ISRAEL

courtesy Unsplash.com

Israel is a small country located in the Middle East. It is bounded on the north by Lebanon and Syria, on the east by Jordan, on the south by the Gulf of Aqaba, and on the west by the Sinai Peninsula and the Mediterranean. Israel declared its independence on May 14, 1948 (but Independence Day is celebrated each year according to the Jewish calendar (5^th of Iyyar)). Since then, it has been probably the most hated country in the world, even more so today – more than Syria or Sudan or Islamic State. That’s not to say that everybody in the world hates Israel, but statistically, it is the most hated. Of course, anti-Semitism plays a major role in that. No other country on earth has been the recipient of so many lies and distortion of facts.

According to the CIA World Factbook, out of a list of 191 countries, Israel ranks 28^th in terms of GDP and 4^th in the Middle East after Qatar, the UAE, and Kuwait. Both Hebrew and Arabic are the 2 official languages. With a population of over 8 million, Israel is a little over 10,000 sq. mi. big or roughly the size of Maryland. (However, the anti-Semites will say that it is smaller. That makes them happy.) The capital and largest city is Jerusalem (all of it) even though not a single country in the world recognizes it as capital. For many years, no foreign embassies were represented there. Instead, they are in Tel Aviv which they consider Israel’s capital. But since President Trump moved the US Embassy there, a few other countries have followed suit, most notably Guatemala, the Czech Republic, and possibly Brazil. And Russia has recently recognized (western) Jerusalem as Israel’s capital. But Britain, on the other hand, still considers Tel Aviv as Israel’s capital and eastern Jerusalem as “occupied Palestinian territory”. Stay tuned. There are a few consulates in Jerusalem, but they try to avoid serving Israeli Jews as much as possible. Domestically, Israel is the only democracy in the Middle East. Not a perfect democracy by any means but still, better than its neighbors. Its government is a unicameral legislature, the Knesset.

Israel’s history is almost 4000 years old and is the ancestral Jewish homeland, I will concentrate here mainly on the leadership of the country. For any particulars about various areas of the country, I suggest you look under the various articles written on this blog.

PATRIARCHS

Abraham (Genesis Ch. 17) (b. Ur)

Isaac, son (Genesis 20:12) (b. Gerar)

Jacob, son (Genesis 25:30-33) (b. Beer Lahai Roi)

EGYPTIAN PERIOD

Joseph, son (Genesis 41:40-45:12)

Ephraim, son (Genesis 48:13-20)

Shutelah, son (Chronicles 7:20-21)

Bered, son

Tahat, son

Eladah, son

Tahat, son

Zabad, son

Shutelah, son

SINAI PERIOD

Moses (Exodus 3:10-18)

JUDGES

Joshua (Deut. 34:9) ruled from Gilgal

Otniel (Judges 3:9) ruled from Hebron

Ehud the Benjaminite (Judges 3:15) 

Shamgar (Judges 3:31)

Deborah (Judges 4:4) ruled from Mount Ephraim

Gideon (Judges 6:14) ruled from Ophrah

Abimelech (Judges 9:1-4) son, ruled from Shechem

Tola (Judges 10:1) ruled from Shamir

Yair (Judges 10:3) ruled from Gil’ad

Jephtah (Judges 11:5-11) ruled from Mitzpe

Ibzan (Judges 12:8) ruled from Bethlehem

Elon (Judges 12:11) 

Abdon (Judges 12:13) ruled from Piraton

Samson (Judges 13:25) ruled from Zorah

Eli (I Samuel 1:9) ruled from Shiloh

Samuel (I Samuel 7:3-6) ruled from Shiloh, he annointed:

HOUSE OF SAUL

Saul (I Samuel 10:1) (c. 1079–1007 BCE)

Ishbosheth, son (II Samuel 2:8–9)

HOUSE OF DAVID

David (II Samuel 5:3) c. 1004–970 BCE, ruled from Hebron, then Jerusalem

Solomon (I Kings 2:12) son 

Rehoboam (I Kings 11:43) son

THE DIVIDED KINGDOM - The southern Kingdom of Judah remained under the House of David, the northern Kingdom of Israel under various dynasties. The kings of the northern kingdom are in the indents.

Jeroboam, son of Nebat the Ephraimite, superintendent of public works under Solomon

Abijah (I Kings 14:31) c. 915–913 BCE, son of Rehoboam

Asa (I Kings 15:8) son

Nadab, son of Jeroboam, assassinated by:

Baasha, captain of the army

Elah, son, assassinated by:

Zimri, commander of his chariots, killed himself during a seige by:

Omri, commander of the army

Ahab, son, killed in battle

Jehoshaphat (I Kings 15:24) son of Asa

Ahaziah, son of Ahab

Yehoram,  son of Ahab

Yehoram ben Yehoshaphat (I Kings 22:50) son of Jehoshaphat

Ahaziah ben Yehoram (II Kings 8:24) son, nephew of Yehoram (Israel), assassinated

Jehu, an army commander

Athaliah (II Kings 11:3) mother of Ahaziah

Yehoash (II Kings 11:21) – son of Ahaziah,

Yehoahaz, son of Jehu

Yehoash of Israel, son

Amaziah (II Kings 14:1) son of Yehoash of Judah

Jeroboam II, son of Yehoash of Israel

Uzziah referred to as Azariah (II Kings 15:1) son of Amaziah

Zachariah, son of Jerboam II, assassinated by:

Shallum, captain of the army, assassinated by:

Menahem, captain of the army

Pekahiah, son, assassinated by:

Pekah, captain of the army, assassinated by Hoshea:

Yotam (II Kings 15:32) son of Uzziah

Ahaz (II Kings 16:1) son

Hoshea, captain of the army, ruled as the last king of Israel.

DESTRUCTION OF ISRAEL, JUDAH SURVIVES

Hezekiah (II Kings 18:1) son of Ahaz

Manasseh (II Kings 20:21) son

Amon (II Kings 21:18) son

Josiah (II Kings 21:26) son

Yehoahaz (II Kings 23:30) son of Josiah

Yakim (II Kings 23:34) brother 

Yachin (II Kings 24:6) son of Yakim

Zedekiah (II Kings 24:17) – uncle, son of Josiah,  

Gedaliah (II Kings 25:22–23) son of Ahikam advisor to King Josiah; 

HOUSE OF DAVID IN THE BABYLONIAN CAPTIVITY

Yachin (II Kings 25:27) son of Yakim, second rule, appointed in exile by the Babylonian king

Daniel of the House of David (Daniel 5:29-6:2) 

PERSIAN RULE,

HOUSE OF DAVID, return from exile, in conjunction with the High Priests of the House

of Aaron

Sheshbazzar, prince of the House of David (Ezra 1:8-11) 

Zerubbabel (Ezra 3:8) son of Shealtiel. 

Ezra, son of Seraiah, a descendant of the priest Aaron brother of Moses. (Ezra Ch. 7)  

Nehemiah son of Hachaliah (Book of Nehemiah) 

Hananiah (Nehemiah 7:2) brother

THE HIGH PRIEST of the House of Aaron

Joiada, son of Eliashib

Johanan, son of Joiada

Jaddua, son of Johanan, ca. 371-320 BC

GREEK RULE 332 BCE

Onias I, son of Jaddua, ca. 320-280 BC

EGYPTIAN RULE 301 BCE

Simon I, son of Onias, ca. 280-260 BC

Eleazar, brother, son of Onias, ca. 260-245 BC

Manasseh, uncle, son of Jaddua, ca. 245-240 BC

Onias II, nephew, son of Simon, ca. 240-218 BC

SYRIAN RULE 219 BCE

Simon II, son of Onias, 218-185 BC

EGYPTIAN RULE 217 BCE

SYRIAN RULE 198 BCE

Onias III, son of Simon, 185-175 BC, murdered 170 BC

Jason, brother 175-172 BC

Menelaus, uncle, son of Onias II 172-162 BC

HOUSE OF HASMON (MACCABBEES)

Mattityahu son of the priest Johanan of Modiin, descendant of Aaron through his grandson Pinhas

Judah, son – Alcimus succeeded Menelaeus as high priest.

Jonathan, brother – assumed the high priesthood.

Simon, brother – high priest, ethnarch and commander-in-chief. 

John Hyrcanus I, son – also succeeded as high priest.

Aristobulus, son – also high priest.

Alexander Jannaeus, brother – high priest and king.

Salome Alexandra, wife

ROMAN RULE 67 BCE

Hyrcanus II, son – succeeded Alexander as high priest beginning with the rule of Salome.
Aristobulus II, brother – succeeded as high priest. 

Hyrcanus II as high priest, restored

Antigonus, nephew, son of Aristobulus – also high priest

HOUSE OF HEROD

Herod the Great, son of Antipater the Edomite who was an official under Hyrcanus II

Herod Archelaus (4 BCE – 6 CE), son, Ethnarch of the Tetrarchy of Judea

SANHEDRIN NESIIM OF THE HOUSE OF DAVID, office said to have been created during the rule of Ezra; period of the Roman Procurators 

Hillel the Elder (b. Babylonia)

Shimon, son

Gamaliel I, son, whose rule extended into the reign of:

HOUSE OF HEROD resumed, Nasi in the indents

Agrippa I, grandson of Herod the Great (41–44)

Herod II, brother (b. Chalcis, Turkey) (44–48)

Agrippa II, nephew, son of Agrippa I (48–73). 

            Shimon ben Gamaliel I

SANHEDRIN NESIIM OF THE HOUSE OF DAVID

Johanan ben Zakkai moved Sanhedrin to Yavneh

Gamaliel II (80–115) son of Shimon ben Gamaliel I, held court in Yavneh, Usha, and Lod

Eleazar ben Azariah (115–120)

Akiva ruled from Usha

Interregnum (Bar Kokhba revolt) (132–135)

Judah bar Ilai c. 140 moved the Sanhedrin to Usha

Shimon ben Gamliel II, son of Gamliel II

Judah I haNasi (170-220) - son, ruled from Bet Shearim, then Sepphoris

Gamaliel III (220–230) son

Judah II (230–270) - son, ruled from Sepphoris, then Tiberias. 

Gamaliel IV (270–290) son

Judah III (290–320) son

Hillel II (320–365) son

Gamliel V (365–385) son

Judah IV (385–400) son 

BYZANTINE RULE 395

Gamaliel VI (400–425) son    

RULE OF THE SANHEDRIN ARCHIPHERECITES 425-520  

SANHEDRIN NESIIM OF THE HOUSE OF DAVID IN TIBERIAS 520-767

Mar Zutra III/II (b. Babylonia (Iraq), 520-547?), son of the exilarch Mar Zutra I 

Saadia (547?-574?) son

Guriya (574?-601?) son  

Mar Zutra (601?-628?) son

PERSIAN RULE 614-628

Nehemiah ben Hushiel (b. Perisa, 614-617) military commander in Persian army, appointed by the Persians to rule Jerusalem, then overthrown by Persians 3 years later

Benjamin of Tiberias succeeded Nehemiah, pro-Byzantine

BYZANTINE RULE 628

ARAB RULE 636

GEON YAACOV (HOUSE OF DAVID) from Tiberias

Yaakov (628?-655?) son of Mar Zutra

Shemaiah (655?-682?) his son

Haninai (682?-709?) his son; 

Megas 709?-736?, son

Misa 736?-763?, son

Nehemiah 763?-790?, son

KARAITE PATRIARCHY (HOUSE OF DAVID) from Jerusalem; rabbinic rulers in Tiberias in the indents

Anan ben David (b. Babylonia) 767-800 son of the Exilarch, ruled in Jerusalem, 

Abdimi 790?-817? Ruled in Tiberias

Saul 800-821?, Son of Anan, ruled in Jerusalem, 

Pinhas 817?-844? Ruled in Tiberias

Josiah 821?-842?, son

Moses (head of academy?, 842?-863?) son, ruled in Jerusalem, 

Chatzuv 844?-871? Ruled in Tiberias

meir I (head of the academy?, 863?-884) son, ruled in Jerusalem, 

Yehuda ben Alan 871?-898? Ruled in Tiberias

Ẓemaḥ, nasi and gaon 884-915. Son, ruled in Jerusalem, 

Musa 898?-915 son, ruled in Tiberias

GEON YAACOV (HOUSE OF DAVID) moved from Tiberias to Jerusalem

Aaron Ben Meir 915-932 descendant of the Nesiim of the ancient Sanhedrin, overthrew Karaite rule

isaac (son of aaron b. meir) 932-934

…ben meir (brother of aaron) 934-948

abraham b. aaron 948-955 brother, son of Aaron ben Meir

aaron 955-956

joseph ha-kohen b. ezron (ruled two years) 956-958

…(ruled thirty years) 958-988

Samuel b. joseph ha-kohen 988-?

yose b. samuel

shemaiah

Josiah ben Aaron ben Abraham (member of the Great Synagogue, lived in ramle) 1015-1020
solomon b. joseph ha-kohen 1020-1025

Solomon b. Judah (b. Fez, Morocco) 1025-1051 son-in-law, ruled from Jerusalem 1025-1040, from Ramle 1040-1043, from Jerusalem 1043-1051

Daniel b. Azariah (b. Babylonia) 1051-1062 a descendant of one of the families of the exilarchate in Babylonia, nasi and gaon.

Elijah ben Solomon ben Joseph ha-Kohen 1062-1071 

SELJUK RULE 1077  

GEON YAACOV IN EXILE

Elijah ben Solomon Ben Joseph haKohen 1071-1083, from Tyre

Solomon haNasi appointed as “vice gaon” in Jerusalem

Abiathar, son of Elijah, from Tyre 1083-1091, from Tripoli 1091-1094, from Tyre 1094-1124, from Tripoli 1124-1129

Solomon, brother (1093-1127), fled to Hadrak  

CRUSADER RULE 1099

Maẓliaḥ b. Solomon (1127-1138) son, moved from Hadrak to Fostat and called himself rosh yeshivat ge'on Ya'akov. 

Avraham ben Matzhir (1127-1165) grandson of Abiathar, headed the academy when it moved from Hadrak to Damascus. 

Petrus Judaeus (1156) swore allegiance to the Crusader King Baldwin III in Jerusalem. Either Moses ha-Levi b. Nethanel or Samuel b. Hananiah ruled from Fostat after the death of Mazliah.

Nethanel (1160-1170) son of Moses ha-Levi b. Nethanel, held the title of Gaon in Fostat. 

Ezra (1165), son of Avraham ben Matzhir and ordained by the Gaon of Baghdad Samuel ben Ali. ruled from Damascus. 

Zadok (1170s) last Gaon who ruled from Damascus.

Sar Shalom (1170-1195) brother of Nethanel, ruled from fostat, last to hold title of Gaon and rosh yeshivat Ereẓ ha-Ẓevi. 

NAGID OF EGYPT/VICE NAGID OF PALESTINE (in indents)

Maimonides (the "Rambam", b. Spain) (1171/1195-1204) 

MUSLIM RULE 1187

Ovadiah ben Ulah

Avraham ben Moshe (1204-1237), son of Maimonides; 

Hillel ben Moshe 

CHRISTIAN RULE 1228

David ben Avraham (1237-1300), son of Avraham ben Moshe 

MUSLIM RULE 1240 

CHRISTIAN RULE 1243 

KHWARIZMIAN INVASION 1244 

MUSLIM RULE 1247 

MAMELUKE/CRUSADER RULE 1250  

NAGID/SHEIKH AL YAHUD (in indents)

Yehiel ben Yosef (b. France) headed the Midrash haGadol in Paris, and later relocated it (1257) to Acre from where he ruled over Israel.

MONGOL INVASION 1260

Nahmanides (the "Ramban", b. Spain) descendant of Rabbi Isaac ben Reuven; Chief Rabbi of Catalonia, came to Jerusalem (1267) and established his own synagogue from where he, and subsequent Chief Rabbis ruled Israel 

Solomon Petit (b. France) tosafist, ruled mostly from Acre

MAMELUKE RULE

Avraham ben David 1291-1313

Moshe ben Avraham 1300-1305

Yehoshua 1305-1355

Baruch Ashkenazi (b. Spain) 

Isaac Hatikvah (b. Spain) c. 1330

David ben Yehoshua son of Yehoshua (1355-1374)

Amram (1374-1384); 

Yoseph ben Eliezer Tov Elem? (b. Syria) Bible commentator

Shimon (1384-1422) 

Yoseph ben Ovadiah (1422-1430) 

Abd al Latif (1430-1442); 

Elijah of Ferrara (b. Italy) Italian physician, ruled from Jerusalem 1435

Yoseph ben Khalifah (1442-1465); 

Abraham Halevy (b. Spain) 

Shlomo ben Yoseph son of Yoseph ben Khalifah (1465-1482); 

Shalom Ashkenazi (b. Spain) 

Natan Sholal (1482-1504); 

Obadiah of Bertinoro (b. Italy) (1488-1490) Rabbi of Bertinoro and Castello, pupil of

Rabbi Joseph Colon.

Isaac ibn Haim (b. Spain) (1490-1495), took over leadership while Bertinoro was Chief

Rabbi of Hebron.

Obadiah of Bertinoro (1495-1500?) 

Isaac Sholal (b. Egypt) (1502-1516) nephew of Natan Sholal, nagid            

Jacob de Trijal (b. Spain) (1500-1509)

Judah Albotini (b. Turkey) (1509-1519) son of the scholar Rabbi Moses Albotini of Lisbon; formerly Haver of the Bet Din

OTTOMAN RULE 1516

SHEIKH AL YAHUD

Isaac Sholal (1519-1525)

Levi ben Habib (b. Spain) (1525-1545) son of Rabbi Jacob ibn Habib, head of the Sephardic Yeshiva in Salonika; succeeded his father as head of the Yeshiva

Jacob Berab (b. Spain) (1538) rival Sanhedrin, ruled from Safed

Joseph Caro (b. Spain) (1540-1575) ordained by Berab, ruled from Safed

Solomon Sirilio (b. Spain) (1545-1554) rabbinic commentator

David ibn Abi Zimra (b. Egypt) (1554-1567) son of wealthy businessman Solomon ibn Abi Zimra; Chief Rabbi of Egypt

Yoseph Sayach

Haim Vital (1577-1587) son of the Safed scribe Joseph Vital Calabrese; head of Lurianic Kabbalistic circle in Safed; in 1586 the Arabs confiscated the Ramban Synagogue. Therefore, it was decided that the Ben Zakkai Synagogue would take its place. Ever since, this is from where the Chief Rabbi would preside.        

Bezalel Ashkenazi (1587-1592) Chief Rabbi of Egypt

Gedaliah Cordovero (1592-1625) son of Kabbalist Rabbi Moses Cordovero

Shimon Cohen (1625-1640)

Jacob Zemah (b. Portugal) (1640-1646) kabbalist and physician

Israel Benjamin (1646-1649) son of the prominent Rabbi Azariah Zeevi

Baruch Benjamin (1649?-1658?) son

Jacob Hagiz (b. Morocco) (1658-1660) son of Samuel Hagiz, chief rabbi of Fez

Samuel Garmison (b. Greece) (1660-?) Chief Rabbi of Malta

Jonathan Galante son of Kabbalist Rabbi Moses Galante I, Av Bet Din of Safed

RISHON L’TZION

Moses ben Yonatan Galante (1665–1689) son of Jonathan Galante

Moses ben Habib (b. Greece) (1689–1695) descendant of Levi ben Habib

Moses Hayun (1695–1715)

Avraham ben David Yitzchaki (b. Greece) (1715–1728) Haver of Galante Bet Din

Benjamin Hacohen Ma'ali (b. Syria) (1728–1730)

Eliezer ben Jacob Nachum (b. Turkey) (1730–1745) Chief Rabbi of Adrianople

Nissim Chaim Moses Mizrachi (1745–1754)

Isaac Rapaport (1754–1755) Chief Rabbi of Smyrna

Israel Jacob Algazi (b. Turkey) (1755–1756) Head of Yeshivat Bet El

Raphael Samuel Meyuchas (1756–1771) Av Bet Din

Chaim Raphael Abraham Ben Asher (1771–1772) Av Bet Din

Raphael Bula (b. Greece) (1772-1773) member of Bet Din

Yom Tov Algazi (b. Turkey) (1772–1802) son of Israel Jacob Algazi

FRENCH INVASION 1799

Moses Joseph Mordechai Meyuchas (1802–1805) son of Raphael Meyuchas

Mordechai Halevi (1805-1806)

Jacob Moses Ayash al-Maghrebi (b. Morocco) (1806–1807)

Jacob Koral (1807–1813)

Raphael Joseph Hazzan (b. Turkey) (1813–1822) Chief Rabbi of Smyrna

Yom Tov Danon (b. Turkey) (1822–1824)

Solomon Moses Suzin (1824–1836) partly of Mustarabi descent;  

EGYPTIAN RULE 1831

Jonah Moses Navon (1836–1841) Haver  

OTTOMAN RULE 1840

Judah Raphael Navon (1841–1842)

HAHAM BASHI

Haim Avraham Gaggin (b. Turkey) 1842–1848

Isaac Kovo 1848–1854 Jerusalem emissary to Turkey

Haim Abulafia 1854–1860 Chief Rabbi of Damascus

Haim Hazzan (b. Turkey) 1860–1869 son of Raphael Joseph Hazzan

Avraham Ashkenazi (b. Greece) 1869–1880 Av Bet Din in the court of Benjamin Navon

Raphael Meir Panigel (b. Bulgaria) 1880–1893 Hebron emissary to Italy

Jacob Saul Elyashar 1893–1906 son-in-law

Jacob Meir 1906–1907 Av Bet Din in the court of Raphael Israel

Elijah Moses Panigel 1907–1908 nephew of Raphael Panigel

Nahman Batito (b. Algeria) 1908–1911

Moshe Franco 1911 (acting chief rabbi), 1913-1916 (official) Chief Rabbi of Rhodes

Nissim Danon 1916–1918 descendant of Yom Tov Danon

BRITISH RULE 1917

Haim Moshe Eliashar 1918-1921 son of Jacob Elyashar

Below is a list of the presidents/chairment of the VAAD LEUMI, the pre-independence Jewish parliament; the Chief Rabbinate continued after World War I and the establishment British Mandate, and still exists, occupied by an Ashkenazi and a Sephardic. 

Yaacov Thon (b. Ukraine) 1917–1920, Hapoel Hatzair, manager of the Palestine Office in Jaffa - head of a provisional council which preceded the actual formation of the Vaad Leumi in 1920.

David Yellin 1920–1929 Hebrew Language Professor, Deputy Mayor of Jerusalem, elected chairman in the first nationwide elections in 1920, elected again in 1925, resigned office in 1929 due to the Arab riots of that year.

Pinhas Rutenberg (b. Ukraine) 1929–1931 founder, Palestine Electric Co.

Yitzhak Ben Zvi (b. Ukraine) Mapai, MP - elected as chairman in the 1931 elections, held the office until independence in 1948. Elections postponed in the 30s due to the Arab riots and the onslaught of WWII. In 1939, Pinhas Rutenberg was, once again, appointed chairman of the Va'ad while Ben Zvi became President. He held that position until his death in 1942. In the 1944 elections, David Remez (b. Ukraine), was elected as chairman while ben Zvi continued with the title of President.

INDEPENDENCE – KNESSET 

David Ben-Gurion (b. Poland) 1948–1953 Chairman of the Jewish Agency, Mapai

Moshe Sharett (b. Ukraine) 1953–1955, Foreign Minister, Mapai

David Ben-Gurion 1955–1963 Defense Minister

Levi Eshkol (b. Ukraine) 1963–1969 Finance Minister, Mapai, Alignment

Golda Meir who came from Ukraine via the United States 1969–1974 Secretary General of the Labor Party

Yitzhak Rabin 1974–1977 leader of the Labor Party

Menachem Begin (b. Belarus) 1977–1983 Chairman of Likud

Yitzhak Shamir (b. Poland) 1983–1984 Foreign Minister, Likud

Shimon Peres (b. Poland) 1984–1986 Chairman of the Alignment Party

Yitzhak Shamir 1986–1992 Vice Premier, Likud

Yitzhak Rabin 1992–1995 Chairman of the Alignment Party

Shimon Peres 1995–1996 Vice Premier and Foreign Minister, Labor

Benjamin Netanyahu 1996–1999 Member, Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee, Likud

Ehud Barak 1999–2001 Leader of the Labor Party, One Israel

Ariel Sharon 2001–2006 Leader of Likud, Kadimah

Ehud Olmert 2006–2009 Minister of Finance, Kadimah

Benjamin Netanyahu 2009–2021; Leader of Likud

Naftali Bennett 2021 - 2022; Leader of Yamina

Yair lapid 2022; Leader of Yesh Atid

Benjamin Netanyahu 2022 - present