Eliyahu Lankin
Encyclopedia
Eliyahu Lankin was a Revisionist Zionist
activist, Irgun
member and an Israel
i politician.
at the age of three in the wake of the October Revolution
. He studied at the Russian High School in Harbin
. At the age of 16, he joined Betar
and immigrated to Mandatory Palestine three years later. He served in the Betar companies and in 1934 joined the Irgun
. He was a member of Menachem Begin
's General Headquarters, and was in charge of alighting illegal immigrants. In May 1944, he was appointed Commander of the Jerusalem District. He took part in the attack on the District British Intelligence in Jerusalem (14 July 1944). In December 1944 he was arrested by the British as a result of informing by the Haganah
and was exiled to Africa
. After several attempts, he succeeded - the only one of 107 prisoners - in escaping from the camp in Eritrea
on November 10, 1945. Eventually, he arrived in Paris
in January 1947 and was appointed commander of the Irgun headquarters in Europe
. He commanded the Altalena, which he brought to Israel. After coming ashore, he was arrested by the Israeli government and was kept in administrative detention for two months, along with four other Irgun commanders.
On release, he joined the IDF
, graduated from an officer's course, and was a battalion commander. He served as a member of the first Knesset, representing Herut
. Later, he studied law at the Hebrew University, and was certified as a lawyer in 1954. After the Likud
's rise to power
, he was appointed ambassador to South Africa
in the years 1981-1985.
Revisionist Zionism
Revisionist Zionism is a nationalist faction within the Zionist movement. It is the founding ideology of the non-religious right in Israel, and was the chief ideological competitor to the dominant socialist Labor Zionism...
activist, Irgun
Irgun
The Irgun , or Irgun Zevai Leumi to give it its full title , was a Zionist paramilitary group that operated in Mandate Palestine between 1931 and 1948. It was an offshoot of the earlier and larger Jewish paramilitary organization haHaganah...
member and an Israel
Israel
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
i politician.
Biography
Lankin was born in Gomel, and moved with his family to ManchuriaManchuria
Manchuria is a historical name given to a large geographic region in northeast Asia. Depending on the definition of its extent, Manchuria usually falls entirely within the People's Republic of China, or is sometimes divided between China and Russia. The region is commonly referred to as Northeast...
at the age of three in the wake of the October Revolution
October Revolution
The October Revolution , also known as the Great October Socialist Revolution , Red October, the October Uprising or the Bolshevik Revolution, was a political revolution and a part of the Russian Revolution of 1917...
. He studied at the Russian High School in Harbin
Harbin
Harbin ; Manchu language: , Harbin; Russian: Харби́н Kharbin ), is the capital and largest city of Heilongjiang Province in Northeast China, lying on the southern bank of the Songhua River...
. At the age of 16, he joined Betar
Betar
The Betar Movement is a Revisionist Zionist youth movement founded in 1923 in Riga, Latvia, by Vladimir Jabotinsky. It has been traditionally linked to the original Herut and then Likud political parties of Israel, and was closely affiliated with the pre-Israel Revisionist Zionist splinter group...
and immigrated to Mandatory Palestine three years later. He served in the Betar companies and in 1934 joined the Irgun
Irgun
The Irgun , or Irgun Zevai Leumi to give it its full title , was a Zionist paramilitary group that operated in Mandate Palestine between 1931 and 1948. It was an offshoot of the earlier and larger Jewish paramilitary organization haHaganah...
. He was a member of Menachem Begin
Menachem Begin
' was a politician, founder of Likud and the sixth Prime Minister of the State of Israel. Before independence, he was the leader of the Zionist militant group Irgun, the Revisionist breakaway from the larger Jewish paramilitary organization Haganah. He proclaimed a revolt, on 1 February 1944,...
's General Headquarters, and was in charge of alighting illegal immigrants. In May 1944, he was appointed Commander of the Jerusalem District. He took part in the attack on the District British Intelligence in Jerusalem (14 July 1944). In December 1944 he was arrested by the British as a result of informing by the Haganah
Haganah
Haganah was a Jewish paramilitary organization in what was then the British Mandate of Palestine from 1920 to 1948, which later became the core of the Israel Defense Forces.- Origins :...
and was exiled to Africa
Irgun and Lehi internment in Africa
From 1944 to 1948, Irgun and Lehi men being held without trial at the Latroun concentration camp were deported by the British Mandate of Palestine authorities to internment camps in Africa, located in Sembel , Carthago, Sudan, and Gilgil...
. After several attempts, he succeeded - the only one of 107 prisoners - in escaping from the camp in Eritrea
Eritrea
Eritrea , officially the State of Eritrea, is a country in the Horn of Africa. Eritrea derives it's name from the Greek word Erethria, meaning 'red land'. The capital is Asmara. It is bordered by Sudan in the west, Ethiopia in the south, and Djibouti in the southeast...
on November 10, 1945. Eventually, he arrived in Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
in January 1947 and was appointed commander of the Irgun headquarters in Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
. He commanded the Altalena, which he brought to Israel. After coming ashore, he was arrested by the Israeli government and was kept in administrative detention for two months, along with four other Irgun commanders.
On release, he joined the IDF
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...
, graduated from an officer's course, and was a battalion commander. He served as a member of the first Knesset, representing Herut
Herut
Herut was the major right-wing political party in Israel from the 1940s until its formal merger into Likud in 1988, and an adherent of Revisionist Zionism.-History:...
. Later, he studied law at the Hebrew University, and was certified as a lawyer in 1954. After 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...
's rise to power
Israeli legislative election, 1977
The Elections for the ninth Knesset were held on 17 May 1977. For the first time in Israeli political history, the right-wing, led by Likud, won the election, ending almost 30 years of rule by the left-wing Alignment and its predecessor, Mapai...
, he was appointed ambassador to South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
in the years 1981-1985.