| March
2: After secret negotiations in Baghdad with the Iraqi
prime minister, Tawfiq
al-Suwaidi, Shlomo
Hillel and Mordechai
Ben-Porat succeed on the basis of a cash payment, in securing
a law, which allows Iraqi Jews to emigrate to Israel. The Bill
is introduced to the Iraqi government on 2 March and will become
operational a week later. Jews are permitted to emigrate but
their property is confiscated and they have to give up Iraqi
citizenship.
April
27: The number of immigrants residing in camps reaches
100.000.
May
18: The airborne emigration of Jews from Iraq
to Israel begins.
May
18: The Government and the Jewish Agency decide on
the establishment of Ma'abarot
(immigrant transit camps).
September
24: Operation Magic
Carpet is completed.
The
Kiryat Yearim
Youth Aliyah Village is established near Jerusalem.
In
1950, nearly 170,000 immigrants arrive in Israel. 62 Ma'abarot
house 93,000 newcomers. Another 40,000 immigrants are housed
in other temporary camps.
Chairman
of the Jewish Agency Executive: Berl
Locker.
Chairman
of the Executive of the World Zionist Organization - Jewish
Agency, American Section: Nahum
Goldmann .
Treasurer
of the Jewish Agency: Levi
Eshkol.
Chairman
Youth Aliyah Department: Moshe
Kol.
Chairman
Settlement Department: Levi Eshkol.
Chairman
of the Immigration Department: Yitzhak Rafael.
Chairman
Absorption Department: Yehuda Braginski and Zvi Herman.
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January:
Israel is among the first non-communist states to recognize
the People's Republic of China. Diplomatic relations between
the two countries are not established.
January:
Jordan confers citizenship on all Arabs of the West Bank, including
Jerusalem.
January
23 : Jerusalem is declared the capital of Israel.
February
4: The "Garden City," Ramat
Gan is declared a city. It began as an agricultural settlement
near Tel Aviv in 1921. Ramat Gan is called a garden city because
it preserves 25% of its area as green areas.
February
6: Egyptian Decree
Regarding Navigation in the Suez Canal.
http://www.mfa.gov.il/mfa/
go.asp?MFAH01c00
February
20: Statement
on Jerusalem by Israeli UN Ambassador Abba
Eban.
February
28: An airport is opened in Eilat.
March
13: The Israeli government is transfered to Jerusalem.
The Knesset convenes in the Froumine building.
March
14: The Knesset passes the Absentees'
Property Law. Within the next 10 years, this law will transfer
between 3.200 and 4.600 square kilometers of Arab-owned land
to Jewish ownership. The government insists that the law grants
rather leases than titles to land or houses. In 1953, Martin
Buber will write in a letter protesting the law: "We
know well, however, that in numerous cases land is expropriated
not on grounds of security, but for other reasons, such as expansion
of existing settlements, etc. These grounds do not justify a
Jewish legislative body in placing the seizure of land under
the protection of law. In some densely populated villages, two
thirds and even more of the land have been seized."
March
29 : The Knesset passes the Crime
of Genocide (Prevention and Punishment) Law The maximum
punishment is death.
April:
The Council of the Arab
League adopts a resolution forbidding its members to conclude
peace with Israel.
April
4: Jordan annexes the West Bank, including East Jerusalem.
April
24: The Soviet Union reverses its position and no longer
supports the 1949 UN resolution calling for the internationalization
of Jerusalem (9 December 1949). "It has become clear that
the General Assembly resolution does not satisfy the Arab of
Jewish population of either Jerusalem of Palestine as a whole."
Jordan annexes
the West Bank of the Palestine territories (including the Old
City of Jerusalem) occupied by the Arab Legion. The states of
the Arab League refuse to recognize the annexation and call
it illegal.
April
27: Britain formally recognizes the State of Israel
and the annexation of the West Bank by Jordan.
May:
Egypt closes the Suez Canal to Israeli ships and commerce.
May
25: The U. S., Britain, and France issue a Tripartite
Declaration expressing their opposition to the use of force
of threats between Israel and its Arab neighbors and guaranteeing
the existing armistice lines.
June:
Israel joins the 45 nations who vote for UN sanctions against
North Korea in response to its invasion of South Korea. A wave
of anti-Israel propaganda ensues in the Soviet Union, the press
calling Israel a satellite of Western imperialism.
June
5: United
Nations Palestine Refugee Aid Act.
June
13: The Knesset decides that the country's constitution
will consist of a series of basic
laws.
June
17: The Arab states sign the "Treaty
of Joint Defense and Economic Corporation Between the States
of the Arab League."
June
21: The port of Eilat is opened with the arrival of
a ship from Aden containing religious objects of the Yemenite
Jews.
June
29: The state budget for 1950-51 is finally approved.
July
5 : Israel enacts the Law
of Return, which guarantees the right of every Jew to immigrate
to israel and to become a citizen immediately upon arrival.
An Israeli citizen is allowed to retain the previous nationality.
July:
The Swedish government announces the exchange of notes with
Israel over the assassination of Count
Folke Bernadotte in Jerusalem and considers the case as
closed.
July:
Prime Minister David
Ben Gurion and Jacob
Blaustein, president of the American
Jewish Committee, clarify the relationship between Israel
and American Jews. Israel recognizes the full independence of
the American Diaspora and of aliyah as a free choice of each
American Jew.
July
31 : Israel announces the rationing of clothing and
footwear. Public resentment results in a consumer revolt and
a thriving black market.
The Knesset passes the Development
Authority (Transfer of Property) Law.
September
6: A decision is made to float the first State
of Israel Bond issue in the United States with the aim of
aiding Israel in developing its economic infrastructure and
absorbing the immigrants.
September
24: The Israeli Army Radio (Galei
Zahal) starts broadcasting.
September
27: After a hiatus of 15 years, the 3rd Maccabiah opens
in Tel Aviv.
September
30: A new economic program is announced by the government.
September:
Israel and Great Britain sign an air pact. Lod becomes an important
link in the air communication of the British Commonwealth. El
Al is allowed to operate a Lod - America service via London.
September:
The UN Palestine Conciliation Committee, consisting of France,
Turkey and the U. S., reports to the General Assembly that Israel
wants to negotiate directly, the Arabs want to negotiate indirectly;
Arabs condition the negotiations upon Israel receiving back
and compensating refugees, while Israel is ready to take 100.000
refugees as part of a peace settlement; Arabs insist on the
reversion to partition borders, while Israel wants to maintain
the existing borders.
September:
India recognizes Israel de facto and de jure.
October
3: Prime Minister David
Ben Gurion heads an anti-black market campaign. He appeals
to the public to end such purchase practices.
October
15: A government crisis erupts over David
Ben Gurion's decision to dismantle the ministry of supply
and rationing and to appoint a business figure as minister of
commerce and industry. The United Religious Front is opposed.
Ben Gurion and the government resign. President Dr.
Chaim Weizmann assigns Ben Gurion the task to form a new
government.
October
17: Ben Gurion forms a minority government consisting
of Mapai (7 ministers) and the Sephardi Party (1 minister).
The Knesset does not approve.
October
19: President Weizmann assigns Pinhas
Rosen of the Progressives the task to form a government.
October
23 : The UN Palestine Conciliation Commission issues
a supplemental report.
It recommends that Jews and Arabs should engage in direct negotiations
for peace under the auspices of the UN, and the return of as
many Arabs refugees to Israel as would be consistent with their
own best interests, payment of compensation to those who did
not return, and their resettlement in Arab countries with UN
technical and financial assistance.
October:
Only one third of the hoped housing units are built.
November
2: David Ben Gurion forms a new government.
The U. S. demands that Israel pays compensation to the Arab
refugees.
November
3: UN General Assmbly Resolution 377 A,
B,
C.
November
14: First municipal elections in Israel. There is a
large drop for Mapai and a gain for the General Zionists.
December
2: UN General Assembly Resolution 393
(V).
December
5: Sweden proposes
an international regime for the holy places.
December
14: UN General Assembly Resolution
394.
December:
A confrontation between Jordan and Israel at the Km 78 point
on the road to Eilat is mediated by UN observers.
Menachem
Begin writes "The Revolt", an account of his underground
activities as leader of Etzel.
The
publication of a scholarly encyclopedia of the Bible begins
in Jerusalem.
Israeli
scholar Yitzhak Heinemann (1876-1957) publishes "The Ways
of Midrash", a comprehensive study of rabbinical methods
of interpretation.
A
population census brings the following results: 1, 029,000 Jews
and more than 150,000 Arabs.
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