- For the former Mossad operative and director of the Israeli Bureau of Scientific Relations, and current leader of Gil, see Rafi Eitan. The Mossad ( HaMossad leModi'in v'leTafkidim Meyuhadim) (המוסד למודיעין ולתפקידים מיוחדים - Institute for Intelligence and Special Operations Lekem, short for Lishkat Kishrei Mada ( Bureau of Scientific Relations) was an Israeli intelligence agency Gil (גיל lit Age, but also an acronym for Gimla'ey Yisrael LaKnesset (Hebrew גימלאי ישראל לכנסת lit For the former Israeli Defense Forces Chief of Staff and former Israeli Minister of Agriculture, see Rafael Eitan Rafael
| Rafael Eitan | |
|---|---|
| Date of birth | 11 January 1929 |
| Place of birth | Afula, Mandate Palestine |
| Date of death | 23 November 2004 |
| Knesset(s) | 11th, 12th, 13th, 14th |
| Party | Tzomet |
| Former parties | Tehiya |
| Gov't roles (current in bold) |
Deputy Prime Minister Minister of Agriculture Minister of the Environment |
Rafael "Raful" Eitan (Hebrew: רפאל "רפול" איתן, born 11 January 1929, died 23 November 2004) was an Israeli general, former Chief of Staff of the Israeli Defence Forces and later a politician, a Knesset member government minister. Events 1055 - Theodora is crowned Empress of the Byzantine Empire. Year 1929 ( MCMXXIX) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Afula (עֲפוּלָה العفولة al-ʻAfūlaḧ is a city in the North District of Israel, often known as the "Capital of the Valley" referring The Palestine Mandate, was a set of protocols or articles that formed a multilateral legal and administrative agreement Events 800 - Charlemagne arrives at Rome to investigate the alleged crimes of "MMIV" redirects here For the Modest Mouse album see " Baron von Bullshit Rides Again " Elections for the eleventh Knesset were held in Israel on 23 July 1984 Elections for the twelfth Knesset were held in Israel on 1 November 1988 Elections for the thirteenth Knesset were held in Israel on 23 June, 1992. Elections for the fourteenth Knesset were held in Israel alongside the first ever election for Prime Minister on 29 May, 1996. Tzomet (צומת lit Crossroads) is a small Secular, right-wing political party in Israel. Tehiya (תחיה Revival) originally known as Banai (Hebrew בנא"י an acronym for Land of Israel Loyalists' Alliance (Hebrew ברית נאמני Deputy leaders in Israel fall into three categories Acting Prime Minister Deputy Prime Minister and Vice Prime Minister The Agriculture Minister of Israel (שר החקלאות Sar HaHakla'ut) is the political head of the Israeli Ministry of Agriculture and a relatively minor position Events 1055 - Theodora is crowned Empress of the Byzantine Empire. Year 1929 ( MCMXXIX) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Events 800 - Charlemagne arrives at Rome to investigate the alleged crimes of "MMIV" redirects here For the Modest Mouse album see " Baron von Bullshit Rides Again " For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Israel topics. The Israel Defense Forces ( IDF) (צְבָא הַהֲגָנָה לְיִשְׂרָאֵל, lit A politician (from Greek " Polis " is an individual who is involved in influencing public decision making through the influence of Politics or a person For Beit Knesset a Jewish Place of worship, see Synagogue. The Knesset (כנסת lit The Cabinet of Israel is a formal body composed of government officials chosen and led by a Prime Minister. Born in Afula during the Mandate era, Eitan was raised in Moshav Tel Adashim, where he spent most of his life. Afula (עֲפוּלָה العفولة al-ʻAfūlaḧ is a city in the North District of Israel, often known as the "Capital of the Valley" referring The Palestine Mandate, was a set of protocols or articles that formed a multilateral legal and administrative agreement Moshav ( is a type of Cooperative Agricultural Community of individual farms pioneered by the Labour Zionists during the second
Contents |
Early life
He was born in Afula in 1929 to Subbotnik parents, originally of Russian ethnicity. Afula (עֲפוּלָה العفولة al-ʻAfūlaḧ is a city in the North District of Israel, often known as the "Capital of the Valley" referring Year 1929 ( MCMXXIX) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Subbotniks ( Russian: Субботники, lit " Sabbatarians " are one of the Russian religious bodies known under the The Russian people (Русские— Russkie) are an East Slavic Ethnic group, primarily living in Russia and neighboring countries His father Eliyahu was one of the founders of Hashomer. Hashomer (השומר ("The Watchman" was a Jewish defense organization in Palestine founded out of Bar-Giora in April 1909
Rafael was raised in the Tel Adashim Moshav. Moshav ( is a type of Cooperative Agricultural Community of individual farms pioneered by the Labour Zionists during the second His father gave him, and his brothers and sisters a strict education.
Rafael himself married Miriam, and together they had five children (he will divorce her a few years before his tragic death and marrie Ofra Meirson).
Military career
Early battles
Eitan was a junior officer in the Palmach, the Haganah's elite strike force and took part in the Israel's War of Independence. The Palmach ( Hebrew: פלמ"ח an acronym for Plugot Maḥatz (Hebrew פלוגות מחץ Strike Companies) was the regular fighting force Haganah ( Hebrew: "The Defense" ההגנה was a Jewish Paramilitary organization in what was then the British Mandate of Palestine He fought in Jerusalem and received a head wound in the battle for the San Simon Monastery in April 1948. Jerusalem (יְרוּשָׁלַיִם, he-Latn Yerushaláyim; Arabic: ar القُدس, ar-Latn al-Quds) is the Year 1948 ( MCMXLVIII) was a Leap year starting on Thursday (link will display the 1948 calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Later he served with the 10th Infantry Battalion in the Lachish-Negev region.
In 1954, Captain Eitan became commander of a Paratroops company in Unit 101. Unit 101 was a Special forces unit of the Israeli Defence Force (IDF founded and commanded by Ariel Sharon on orders from Prime Minister During Operation Kinereth in 1955 he received a machine gun wound to his chest, while participating in a military raid into Syria, for this action he was decorated with the Medal of Courage. For other uses of the phrase see Machine Gun (disambiguation. Syria ( سوريّة or) officially the Syrian Arab Republic (Arabic ar الجمهورية العربية السورية The Medal of Courage (עיטור העוז Itur HaOz) is an Israeli military decoration.
In the 1956 Sinai war, Major Eitan was the commander of the 890 Paratroopers battalion and participated in the October 29 parachute attack on the Mitla Pass. Year 1956 ( MCMLVI) was a Leap year starting on Sunday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. The Suez Crisis, also referred to as the Tripartite Aggression, (أزمة السويس - العدوان الثلاثي Crise du canal de Suez מבצע קדש Kadesh The Paratroopers Brigade (חטיבת הצנחנים Hativat HaTzanhanim) also known as the 35th Brigade, is a unit of Paratroopers within the Events 437 - Valentinian III, Western Roman Emperor, marries Licinia Eudoxia, daughter of his cousin Theodosius II
During the Six Day War in early June 1967, as a Colonel he commanded the Paratroopers Brigade on the Gaza front, and received a severe head wound in combat while approaching the Suez Canal. Background Suez Crisis aftermath The Suez Crisis of 1956 represented a military defeat but a political victory for Egypt The Paratroopers Brigade (חטיבת הצנחנים Hativat HaTzanhanim) also known as the 35th Brigade, is a unit of Paratroopers within the The Gaza Strip (قطاع غزة, רצועת עזה Retzu'at 'Azza) is a coastal strip of land along the Mediterranean Sea, bordering Egypt on the south-west
In 1969 he was appointed head of infantry forces and later served as a division commander. Year 1969 ( MCMLXIX) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. As a division commander, Brig. General Eitan stopped the Syrian attack into the Golan Heights during the October 1973 Yom Kippur War. Syria ( سوريّة or) officially the Syrian Arab Republic (Arabic ar الجمهورية العربية السورية Borders of Israel The Golan Heights ( الجولان al-Jawlān, הגולן ha-Golan) is a strategic Plateau and mountainous The Yom Kippur War, Ramadan War or October War (מלחמת יום הכיפורים transliterated: Milkhemet Yom HaKipurim or מלחמת יום After the war he was appointed to commander of the northern command and promoted to the rank of Major General,
Chief of Staff
On April 1, 1978, Eitan was promoted to the rank of General and was appointed by Ezer Weizman to be the Chief of Staff of the Israel Defense Forces. Major General or Major-General is a Military rank used in many countries Events 527 - Byzantine Emperor Justin I names his nephew Justinian I as co-ruler and successor to the throne Year 1978 ( MCMLXXVIII) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link displays the 1978 Gregorian calendar) (עזר ויצמן ( June 15, 1924 - April 24, 2005) was the seventh President of Israel, serving a seven-year term from 1993 to The Israel Defense Forces ( IDF) (צְבָא הַהֲגָנָה לְיִשְׂרָאֵל, lit
Eitan opened his term with symbolic steps to increase discipline and efficiency in the IDF. In its most general sense discipline refers to systematic instruction given to a Disciple. He required soldiers to wear the military beret and to collect spent cartridges after rifle range practice.
Eitan oversaw the redeployment of the IDF outside Sinai after the Sinai peninsula was handed back to Egypt. The Sinai Peninsula or Sinai ( Coptic: sina; Egyptian Arabic: sina سينا Arabic, sina'a سيناء The Sinai Peninsula or Sinai ( Coptic: sina; Egyptian Arabic: sina سينا Arabic, sina'a سيناء This article is about the country of Egypt For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Egypt topics. He and Sharon demolished the Israeli city of Yamit in Sinai in April 1982 after the Egyptians refused to pay for its infrastructure. Yamit (ימית was an Israeli settlement of 600 homes and approximately 2500 inhabitants in the northeastern part of the Sinai Peninsula that was established during Year 1982 ( MCMLXXXII) was a Common year starting on Friday (link displays the 1982 Gregorian calendar)
As Chief of Staff, Eitan initiated a project that was known as "Raful Youth" (Na'arei Raful), in which young persons from low socio-economic background were integrated into the IDF and were trained for professions that allowed them to come out of poverty and avoid getting involved in crime. Socioeconomics or socio-economics is the study of the relationship between economic activity and Social life. In the sociological field, crime is the breach of a rule or Law for which some governing authority or force may ultimately prescribe a Punishment The IDF also helped those youth to complete their high school studies. High school is the name used in some parts of the world (in particular Scotland, North America and Australia) to describe an institution
He was Chief of Staff at the time of the Israeli air attack on Iraq's Osirak nuclear reactor complex on June 7, 1981. Operation Opera (מבצע אופרה Mivtza Opera, also known as Operation Babylon and Operation Ofra) was a surprise Israeli Air strike For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Iraq topics. Osirak, also spelled Osiraq, (French Osirak Iraqi Tammuz 1 was a 40 MW light-water nuclear materials testing reactor (MTR in
Lebanon War
On June 3, 1982, Abu Nidal's militant group gravely wounded Israel's ambassador in London, Shlomo Argov as a result of an assassination attempt. Events 350 - Roman usurper Nepotianus, of the Constantinian dynasty, proclaims himself Roman Emperor, entering Year 1982 ( MCMLXXXII) was a Common year starting on Friday (link displays the 1982 Gregorian calendar) Abu Nidal (أبو نضال (May 1937&ndashAugust 16 2002 born Sabri Khalil al-Banna, (Arabic صبري خليل البنا was a Palestinian political leader An ambassador is the highest ranking Diplomat who represents their country London ( ˈlʌndən is the capital and largest urban area in the United Kingdom. Shlomo Argov ( December 14, 1929 - February 23, 2003) was a prominent Israeli diplomat In response, the Israeli Air Force bombed Palestinian refugee camps in Lebanon. The Israeli Air Force ( IAF; Hebrew: זרוע האויר והחלל Zroa HaAvir VeHahalal, "Air and Space Arm" commonly known as חיל Palestinian people or Palestinians ( الشعب الفلسطيني, ash-sha`b al-filasTīni; الفلسطينيون, al-filasTīnīyyūn Lebanon (ˈlɛbənɒn Arabic: ar لبنان Lubnān) officially the Republic of Lebanon or Lebanese Republic (ar الجمهورية اللبنانية The bombing caused Palestinian militants to shell Israel's northern settlements and resulted in the June 4th order to begin the 1982 Lebanon War. Events 781 BC - The first historic Solar eclipse is recorded in China. The 1982 Lebanon War (מלחמת לבנון Milhemet Levanon) (الإجتياح Al-Ijtīāḥ, "the invasion" called by Israel the Operation Peace The operation was launched on June 6 and soon became a full-scale invasion. Events 1508 - Maximilian I Holy Roman Emperor, is defeated in Friulia by Venetian forces; he is forced to sign a three-year An invasion is a military offensive consisting of all or large parts of the Armed forces of one geopolitical entity aggressively entering territory The Israeli plan was to drive the PLO away from the Israeli border and help Bachir Gemayel's Phalangist militia take control of south Lebanon. The Palestine Liberation Organization ( PLO) (منظمة التحرير الفلسطينية or Munazzamat al-Tahrir al-Filastiniyyah) is a political and paramilitary Bachir Gemayel ( 10 November 1947 – 14 September 1982) (also known as Sheikh Bachir Gemayel first name also spelled The Lebanese Kataeb Party ( Arabic: الكتائب اللبنانية Kataeb is the Plural of Katiba which is a translation into Arabic of the Greek word During the war, the IDF faced the Syrian military, Palestinian militants and various militias, such as Hezbollah. Syria ( سوريّة or) officially the Syrian Arab Republic (Arabic ar الجمهورية العربية السورية The term militia is commonly used today to refer to a military force composed of ordinary Citizens to provide defense emergency law enforcement or Paramilitary service Hezbollah (حزب الله, literally " party of God " is a Shi'a Islamic political and Paramilitary organisation The IDF engaged in urban warfare and shelled Beirut to hit PLO headquarters. Urban warfare is modern warfare conducted in Urban areas such as Towns and cities. Beirut (بيروت Bayrūt) is the Capital and Largest city of Lebanon with a population of over 2
The IDF achieved some impressive military results - such as wiping out the entire Syrian air defense system in the first days of the war, under the command of IAF Major general David Ivri. The Israeli Air Force ( IAF; Hebrew: זרוע האויר והחלל Zroa HaAvir VeHahalal, "Air and Space Arm" commonly known as חיל Major General or Major-General is a Military rank used in many countries David Ivry (born 1934 was the Israeli Ambassador to the United States from 2000 to 2002 and the ninth commander of the Israeli Air Force But it also had some failures, such as the battle of Sultan Yaakov.
The operation was designed to be limited - both in time and area - but the IDF advanced far beyond the planned "40 kilometers" under the command of Defense Minister Ariel Sharon. (אריאל The mounting Israeli casualties in Lebanon, combined with the Sabra and Shatila Massacre, resulted in mass protests by the Israeli public against the war - which resulted in a cease-fire agreements and the establishment of the Kahan Commission to investigate the massacre. This page is related to the 1982 events only For the 1985&ndash1987 events see War of the camps. The Kahan Commission (ועדת כהן formally known as the Commission of Inquiry into the Events at the Refugee Camps in Beirut, was established by the Israeli government The commission concluded that Israel was not directly responsible for the massacre but that senior Israeli officials such as Sharon and Eitan were culpable in part. Although Sharon was removed as Minister of Defense, the committee recommended no sanctions against Eitan.
Nevertheless, Eitan's reputation became identified with the failed Lebanon War.
Political career
After his retirement from the army, on April 1983, Eitan entered politics. Year 1983 ( MCMLXXXIII) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link displays the 1983 Gregorian calendar) Politics Politics is the process by which groups of people make decisions He had the image of the sabra Israeli who connected to his roots and to the land. Sabra (צבר is a term used to describe a native-born Israeli Jew. His background in agriculture and hobbies such as wood work and flight contributed to this image, which attracted many in the Israeli public. Agriculture refers to the production of goods through the growing of plants and fungi and the raising of domesticated Animals The study of agriculture A carpenter (builder is a skilled craftsman who performs carpentry - a wide range of Woodworking that includes constructing buildings, Flight is the process by which an object achieves sustained movement either through the Air (or movement beyond Earth's atmosphere, in the case of
Eitan was considered to be a conservative advocating tough policies toward Palestinian terror. On April 12, 1983 Eitan said in a Knesset committee meeting: "The Arabs will never defeat us by throwing stones. Events 467 - Anthemius is elevated to Emperor of the Western Roman Empire. Year 1983 ( MCMLXXXIII) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link displays the 1983 Gregorian calendar) For Beit Knesset a Jewish Place of worship, see Synagogue. The Knesset (כנסת lit Our answer will be a nationalist Zionist solution. For every stone throwing - we'll establish ten settlements. If there will be - and there will be - a hundred settlements between Nablus and Jerusalem, no stones will be thrown. Nablus ( sometimes Nābulus; Arabic:; næːblʊs is a Palestinian city in the northern West Bank, approximately north of Jerusalem Jerusalem (יְרוּשָׁלַיִם, he-Latn Yerushaláyim; Arabic: ar القُدس, ar-Latn al-Quds) is the " . [1]
Eitan initially joined the Tehiya party and was first elected to the Knesset in 1984. Tehiya (תחיה Revival) originally known as Banai (Hebrew בנא"י an acronym for Land of Israel Loyalists' Alliance (Hebrew ברית נאמני Elections for the eleventh Knesset were held in Israel on 23 July 1984 Later he established an ultra-nationalist party called Tzomet, which had conservative views on defense and foreign policy but a liberal and secular domestic platform. Tzomet (צומת lit Crossroads) is a small Secular, right-wing political party in Israel. He was elected to the 11th Knesset and served as Minister of Agriculture between 1988 and 1991, when Tzomet left the government. Elections for the twelfth Knesset were held in Israel on 1 November 1988 The Agriculture Minister of Israel (שר החקלאות Sar HaHakla'ut) is the political head of the Israeli Ministry of Agriculture and a relatively minor position Year 1988 ( MCMLXXXVIII) was a Leap year starting on Friday (link displays 1988 Gregorian calendar) Year 1991 ( MCMXCI) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian Calendar. In the 1992 elections, Tzomet achieved a record of eight seats, but Eitan refused to join Yitzhak Rabin's coalition. Elections for the thirteenth Knesset were held in Israel on 23 June, 1992.
However, Eitan had troubles in controlling his party, resulting in some Knesset members splitting from Tzomet to join other parties. When Rabin presented the Oslo II Accords to the Knesset, it managed to pass only with the support of Alex Goldfarb and Gonen Segev - two Tzomet members who were promised ministries by Rabin in return for their support. Israeli-Palestinian conflict The Oslo Accords, officially called the Declaration of Principles on Interim Self-Government Arrangements or Declaration of Principles For Beit Knesset a Jewish Place of worship, see Synagogue. The Knesset (כנסת lit Alex Goldfarb (אלכס גולדפרב born 1 June 1947) is an Israeli Politician and Electrician. Gonen Segev (גונן שגב born 6 January, 1956) in Kiryat Motzkin is a former Israeli member of Knesset and government
On 1996, Tzomet joined an alliance of Likud and Gesher headed by Benjamin Netanyahu. Year 1996 ( MCMXCVI) was a Leap year starting on Monday (link will display full 1996 Gregorian calendar) Likud (ליכוד lit Consolidation) is the major centre-right political party in Israel. Gesher (גשר Bridge) was a political party in Israel. History Foundation Gesher was set up by David Levy as a (בִּנְיָמִין "ביבי" נְתַנְיָהוּ Binyamin "Bibi" Netanyahu, born October 21 1949, Tel Aviv) was Although the triumvarate lost the Knesset election to Labour, Netanyahu won the election for Prime Minister, allowing him to form the government. Elections for the fourteenth Knesset were held in Israel alongside the first ever election for Prime Minister on 29 May, 1996. The first ever election for Prime Minister was held in Israel on 29 May 1996 alongside simultaneous Knesset elections. Eitan was promised the ministry of internal security, but a criminal investigation against him blocked his nomination. The investigation eventually cleared Eitan and the case was closed on 1998 due to "lack of evidence". Year 1998 ( MCMXCVIII) was a Common year starting on Thursday (link will display full 1998 Gregorian calendar) In the meantime, Eitan served as Agriculture and Environment minister and also as a deputy prime minister (1998-1999).
In 1999 Tzomet failed to win any Knesset seats and Eitan retired from politics. Year 1999 ( MCMXCIX) was a Common year starting on Friday (link will display full 1999 Gregorian calendar)
Death
On November 23, 2004, Eitan arrived at the Mediterranean sea port of Ashdod, where he was overseeing a port expansion project. Events 800 - Charlemagne arrives at Rome to investigate the alleged crimes of "MMIV" redirects here For the Modest Mouse album see " Baron von Bullshit Rides Again " The Port of Ashdod is Israel 's main cargo Port, processing approximately 60% of Israeli marine cargo. A large wave swept him from a breakwater into the sea and he was lost in rough waters for over an hour. Eitan's body was recovered by the Israeli Navy and he was pronounced dead after efforts to revive him failed. [2]
Bibliography
- A Soldier's Story: The Life and Times of an Israeli War Hero by Raful Eitan (ISBN 1-56171-016-4)
See also
References
- ^ Chief of Staff: A settlement for every stone Yedioth Ahronoth, 13 April 1983 (scanned)
- ^ Former Israeli army chief drowns BBC News, 23 November 2004
External links
- Rafael Eitan on the Knesset website (in English)
- Rafael "Raful" Eitan Jewish Virtual Library
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