Shlomo Gazit
Encyclopedia
Shlomo Gazit is a retired Major General
in the Israel Defense Forces
and was in the past head of the intelligence service of the Israeli army, 1974–1978.
Gazit was born in 1926 in Istanbul
, Turkey
, to a family of Ukrainian
Jews
. He served as the head of the assessment department in IDF intelligence before the Six Day War, but then took leave to study for a Master degree in history
. Gazit's studies were interrupted in the summer of 1967, when he was appointed by Defense Minister Moshe Dayan
to be in charge of a committee tasked with running the political, security, and later economic affairs in the newly captured territories. This group would later be renamed "The Unit for the Coordination of Operations in the Territories".
After seven years, Gazit was promoted to head of the Military Intelligence Directorate, a position he held from 1974 to 1978.
Upon his retirement from the IDF, he served as President of the Ben Gurion University in Beersheba
for two four-year terms. Since 1988 he is a member of the staff of Jaffee Center for Strategic Studies at the Tel Aviv University
.
Major General
Major general or major-general is a military rank used in many countries. It is derived from the older rank of sergeant major general. A major general is a high-ranking officer, normally subordinate to the rank of lieutenant general and senior to the ranks of brigadier and brigadier general...
in the Israel Defense Forces
Israel 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...
and was in the past head of the intelligence service of the Israeli army, 1974–1978.
Gazit was born in 1926 in Istanbul
Istanbul
Istanbul , historically known as Byzantium and Constantinople , is the largest city of Turkey. Istanbul metropolitan province had 13.26 million people living in it as of December, 2010, which is 18% of Turkey's population and the 3rd largest metropolitan area in Europe after London and...
, Turkey
Turkey
Turkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe...
, to a family of Ukrainian
Ukraine
Ukraine is a country in Eastern Europe. It has an area of 603,628 km², making it the second largest contiguous country on the European continent, after Russia...
Jews
Jews
The Jews , also known as the Jewish people, are a nation and ethnoreligious group originating in the Israelites or Hebrews of the Ancient Near East. The Jewish ethnicity, nationality, and religion are strongly interrelated, as Judaism is the traditional faith of the Jewish nation...
. He served as the head of the assessment department in IDF intelligence before the Six Day War, but then took leave to study for a Master degree in history
History
History is the discovery, collection, organization, and presentation of information about past events. History can also mean the period of time after writing was invented. Scholars who write about history are called historians...
. Gazit's studies were interrupted in the summer of 1967, when he was appointed by Defense Minister Moshe Dayan
Moshe Dayan
Moshe Dayan was an Israeli military leader and politician. The fourth Chief of Staff of the Israel Defense Forces , he became a fighting symbol to the world of the new State of Israel...
to be in charge of a committee tasked with running the political, security, and later economic affairs in the newly captured territories. This group would later be renamed "The Unit for the Coordination of Operations in the Territories".
After seven years, Gazit was promoted to head of the Military Intelligence Directorate, a position he held from 1974 to 1978.
Upon his retirement from the IDF, he served as President of the Ben Gurion University in Beersheba
Beersheba
Beersheba is the largest city in the Negev desert of southern Israel. Often referred to as the "Capital of the Negev", it is the seventh-largest city in Israel with a population of 194,300....
for two four-year terms. Since 1988 he is a member of the staff of Jaffee Center for Strategic Studies at the 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:...
.
Books authored
- The Middle East Military Balance, 1988-1989: A Comprehensive Data Base & In-Depth Analysis of Regional Strategic Issues, Westview Press, 1990. ISBN 0-8133-0961-1
- The Middle East Military Balance, 1990-91, Westview Press, 1992. ISBN 0-8133-1413-5
- The Middle East Military Balance 1992-1993, Westview Press, 1994. ISBN 0-8133-2218-9
- The Middle East Military Balance 1993-1994, Westview Press, 1995. ISBN 0-8133-2658-3
- The Palestinian refugee problem, Tel Aviv University, 1995. ISBN 965-459-016-6
- The Carrot and the Stick: Israel's Policy in Judaea and Samaria, 1967-68 , B'nai B'rith Book Service, 1995. ISBN 0-910250-29-4
- Trapped Fools; Thirty Years of Israeli Policy in the Territories, Frank Cass, 2003. ISBN 0-7146-8390-6
- The Arab-Israeli Wars: War and Peace in the Middle East, Vintage, 2005. ISBN 1-4000-7963-2