Remembering 5 Of Israel’s Heroes

In Israel, military service is mandatory, combat is more frequent, some operations are continuous, and nearly everyone knows someone who has fallen in battle. Monday, May 5th is Israel’s Memorial Day or Yom HaZikaron, so we are sharing these stories of five extraordinary men who devoted their lives to protecting the Holy Land. Please pause and take a moment to remember those who have served, as well as those who have fallen.

1. Jonathan "Yoni" Netanyahu

The 1976 Israeli raid on Entebbe rescued 95 Jewish hostages from a hijacked plane. During the operation, Israeli operatives landed their planes on the runway as if they were passenger jets and even impersonated the motorcade of Ugandan dictator Idi Amin. The only Israeli operative who died during the raid was Yoni Netanyahu, Benjamin Netanyahu’s brother. Join us in remembering Yoni and the sacrifice he made. Yasher koach! Read more about Yoni’s role in the Entebbe raid here: http://bit.ly/1jmmJ3I Photo: www.yoni.org.il

2. Mordechai “Motta” Gur

Motta was the commander of the brigade that liberated Jerusalem in the 1967 Six Day War. Later in his career as IDF Chief of Staff, he planned and executed the Operation Entebbe in 1976, a raid that freed Jewish hostages in Uganda. He spent over 30 years serving Israel. Kol HaKavod! To learn more about him visit: http://bit.ly/1misWgh Photo: Israel Defense Forces

3. Meir Har-Zion

From rejoining the IDF with only one good arm in order to serve Israel (and do so bravely and skillfully) in the Six Day and Yom Kippur Wars, to going on an illicit mission into the desert to avenge the murder of his beloved sister at the hands of a nomadic tribe, the life of Har-Zion played out like something from an action film. But, as Israeli leaders remember, this champion of the Holy Land and its people was very real, and a very real hero: http://bit.ly/1fxRrre Photo: Israel Defense Forces

4. Abraham Avigdorov

Abraham Avigdorov was part of an underground army of the Jewish community, responsible for taking control of an Arab convoy that was carrying weapons from Beirut, Lebanon, toward Haifa, during the first phase of Israel’s War of Independence. Despite the bravery of his troops in dismantling the vehicle and stopping the convoy, Avigdorov suffered serious burns and a broken jaw. He was later presented with the Hero of Israel Award, married, and had a family. After the Yom Kippur War, he traveled to visit wounded veterans to show them that it was possible to live after a life-changing injury. http://bit.ly/1lEyKSE

5. Moshe Dayan

Moshe Dayan was at the front of two major wars: he was a commander during Israel’s War of Independence and the Israel Defense Minister during the Six-Day War. He became the fighting symbol of Israel, as well as a peace negotiator. The night before the Syria-Lebanon Campaign, Dayan’s unit was exposed and attacked; during this attack he lost his eye. Moshe Dayan spent his entire career defending Israel, whether it was on the ground or behind the scenes as the Defense Minister. For that, we say Kol HaKavod! Learn more about heroes of Israel here: http://bit.ly/1n8cUXw