Yisrael Galili – Haganah Commander and PoliticianYisrael Galili was born in 1911 in Ukraine and immi
Yisrael Galili – Haganah Commander and PoliticianYisrael Galili was born in 1911 in Ukraine and immigrated to thye Land of Israel with his family at the age of three. When he was only thirteen years old he helped found Hanoar Haoved (lit. The Working Youth), the youth movement of the Workers Union in Israel. In 1927 he enlisted in the Haganah and was later appointed to the Haganah’s leadership committee, eventually put in charge of arms acquisitions. During WWII Galili was one of heads in charge of preparing a defense for the potential Nazi invasion of Israel. In 1946, Galili was appointed Chief of Staff of the Haganah, replacing Yaakov Dori, whose health was deteriorating. During his tenure, Galili help establish the air, armored, and artillery units of the future IDF. He was also in charge of the negotiations with the Irgun and the Lehi, resulting in their merging with the Haganah to form the IDF.With an exception of the second Knesset, Galili served in the first until the eighth Knesset. He was also very close with Golda Meir and was one of her most trusted advisers. Galili passed away on February 8, 1986.My Nation Lives עמי-חי -- source link