Avigdor Ben-Gal
Avigdor "Yanush" Ben-Gal (Hebrew: אביגדור בן-גל; born 1936) is a former Israeli General.
[edit] Life
Ben-Gal was born 1936 in Lodz, Poland. When he was three years old, World War II broke out with Germany invading Poland. The family fled to Russia and were sent to Siberia. After Yanush's mother died in Siberia, his father decided to save 3-year old Yanush and his 6 year-old sister Liana by bribing some Polish officials to take the youngsters to safety with the Polish Anders' Army. The siblings first ended up in Tehran, then they were sent to India, and after many adventures and hardships they were transported to Israel (at the time part of the British Mandate of Palestine). They were placed in a kibbutz, like many European orphans escaping the Holocaust, but soon fled to Tel Aviv, where they were raised by a distant relative.[1]
During the Yom Kippur War in 1973, Ben-Gal commanded the 7th Armoured Brigade and oversaw the defence of the Golan Heights against Syrian attack. The heroic stand of the 7th Armored Brigade and Yanush Ben-Gal's personal heroism and leadership are believed by many to be decisive factors in the Israeli victory over the Syrians. [2][3][4][5][6]
In late-summer of 1981, Ben-Gal was replaced as commander of the Northern Command by General Amir Drori.[7]
In June 1997 he was called to testify in a libel suit that Ariel Sharon brought against the Israeli newspaper Ha'aretz for their claim that he had concealed his plans for an operation into Lebanon in 1982 - during which Ben Gal was still leading the Northern Command.[8] His testimony at trial, however, contradicted earlier statements he had made at Tel Aviv University where he stated that the greatest problem with the Lebanon War was the ""secret, unapproved plan of the defense minister and chief of staff."" [9]
The following month Ha'aretz requested that the Attorney General investigate the possibility that Ben Gal had given false testimony in court in exchange for business favours from Sharon. The complaint noted that shortly before his appearance at the trial, Ben Gal was sent by Sharon to explore the possibility of a large natural gas deal in Russia. [10]
In 2001, Ben Gal reportedly submitted an application to train the Congo Army in Israel.[11][12]
From 1996 to 2002 he was Chairman of the Board of Directors for Israel Aerospace Industries,[13] [14][15]. He also serves on the board for the International Policy Institute for Counter-Terrorism.
Since 2009 he has been serving as Chairman of the Board of Directors for N.S.O Group Technologies.
[edit] References
- ^ "At 3, He Walked Across Russia; Still Tough, General Ben-Gal Commands the Drive into Lebanon", People, Mira Avrech, April 03, 1978, Vol. 9, No. 13
- ^ The Yom Kippur War: The Epic Encounter That Transformed the Middle East, Volume 2004, Part 2, Abraham Rabinovich, Random House, Inc., 2005, ISBN 9780805211245
- ^ "The Yom Kippur War 1973: The Golan Heights", Simon Dunstan, Howard Gerrard, Illustrator Kevin Lyles, Howard Gerrard, Osprey Publishing, 2003, ISBN 9781841762203
- ^ A portrait of the Israeli soldier, Reuven Gal, Greenwood Publishing Group, 1986, ISBN 9780313243158
- ^ http://www.militaryphotos.net/forums/showthread.php?15150-The-men-who-fought-in-the-Yom-Kippur-War-%28part-two%29
- ^ http://www.eze33.com/pazan/seventh03.htm
- ^ http://www.minesandcommunities.org/article.php?a=7890
- ^ Israel's Lebanon War, Ze'ev Schiff, Ze'ev schiff/ehud ya'ari, Simon and Schuster, 1985, ISBN 9780671602161
- ^ Righteous victims: a history of the Zionist-Arab conflict, 1881-1999, Benny Morris, Random House, Inc., 1999, ISBN 9780679421207
- ^ "Ariel Sharon denies accusation of influencing witness", J Weekly, February 19, 1999
- ^ http://cncblog.congonewschannel.net/2009/07/out-of-africa.html
- ^ http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P1-3594610.html
- ^ http://www.flightglobal.com/pdfarchive/view/1996/1996%20-%201144.html
- ^ http://www.accessmylibrary.com/coms2/summary_0286-25978467_ITM
- ^ http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P1-3594610.html
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