MARCH

01/03/1922

Yitzhak Rabin (1922-1995) was born.

His father - an American - immigrated to Palestine where he volunteered for Jabotinsky’s Jewish Legion and his mother was among the first members of the Haganah.

Yitzhak Rabin began his successful military career in the commando unit Palmach involved in ethnic cleansing (1948). He retired from the Forces ranked Chief of Staff in 1968. He moved then into politics, first as Ambassador in the United States next as Prime Minister for the Labour Party. From such position he prepared the settlement with Egypt which was to culminate at Camp David 1979 under Beghin’s Likud administration. 

He returned to governments affairs as Minister of Defense National Unity Government (1984-‘90) when he became famous for instructing especially ruthless clampdown on the first Intifadah. After another two years in opposition (1990-‘92), he became again Prime Minister and one of the leading figures of the Peace Process representing Israel in a series of summit and treaties with the PLO and neighbour Arab states.

He was shot dead on Nov 4th 1995 by a hardline Zionist of Yemenite origin hostile to the peace process. He has become since a symbol of Israel alleged will to make peace with the Arab world and offer concessions to the Palestinians in order to reach a settlement to the conflict.

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03/03/1948

Stern members drive a truck loaded with 400 lb. of explosives into the Palestinian-owned Salam (peace) building in Haifa. The seven-story building sustains considerable damage killing 14 Palestinian civilians including three Armenian immigrants and injuring 23.

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08/03/2002

Israeli forces sweep through refugee camps, towns and villages in the West Bank and Gaza murdering 42 Palestinian civilians and destroying scores of homes and shops.

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16/03/2003

Rachel Corrie (1979-2003), non-violent activist killed in Rafah, Gaza Strip. She was trying to prevent the demolition of a chemister’s home when Israeli military drove a US-supplied Caterpillar bulldozer over her.

Israeli version concluded that Rachel was interferring in a military operation aimed at destroying an empty house used to conceal a tunnel through which Palestinian guerrilla smuggle weapons from Egypt into the Gaza strip and that the driver could not see her because she was standing behind a heap of rubble.

However eyewitnesses are adamant that Rachel was fully in sight of the caterpillar driver and no evidence has been produced of such a tunnel existing under the physician’s home.

Read more in English at Rachel Corrie memorial website
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21/03/1968

Israeli forces attack the Jordanian village of Al-Karameh where Palestinian resistance forces were stationed. The Palestinian resistance inflicts heavy damage to the invading Israeli forces. This victory was an important turning point for the resistance movement following the defeat of Egyptian, Jordanian and Syrian Arab forces in 1967.
Read more in English at Liberation Graphics website
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22/03/1979

U.N. Security Council resolution 446 affirms that Israeli settlements in Palestinian territories have no legal validity and constitute a serious obstacle to peace. The resolution calls upon Israel to rescind earlier measures and to desist from taking any actions that would change the legal status, geographic nature, and demographic composition of the occupied territories, including Jerusalem.
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26/03/1979 Camp David Peace treaty signed between Egypt and Israel in Washington, DC.

Read the text in English at the History Place
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28/03/2002

Beirut Declaration: Arab countries offer complete normalization with Israel. Sharon responded the next day with re-invasion of the West Bank and the massacre, over the next two weeks, of hundreds of Palestinians.
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30/03/1976

Day of the Land - Yom al-Ard.

The Palestinians of Galilea (north of Israel) realised that the Israeli  government planned to confiscate 20,000 dunums of Palestinian arable land  to build settlements and an Israeli army training camp. Then they called for a general strike to cry out against the theft of their lands.

The Israeli army and police met the demonstrators with violence and by the end of the day dozens of Palestinians were injured or killed by Israeli gunfire.