwartzman (born 1921), Russian-born Israeli Haredi rabbi and rosh yeshiva in Jerusalem. * November 8 – Nosson Tzvi Finkel (Mir), Nosson Tzvi Finkel (born 1943), American-born Haredi rabbi and rosh yeshiva (dean) of the Mir Yeshiva (Jerusalem), Mir Yeshiva in

. * November 9 – Shmuel Ben-Artzi (born 1914), Russian (Poland)-born Israeli writer, father in-law of

. * November 21 – Eli Hurvitz (born 1932), Israeli industrialist, former chairman and CEO of Teva Pharmaceutical Industries. * December 6 – Peretz Kidron (born 1933), Israeli pacifist, writer, journalist, and translator. * December 8 – Roman Baembaev (born 1956), Ukrainian-born Israeli poet. * December 8 – Nakdimon Rogel (born 1925), Israeli journalist and broadcaster, author of the Nakdi Report. * December 9 – Davida Karol (born 1917), Israeli actress. * December 16 – Mark Kopytman (born 1929), Ukrainian-born Israeli composer. * December 25 – Gideon Doron, (born 1945), Israeli political scientist; The leader of HaYisraelim

Major public holidays

* Tu Bishvat – nightfall, January 19 to nightfall, January 20 * Fast of Esther – March 17 (dawn to nightfall) * Purim – nightfall, March 19 to nightfall, March 20 * Shushan Purim – nightfall, March 20 to nightfall, March 21 * Fast of the Firstborn – April 18 (dawn to sunset) * Pesach, Passover and Chol HaMoed, Chol HaMoed Pesach – sunset, April 18 to nightfall, April 25 (7th day) (an additional day is observed outside Israel) * Yom HaShoah, Holocaust Remembrance Day – nightfall, April 30 to nightfall, May 1 * Yom Hazikaron, Fallen Soldiers Remembrance Day – nightfall, May 8 to nightfall, May 9 * Yom Ha-Atzmaut, Israel's Independence Day – nightfall, May 9 to nightfall, May 10 * Lag Ba'omer – nightfall, May 21 to nightfall, May 22 * Jerusalem Day – nightfall, May 31 to nightfall, June 1 * Shavuot – sunset, June 7 to nightfall, June 8 (a second day is observed outside Israel) * Seventeenth of Tammuz, Seventeenth of Tammuz fast – July 19 (dawn to nightfall) * Tisha B'Av, Ninth of Av fast – sunset, August 8 to nightfall, August 9 * Rosh Hashanah – sunset, September 28 to nightfall, September 30 * Fast of Gedalia – October 2 (dawn to nightfall) * Yom Kippur – sunset, October 7 to nightfall, October 8 * Sukkot and Chol HaMoed, Chol HaMoed Sukkot – sunset, October 13 to sunset, October 19 * Simchat Torah/Shemini Atzeret – sunset, October 19 to nightfall, October 20 (a second day is observed outside Israel) * Hanukkah – nightfall, December 20 to nightfall, December 28

References

External links

{{DEFAULTSORT:2011 In Israel 2011 in Israel, 2010s in Israel 2011 in Asia, Israel 2011 by country, Israel Years of the 21st century in Israel