Former Israeli Prime Minister.

[UoUo]

http://www.isayeret.com/units/land/intel/767/bibi2.jpg

Former Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, then a young Sayeret MATKAL officer, posing in full gear (including Uzi SMG) before training, June 1973.


woot

"Sayert matkal"
rule !!!! :hug: woot [/img]

[S'13]

His brother, Yoni (short for Jonathan) Netanyahu also served in Sayeret Matkal.
Yoni Netanyahu is one of Israel's most well known heroes.



BATTLE RECORD

Six-day War

In May 1967, Egypt moves its army into the Sinai Desert. With Syria and Jordan encircling Israel, the Arab alliance declared its intent of destroying the Jewish State. Alongside other Israeli civilians, Yoni is once again drafted into service and awaits the coming war.

"I'm glad I hadn't left for college in the U.S. and that I'm here. If something happens, I want to be here in Israel and not abroad. I think that if I were in America now, I'd go crazy! But nothing has happened yet, and all is quiet."

After participating in the pivotal battle of Um-Katef in the Sinai, Yoni and his battalion are moved north to fight the Syrians on the Golan Heights. Four hours before the cease-fire, Yoni attempts to aid a wounded comrade, and is shot in his elbow. Bleeding, he crawls back to the Israeli lines, and upon reaching them, collapses.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------


The Kidnapping from Lebanon

During the summer of 1972, Yoni commands an operation of the Unit in Lebanon, in which his younger brother Iddo also takes part.

Iddo:
"There was a plan to kidnap Syrian officers in order to exchange them for Israeli pilots and navigators who were languishing for a long time in Syrian jails."

Aharon Gabai (solider in Sayeret Matkal):
"The main figure in all the preparations was Yoni. He trained us for the operation. He went to the field with us, taught us how to grab the men, from which side of the vehicle..."

Yoni's force positions itself at nighttime near the border with Lebanon. When the Syrian convoy and their Lebanese escorts near, Yoni moves in. The convoy is warned by Lebanese civilians and turns back, but Yoni and his men pursue them. In a brief firefight, they overcome the Lebanese escorts and capture the Syrian officers.

Iddo:
"When we crossed the border to Israel with the fancy Chevrolet that we captured, full of victory and glory, I remember that Yoni wasn't even with us. He was somewhere in a Lebanese village, trying to find out what happened to a car he thought had escaped.
The Israeli pilots are later freed from Syria in exchange for the top-ranking captives of the Syrian Intelligence."


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Yom Kippur War

On Yom Kippur, October 6, 1973, Egypt and Syria launch a surprise attack. Israel faces its most severe challenge since 1948. Despite a disastrous start and far smaller numbers, Israel's soldiers succeed, at heavy cost, to block the Arab onslaught. The opening of war finds Yoni and his men in the Golan heights facing the advancing Syrian army.

General Shai Avital:
"Here, beyond these volcanic rocks, the Syrians lay and shot at our half-tracks, and here an officer - Gideon Avidov - was killed. Baruch Zuckerman was hit further on. After our first assault, fear settled in, a great fear. That's when I looked up and saw Yoni. He had gathered a group of soldiers and was advancing, seeking the Syrian commandos, shooting his way forward. Yoni was walking very calmly, as if he were in a drill, with soldiers to his right and to his left. He gave us the confidence to get up and join him in battle.
Forty Syrian commandos, on a mission was to capture Israel's headquarters on the Golan Heights, are destroyed by Yoni's smaller force.
Yoni loses two of his soldiers.
Once the Syria advance is blocked, Israel counterattacks. Yoni and his soldiers accompany the armored brigade that penetrates Syrian-held territory."


General Yosi Ben Hanan (armored battalion commander during the Yom Kippur War):
"Four men were killed, and in my tank Henry Vidal got killed. Only two of us were left - myself, wounded, half-conscious near the tank, unable to take control, and the tank driver, private Zvika Rosenzweig, who made contact over the radio to inform the Brigade commander Yanosh that the battalion commander was still alive. When I recovered a bit I too spoke on the radio. Yanosh said to me: Don't worry, your buddy will get you out...
Yoni followed the tracks of the tanks, and came to me with his force of two armored personnel carriers. They put me on a stretcher, and because I recognized Yoni I started to say: "Be careful! There's shooting!" Stuff like that. And Yoni told me: "Yosi, be quiet now. I'm in command here."



Yoni was killed in action while commanding Operation Entebbe, making his name immortal.

The raid on Entebbe, actually called Operation Thunderball, and afterwards renamed Operation Jonathan after the raid commander, Col. Jonathan Netanyahu, who died in it, occurred on the night of July 3 and early morning of July 4, 1976.

Three Hercules transport aircraft landed at the Entebbe, Uganda airport to free hostages taken on Air France Flight 193 in an aircraft hijacking, and now held in the Old Terminal of the airport. The terrorists had chosen to keep only Jewish prisoners, leaving the State of Israel as the only country with stakes in the issue. The hijackers were 8 PLO and 2 Baader-Meinhof Gang members. They were apparently supported by the Ugandian regime of pro-palestine Idi Amin.

Over a hundred IDF troops including the elite Sayeret team arrived to conduct the assault; some Mossad troops might have taken part in the assault as well. Late at night, the assault began.

A black Mercedes with accompanying jeeps were brought along to avoid suspicion while the Israeli troops drove from the landed plane to the terminal building: this would look like a company of Idi Amin or another high official with escort.

The raid lasted only 100 seconds and six terrorists were killed. One hostage was killed when he leaped at the Israeli forces. Of the 83 hostages, three died. It is speculated that Israel captured some of the terrorists but there is no confirmation of that. Ugandan forces also opened fire on Israeli troops killing Col. Netanyahu. 45 Ugandan soldiers were killed and all Ugandan fighter planes at the airport were destroyed.

There was one other fatality: Dora Bloch, a 75-year-old hostage, was recovering from a choking episode in a Kampala hospital when the Israelis struck; Idi Amin is presumed to have taken revenge after the raid and had her killed.




http://www.jr.co.il/pictures/israel/people/jrilp095.jpg


http://www.isayeret.com/units/land/intel/767/sm.jpg

[fred_engles]

Didn't Benjamin Netanyahu serve under Ehud Barak while in S'M?

[UoUo]

yep...

Take this....

http://www.isayeret.com/units/land/intel/767/1.jpg

Former Israeli Prime Minister Ehoud Barak, then a young Sayeret MATKAL officer, posing for the camera armed with a suppressed IMI Uzi LMG,




http://www.isayeret.com/units/land/intel/767/5.jpg

Operation Isotope, May 1972

The man from the left is Ehoud Barak.

[army cadet_ngcsu]

Dude, I wish our Presidents were as cool as the Israeli Prime Ministers. Our past couple Presidents have been draft dodgers, B movie actors, and a peanut farmer.

[hahaha]

Wasn't Istak Rabin a member of Israeli's armed forces too ? (apologies for the spelling, I was referring to the man who was assasinated by the young jewish student at a press conference or something a couple of years ago.... please correct me if I'm wrong)

[fred_engles]

Wasn't Istak Rabin a member of Israeli's armed forces too ? (apologies for the spelling, I was referring to the man who was assasinated by the young jewish student at a press conference or something a couple of years ago.... please correct me if I'm wrong)Since Israel has mandatory military service, practically every major politician served in the IDF, and most with at least some distinction.

Among Prime Ministers, Yitzhak Rabin had a particularly noteworthy military career (Chief of Staff, like Barak). But even Shimon Peres, Israeli leftist, peace-prize winner, and very unwarlike-seeming guy, was at one point an IDF general (admiral?) and a Minister of Defense.

The only Israeli PMs I can think of who likely never served were Golda Meir, David Ben-Gurion, and Moshe Sharett, and most of those were simply too early in the state's history: they were already significant politcal figures at the time of the State's founding.

I'm not Israeli; so any Israelis care to correct me?

[IDFM203]

good job there fred!! :D You’re generally right with your assessments though something needs to be made clear about Shimon Peres.

But even Shimon Peres, Israeli leftist, peace-prize winner, and very unwarlike-seeming guy, heheh :D well that’s because he was never a soldier per say. He never actually lifted a weapon and fought. All of his postings were either in procurement of arms (before 1948 and during that war) and then in other things after. But they were all from command positions that were away from the field for the most part.

Shalom :D

[UoUo]

The man in my sig is Istak Rabin.

woot

[StarvingStudent47]

Dude, I wish our Presidents were as cool as the Israeli Prime Ministers. Our past couple Presidents have been draft dodgers, B movie actors, and a peanut farmer.

Seriously. Ever see the movie Air Force One, where Harrison Ford is President and fights to take his plane back from terrorists? The most recent President I can ever imagine doing that (Republican or Democrat, I'm not being partisan here) is John F. Kennedy. I have to go back 40 freakin' years.