1998 in Israel

Incumbents

• President of Israel – Ezer Weizman
• Prime Minister of Israel – Benjamin Netanyahu
• President of the Supreme Court – Aharon Barak
• Chief of General Staff – Amnon Lipkin-Shahak until 9 July, Shaul Mofaz
• Government of Israel – 27th Government of Israel

Events

• 19 January – The first two F-15I Ra’am planes landed in Hatzerim Airbase on January 19, 1998, and an audience of 3,000 had gathered at the base to watch the arrival of Heyl Ha’avir’s most advanced fighters
• 22 January – The launch of the Israeli reconnaissance satellite Ofek-4 fails.
• 1 April – The Azrieli Center complex of skyscrapers officially opens, becoming the tallest building in Israel.
• 9 May – Dana International wins first place for Israel at the Eurovision Song Contest with the song “Diva”.
• 9 July – Shaul Mofaz, is appointed as the 16th Chief of Staff of the Israel Defense Forces.
• 26 November – Miss Israel, Linor Abargil, wins the title of Miss World 1998.

Israeli–Palestinian conflict

• 23 October – Benjamin Netanyahu and Yasser Arafat sign the Wye River Memorandum which details the steps to be taken by the Israeli government and the Palestinian Authority to implement the earlier Interim Agreement of 1995.

• 29 October – Kfar Darom bombing
• 6 November – Jerusalem bombing

Unknown dates

• The founding of the community settlement Ahuzat Barak.

Notable births

• 13 June – Abdallah El Akal, actor
• 2 November – Nadav Guedj, singer

Notable deaths

• 20 January – Zevulun Hammer, Israeli politician.
• 10 March – Rabbi Hayim David HaLevi, Chief Rabbi of Tel Aviv.
• 14 May – Yitzhak Modai, Israeli politician.
• 16 May – Idov Cohen, Romanian-born Israeli politician.
• 20 May – Jacob Katz, Hungarian-born Israeli historian.
• 13 June – Nisim Aloni, Israeli playwright.
• 13 July – Ben Zion Abba Shaul, Israeli Sephardic rabbi.
• 29 September – Nechama Hendel, Israeli singer, actress, guitarist and entertainer.

Major public holidays