Avigdor Kahalani
Encyclopedia
Brigadier-General Avigdor Kahalani is a former Israel
i soldier and politician.
during the Mandate era. He studied at Tel Aviv University
, gaining a B.A. in History, before going on to Haifa University
, where he studied for an M.A. in Political Science. He also attended the Command and General Staff College
at Fort Leavenworth
, Kansas
, and graduated from the National Defense College.
, achieving the rank of Brigadier General
. In the Yom Kippur War
(1973), he served as commander of an armored battalion on the Golan Heights. Kahalani received the Medal of Distinguished Service
for service during the Six Day War, where he was badly wounded when his Centurion tank
caught fire. He later received the Medal of Valor for service during the Yom Kippur War
. During this war he commanded a hastily assembled group of tanks and crews from different armour units (The Israeli forces were in a disjointed state due to the surprise combined Arab attack which commenced the war). The group repelled a vastly superior Syrian force which had overrun the Israeli positions in the first days of the war, in the Golan Heights region of northern Israel
. The battle proved to be one of the turning points of the war. After the war, the valley where it took place was littered with hundreds of burned Syrian tanks and was renamed "Emek Ha-Bacha" ("The Valley of Tears
").
, and was elected to the Knesset as a member of the Labor Party in the 1992 election
, he served on the Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense and the Education and Culture Committees. He has been active in the Committee for the Rescue of Jews from Yemen and Chairman of the Golan Lobby in the Knesset. He is also chairman of the Friends of LIBI Foundation and president of the Israeli Association for Drug Rehabilitation.
During the Knesset session, Kahalani broke away from the Labor Party and founded The Third Way
with Emanuel Zisman
. The new party won four seats in the 1996 elections
, and joined Binyamin Netanyahu's coalition, with Kahalani made Minister of Internal Security.
However, in the 1999 elections the party failed to cross the electoral threshold
and Kahalani lost his seat. He later joined Likud, and was placed 43rd on the party's list for the 2003 elections, but missed out on a seat when the party won only 38.
Since November 2007, Kahalani has been serving as chairman of the Organization for the Soldier.
Israel
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
i soldier and politician.
Background
Kahalani was born in Ness ZionaNess Ziona
Ness Ziona is a city in central Israel founded in 1883. At the end of 2009 the city had a total population of 38,100, and its jurisdiction was 15,579 dunams.-Nahalat Reuben:...
during the Mandate era. He studied at Tel Aviv University
Tel Aviv University
Tel Aviv University is a public university located in Ramat Aviv, Tel Aviv, Israel. With nearly 30,000 students, TAU is Israel's largest university.-History:...
, gaining a B.A. in History, before going on to Haifa University
University of Haifa
The University of Haifa is a university in Haifa, Israel.The University of Haifa was founded in 1963 by Haifa mayor Abba Hushi, to operate under the academic auspices of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem....
, where he studied for an M.A. in Political Science. He also attended the Command and General Staff College
Command and General Staff College
The United States Army Command and General Staff College at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas is a graduate school for United States Army and sister service officers, interagency representatives, and international military officers. The college was established in 1881 by William Tecumseh Sherman as a...
at Fort Leavenworth
Fort Leavenworth
Fort Leavenworth is a United States Army facility located in Leavenworth County, Kansas, immediately north of the city of Leavenworth in the upper northeast portion of the state. It is the oldest active United States Army post west of Washington, D.C. and has been in operation for over 180 years...
, Kansas
Kansas
Kansas is a US state located in the Midwestern United States. It is named after the Kansas River which flows through it, which in turn was named after the Kansa Native American tribe, which inhabited the area. The tribe's name is often said to mean "people of the wind" or "people of the south...
, and graduated from the National Defense College.
IDF career
Kahalani was a career officer in the IDFIsrael Defense Forces
The Israel Defense Forces , commonly known in Israel by the Hebrew acronym Tzahal , are the military forces of the State of Israel. They consist of the ground forces, air force and navy. It is the sole military wing of the Israeli security forces, and has no civilian jurisdiction within Israel...
, achieving the rank of Brigadier General
Brigadier General
Brigadier general is a senior rank in the armed forces. It is the lowest ranking general officer in some countries, usually sitting between the ranks of colonel and major general. When appointed to a field command, a brigadier general is typically in command of a brigade consisting of around 4,000...
. In the Yom Kippur War
Yom Kippur War
The Yom Kippur War, Ramadan War or October War , also known as the 1973 Arab-Israeli War and the Fourth Arab-Israeli War, was fought from October 6 to 25, 1973, between Israel and a coalition of Arab states led by Egypt and Syria...
(1973), he served as commander of an armored battalion on the Golan Heights. Kahalani received the Medal of Distinguished Service
Medal of Distinguished Service
The Medal of Distinguished Service is an Israeli military decoration.- Overview :The medal has instituted in 1970 by act of law in the Knesset and could also be awarded also for actions performed before 1970....
for service during the Six Day War, where he was badly wounded when his Centurion tank
Centurion tank
The Centurion, introduced in 1945, was the primary British main battle tank of the post-World War II period. It was a successful tank design, with upgrades, for many decades...
caught fire. He later received the Medal of Valor for service during the Yom Kippur War
Yom Kippur War
The Yom Kippur War, Ramadan War or October War , also known as the 1973 Arab-Israeli War and the Fourth Arab-Israeli War, was fought from October 6 to 25, 1973, between Israel and a coalition of Arab states led by Egypt and Syria...
. During this war he commanded a hastily assembled group of tanks and crews from different armour units (The Israeli forces were in a disjointed state due to the surprise combined Arab attack which commenced the war). The group repelled a vastly superior Syrian force which had overrun the Israeli positions in the first days of the war, in the Golan Heights region of northern Israel
Israel
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
. The battle proved to be one of the turning points of the war. After the war, the valley where it took place was littered with hundreds of burned Syrian tanks and was renamed "Emek Ha-Bacha" ("The Valley of Tears
The Valley of Tears
The Valley of Tears is the name given to an area in the Golan Heights after it became the site of a major battle in the Yom Kippur War...
").
Political career
After leaving the IDF, Kahalani made his way into politics. He served as Deputy Mayor of Tel AvivTel Aviv
Tel Aviv , officially Tel Aviv-Yafo , is the second most populous city in Israel, with a population of 404,400 on a land area of . The city is located on the Israeli Mediterranean coastline in west-central Israel. It is the largest and most populous city in the metropolitan area of Gush Dan, with...
, and was elected to the Knesset as a member of the Labor Party in the 1992 election
Israeli legislative election, 1992
Elections for the thirteenth Knesset were held in Israel on 23 June 1992. The result was a victory for the left, led by Yitzhak Rabin's Labor Party, though their win was at least partially due to several small right-wing parties narrowly failing to cross the electoral threshold and thus effectively...
, he served on the Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense and the Education and Culture Committees. He has been active in the Committee for the Rescue of Jews from Yemen and Chairman of the Golan Lobby in the Knesset. He is also chairman of the Friends of LIBI Foundation and president of the Israeli Association for Drug Rehabilitation.
During the Knesset session, Kahalani broke away from the Labor Party and founded The Third Way
Third Way (Israel)
The Third Way was a political party in Israel in the 1990s.- Background :The party was formed on 7 March 1996 towards the end of the thirteenth Knesset's term when two MKs, Avigdor Kahalani and Emanuel Zisman, broke away from the Labour Party...
with Emanuel Zisman
Emanuel Zisman
Emanuel Zisman was an Israeli politician and ambassador. He served as a member of the Knesset between 1988 and 1999.-Biography:...
. The new party won four seats in the 1996 elections
Israeli legislative election, 1996
Elections for the fourteenth Knesset were held in Israel on 29 May 1996. Voter turnout was 79.3%.The 1996 elections included two new changes, both designed to increase the stability of the Knesset. First, the Prime Minister was to be elected on a separate ballot from the remaining members of the...
, and joined Binyamin Netanyahu's coalition, with Kahalani made Minister of Internal Security.
However, in the 1999 elections the party failed to cross the electoral threshold
Election threshold
In party-list proportional representation systems, an election threshold is a clause that stipulates that a party must receive a minimum percentage of votes, either nationally or within a particular district, to obtain any seats in the parliament...
and Kahalani lost his seat. He later joined Likud, and was placed 43rd on the party's list for the 2003 elections, but missed out on a seat when the party won only 38.
Since November 2007, Kahalani has been serving as chairman of the Organization for the Soldier.
Published works
- The Heights of Courage: A Tank Leader's War on the Golan (1975)
- A Warrior's Way (1989)