Yossi Peled
Encyclopedia
Yossi Peled is an Israel
i general and politician, the former Aluf
of the Northern Command in the Israel Defense Forces
. He currently serves as a member of the Knesset
for Likud
.
. ("Jefke," or Little Joe, is the diminutive form of the Flemish nickname for Jozef/Joseph). During World War II
, he was adopted by a Christian family along with his sister, and lived as a Christian until the age of 6. After the war, his mother returned to take him to Israel, and their aliyah
was made possible through the Jewish Brigade
. His father died in the Auschwitz concentration camp
.
He studied history at Tel Aviv University
, gaining a BA, and later settled in kibbutz
Negba
.
, Peled was a company commander in the 9th Battalion of the 7th Brigade of the 84th Armored Division, under Aluf Israel Tal
. In the War of Attrition
, he served as a battalion commander on the Suez Canal
.
In the Yom Kippur War
, Peled was in command of the reservist 205th Armored Brigade, under Moshe Peled
's division. His brigade moved from Jerusalem to the Golan Heights and engaged the Syrian army
on the northern front.
Later in the 1970s, Peled was placed in command of the 252nd Division in the Sinai Peninsula
. In the First Lebanon War, he commanded a provision unit nicknamed Yossi's Force, east of Lake Qaraoun
.
Peled's final military position was the command of the IDF's Northern Command, which he held from 1986 to 1991.
In the 1980s he took part in a rescue of a group of Ethiopian Jews, including current MK Shlomo Molla
.
, Peled has held numerous positions in government offices, not officially entering politics. In 1993, he served as head of the Second Israeli Broadcasting Authority
, as well as heading several government-appointed committees, including:
In 1996, Peled joined the Likud
party and was a major supporter of Binyamin Netanyahu. For the 2009 elections
he won fifteenth place on the Likud list, and entered the Knesset as the party won 27 seats. He was later appointed Minister without Portfolio in Netanyahu's government.
Israel
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
i general and politician, the former Aluf
Aluf
Aluf is the term used for General and Admiral in the Israel Defense Forces . In addition to the Aluf rank itself, there are four other ranks which are derivatives of the word...
of the Northern Command 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...
. He currently serves as a member of the Knesset
Knesset
The Knesset is the unicameral legislature of Israel, located in Givat Ram, Jerusalem.-Role in Israeli Government :The legislative branch of the Israeli government, the Knesset passes all laws, elects the President and Prime Minister , approves the cabinet, and supervises the work of the government...
for Likud
Likud
Likud is the major center-right political party in Israel. It was founded in 1973 by Menachem Begin in an alliance with several right-wing and liberal parties. Likud's victory in the 1977 elections was a major turning point in the country's political history, marking the first time the left had...
.
Early life
Yossi Peled was born Jozef (Jefke) Mendelevich in BelgiumBelgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
. ("Jefke," or Little Joe, is the diminutive form of the Flemish nickname for Jozef/Joseph). During World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, he was adopted by a Christian family along with his sister, and lived as a Christian until the age of 6. After the war, his mother returned to take him to Israel, and their aliyah
Aliyah
Aliyah is the immigration of Jews to the Land of Israel . It is a basic tenet of Zionist ideology. The opposite action, emigration from Israel, is referred to as yerida . The return to the Holy Land has been a Jewish aspiration since the Babylonian exile...
was made possible through the Jewish Brigade
Jewish Brigade
The Jewish Infantry Brigade Group was a military formation of the British Army that served in Europe during the Second World War. The brigade was formed in late 1944, and its personnel fought the Germans in Italy...
. His father died in the Auschwitz concentration camp
Auschwitz concentration camp
Concentration camp Auschwitz was a network of Nazi concentration and extermination camps built and operated by the Third Reich in Polish areas annexed by Nazi Germany during World War II...
.
He studied history 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 BA, and later settled in kibbutz
Kibbutz
A kibbutz is a collective community in Israel that was traditionally based on agriculture. Today, farming has been partly supplanted by other economic branches, including industrial plants and high-tech enterprises. Kibbutzim began as utopian communities, a combination of socialism and Zionism...
Negba
Negba
Negba is a kibbutz in the northern Negev, Israel. Located near the cities of Kiryat Malakhi and Ashkelon, it falls under the jurisdiction of Yoav Regional Council...
.
Military career
During the Six-Day WarSix-Day War
The Six-Day War , also known as the June War, 1967 Arab-Israeli War, or Third Arab-Israeli War, was fought between June 5 and 10, 1967, by Israel and the neighboring states of Egypt , Jordan, and Syria...
, Peled was a company commander in the 9th Battalion of the 7th Brigade of the 84th Armored Division, under Aluf Israel Tal
Israel Tal
Israel Tal , also known as Talik , was an Israel Defense Forces general known for his knowledge of tank warfare and for leading the development of Israel's Merkava tank.-Biography:...
. In the War of Attrition
War of Attrition
The international community and both countries attempted to find a diplomatic solution to the conflict. The Jarring Mission of the United Nations was supposed to ensure that the terms of UN Security Council Resolution 242 would be observed, but by late 1970 it was clear that this mission had been...
, he served as a battalion commander on the Suez Canal
Suez Canal
The Suez Canal , also known by the nickname "The Highway to India", is an artificial sea-level waterway in Egypt, connecting the Mediterranean Sea and the Red Sea. Opened in November 1869 after 10 years of construction work, it allows water transportation between Europe and Asia without navigation...
.
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...
, Peled was in command of the reservist 205th Armored Brigade, under Moshe Peled
Moshe Peled
Moshe Peled may refer to:*Moshe Peled, an Israeli politician who served as a Knesset member between 1992 and 1999.*Moshe Peled, an Israeli general during the Yom Kippur War...
's division. His brigade moved from Jerusalem to the Golan Heights and engaged the Syrian army
Military of Syria
The Syrian Armed Forces are the military forces of Syria. They consist of the Army, Navy, Air Force, and Air Defense Force.-Manpower:The President of Syria is the commander in chief of the Syrian armed forces, comprising some 646,500 troops upon mobilization. The military is a conscripted force;...
on the northern front.
Later in the 1970s, Peled was placed in command of the 252nd Division in the Sinai Peninsula
Sinai Peninsula
The Sinai Peninsula or Sinai is a triangular peninsula in Egypt about in area. It is situated between the Mediterranean Sea to the north, and the Red Sea to the south, and is the only part of Egyptian territory located in Asia as opposed to Africa, effectively serving as a land bridge between two...
. In the First Lebanon War, he commanded a provision unit nicknamed Yossi's Force, east of Lake Qaraoun
Lake Qaraoun
Lake Qaraoun is an artificial lake or reservoir located in the southern region of the Beqaa Valley, Lebanon. It was created in 1959 by building a 61 m high concrete-faced rockfill dam in the middle reaches of the Litani River , near Qaraoun village...
.
Peled's final military position was the command of the IDF's Northern Command, which he held from 1986 to 1991.
In the 1980s he took part in a rescue of a group of Ethiopian Jews, including current MK Shlomo Molla
Shlomo Molla
Shlomo Molla is an Israeli politician who has served as a member of the Knesset for Kadima since February 2008.-Biography:Molla was born in a small Jewish village of 40 families in Gondar Province in Ethiopia in 1965 into a family of 9 brothers and 2 sisters. Molla attempted to immigrate to Israel...
.
Government and political career
After serving as the CEO of Tadiran TelecomTadiran Telecom
Tadiran Telecom Ltd is a telecommunications company which offers enterprises complete converged communications solutions that support voice, data, video and advanced applications. It is represented by a global network of more than 200 distributors and affiliates in 40 countries.The corporate...
, Peled has held numerous positions in government offices, not officially entering politics. In 1993, he served as head of the Second Israeli Broadcasting Authority
Second Israeli Broadcasting Authority
The Second Authority for Television and Radio law was passed by the Knesset in 1990. Its purpose was to establish a new governing-body whose purpose is to facilitate and regulate commercially-operated television and radio broadcasts in Israel...
, as well as heading several government-appointed committees, including:
- Formulation of a plan for a government policy regarding communications (1996)
- Investigation of the causes and failures which led to the kidnapping of 3 soldiers by Hezbollah in Mount Dov in October 2000
- Formulation of a policy for the treatment of South Lebanon ArmySouth Lebanon ArmyThe South Lebanon Army , also "South Lebanese Army," was a Lebanese militia during the Lebanese Civil War. After 1979, the militia operated in southern Lebanon under the authority of Saad Haddad's Government of Free Lebanon...
personnel in Israel - Investigation of the railway incident which left 5 dead near Beit YehoshuaBeit Yehoshua Railway StationBeit Yehoshua Railway Station is an Israel Railways passenger station located in Beit Yehoshua and serves the village and the southern part of the city of Netanya, with its large industrial zones, as well as other small communities in the area.-Train service:...
(2006)
In 1996, Peled joined the Likud
Likud
Likud is the major center-right political party in Israel. It was founded in 1973 by Menachem Begin in an alliance with several right-wing and liberal parties. Likud's victory in the 1977 elections was a major turning point in the country's political history, marking the first time the left had...
party and was a major supporter of Binyamin Netanyahu. For the 2009 elections
Israeli legislative election, 2009
Elections for the 18th Knesset were held in Israel on 10 February 2009. These elections became necessary due to the resignation of Prime Minister Ehud Olmert as leader of the Kadima party, and the failure of his successor, Tzipi Livni, to form a coalition government...
he won fifteenth place on the Likud list, and entered the Knesset as the party won 27 seats. He was later appointed Minister without Portfolio in Netanyahu's government.