Shimon Avidan

Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
Shimon Avidan
Born
Siegbert Koch

(1911-02-07)February 7, 1911
DiedSeptember 11, 1994(1994-09-11) (aged 83)
Military career
Allegiance Israel
Commands held
Conflicts
Other workInternational Brigades

Shimon Avidan (

1948 Arab-Israeli war
.

Born in Germany, he moved to Mandatory Palestine in 1934, and lived on Kibbutz Ayelet HaShahar and then Ein HaShofet[1] He fought with the International Brigades during the Spanish Civil War.[2]

Avidan is also known for his activities in the

Lehi.[3]

During the 1948 war he was the operational commander of Operation Nachshon, Operation Barak, Operation Pleshet and Operation An-Far. His troops also fought at Nitzanim as well as joining Operation Death to the Invader and Operation Yoav.

He resigned from the army after, according to Chaim Herzog, "His extreme left-wing philosophy proved to be irreconcilable with David Ben-Gurion's policies."[4] In 1975, he was appointed as the internal comptroller of the Ministry of Defense by the minister Shimon Peres.[1]

Avidan died in 1994 at age 83. Streets were named for him in Rishon LeZion and Beersheba.

References

  1. ^ a b c Ayalon, Avraham (1982). "Givati". IDF in Its Corps: Army and Security Encyclopedia (in Hebrew). Vol. 11. Revivim Publishing. p. 148.
  2. . Page 69. 'A slight, fair-haired, determined man, with a toothbrush like mustache, He was a natural leader.'
  3. . Page 51.
  4. ^ Herzog (1982), p. 70