Esther Raziel-Naor
Encyclopedia
Esther Raziel-Naor was a Revisionist Zionist
, Irgun
leader and Israel
i politician. She was the sister of fellow Irgun leader, David Raziel
.
(now in Hrodna Voblast
, Belarus
) in 1911, a year after her brother, David. Her household spoke Hebrew, as her parents refused to speak the more common Yiddish. In 1914 her family immigrated to Eretz Israel, after her father was offered a Hebrew teacher’s position at the “Tachmoni” school in Tel Aviv
. However, when World War I
broke out the family was deported by the Ottomans, along with other Russian
nationals, to Egypt
. She moved back to Russia and returned to Palestine in 1923, after an 8-year absence.
In 1932 she joined Betar
and organized the "National Cells". In 1935 she completed the Levinsky Teachers Seminary in Tel Aviv and moved to Jerusalem to work as a teacher, but was fired after being caught wearing a Betar insignia. She returned to Tel Aviv and took a "Lieutenants" course.
course and in August she took participated in a reprisal. In 1939 she was became first broadcaster of the Irgun’s underground radio station, "Kol Zion Halohemet", as well as a writer for "Hamashkif", its newspaper. In 1943 she was selected to be a member of the Irgun’s command structure.
On March 4, 1944, the police raided her parents’ house and found the radio transmitter. She was arrested along with her husband, Yehuda Naor, and was jailed in Bethlehem
(Yehuda was taken to Acre
and later deported to Africa
, where he stayed for four and a half years, until the establishment of the State of Israel). She was pregnant at the time of her arrest and on August 18, 1944, after a seven month internment, she was released and gave birth shortly after. She was placed under house arrest
and was frequently investigated.
On July 22, 1946, following the King David Hotel Bombing
, she was once again arrested and was sent to the Latrun
detention camp, where she remained for several weeks. After her release she remained under strict surveillance and was prevented from continuing her underground activity.
and was elected for it in 1st
through 7th
Knesset
s. Throughout her 25 year service she was a member of the Education and Culture Committee and the House Committee. In the election to the 8th
Knesset she was replaced by Geula Cohen
.
She died on November 11, 2002, and was buried in Jerusalem. Her son, Aryeh Naor, was Government Secretary under both of Menahem Begin's governments and his wife is Miriam Naor, a supreme court
judge.
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...
, 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...
leader and 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. She was the sister of fellow Irgun leader, David Raziel
David Raziel
thumb|David RazielDavid Raziel was a fighter of the Jewish underground during the British mandate, and one of the founders of the Irgun.-Biography:...
.
Early life
Raziel was born in SmarhońSmarhoń
Smarhoń is a city in Hrodna Voblast, Belarus. It is located at . It was the site of Smarhoń air base, now mostly abandoned. Smarhoń is located 107 km from the capital, Minsk....
(now in Hrodna Voblast
Hrodna Voblast
Hrodna Voblast or Grodno Oblast is a voblast in northwestern Belarus.The capital - Grodno is the biggest city of the province. It lies on the Neman River. Grodno's existence is attested to from 1127. Two castles dating from the 14th - 18th centuries are located here on the steep right bank of...
, Belarus
Belarus
Belarus , officially the Republic of Belarus, is a landlocked country in Eastern Europe, bordered clockwise by Russia to the northeast, Ukraine to the south, Poland to the west, and Lithuania and Latvia to the northwest. Its capital is Minsk; other major cities include Brest, Grodno , Gomel ,...
) in 1911, a year after her brother, David. Her household spoke Hebrew, as her parents refused to speak the more common Yiddish. In 1914 her family immigrated to Eretz Israel, after her father was offered a Hebrew teacher’s position at the “Tachmoni” school in Tel Aviv
Tel 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...
. However, when World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
broke out the family was deported by the Ottomans, along with other Russian
Russian Empire
The Russian Empire was a state that existed from 1721 until the Russian Revolution of 1917. It was the successor to the Tsardom of Russia and the predecessor of the Soviet Union...
nationals, to Egypt
Egypt
Egypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, Arabic: , is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Southwest Asia. Egypt is thus a transcontinental country, and a major power in Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East and the Muslim world...
. She moved back to Russia and returned to Palestine in 1923, after an 8-year absence.
In 1932 she 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 organized the "National Cells". In 1935 she completed the Levinsky Teachers Seminary in Tel Aviv and moved to Jerusalem to work as a teacher, but was fired after being caught wearing a Betar insignia. She returned to Tel Aviv and took a "Lieutenants" course.
Irgun activity
In 1936, as the Arab Revolt broke, she joined her brother in the Irgun. She took a first aidFirst aid
First aid is the provision of initial care for an illness or injury. It is usually performed by non-expert, but trained personnel to a sick or injured person until definitive medical treatment can be accessed. Certain self-limiting illnesses or minor injuries may not require further medical care...
course and in August she took participated in a reprisal. In 1939 she was became first broadcaster of the Irgun’s underground radio station, "Kol Zion Halohemet", as well as a writer for "Hamashkif", its newspaper. In 1943 she was selected to be a member of the Irgun’s command structure.
On March 4, 1944, the police raided her parents’ house and found the radio transmitter. She was arrested along with her husband, Yehuda Naor, and was jailed in Bethlehem
Bethlehem
Bethlehem is a Palestinian city in the central West Bank of the Jordan River, near Israel and approximately south of Jerusalem, with a population of about 30,000 people. It is the capital of the Bethlehem Governorate of the Palestinian National Authority and a hub of Palestinian culture and tourism...
(Yehuda was taken to Acre
Acre
The acre is a unit of area in a number of different systems, including the imperial and U.S. customary systems. The most commonly used acres today are the international acre and, in the United States, the survey acre. The most common use of the acre is to measure tracts of land.The acre is related...
and later deported to Africa
Africa
Africa is the world's second largest and second most populous continent, after Asia. At about 30.2 million km² including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of the Earth's total surface area and 20.4% of the total land area...
, where he stayed for four and a half years, until the establishment of the State of Israel). She was pregnant at the time of her arrest and on August 18, 1944, after a seven month internment, she was released and gave birth shortly after. She was placed under house arrest
House arrest
In justice and law, house arrest is a measure by which a person is confined by the authorities to his or her residence. Travel is usually restricted, if allowed at all...
and was frequently investigated.
On July 22, 1946, following the King David Hotel Bombing
King David Hotel bombing
The King David Hotel bombing was an attack carried out by themilitant right-wing Zionist underground organization Irgun on the King David Hotel in Jerusalem on 22 July 1946...
, she was once again arrested and was sent to the Latrun
Latrun
Latrun is a strategic hilltop in the Ayalon Valley in Israel overlooking the road to Jerusalem. It is located 25 kilometers west of Jerusalem and 14 kilometers southeast of Ramla.-Etymology:...
detention camp, where she remained for several weeks. After her release she remained under strict surveillance and was prevented from continuing her underground activity.
Post Independence
After the United Nations Partition Plan for Palestine was accepted on November 29, 1947, she returned to Kol Zion. After the establishment of the State of Israel) she joined HerutHerut
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:...
and was elected for it in 1st
Israeli legislative election, 1949
Elections for the Constituent Assembly were held in newly independent Israel on 25 January 1949. Voter turnout was 86.9%. Two days after its first meeting on 14 February 1949, legislators voted to change the name of the body to the Knesset...
through 7th
Israeli legislative election, 1969
Elections for the seventh Knesset were held in Israel on 28 October 1969. Voter turnout was 81.7%.-Results:¹ Meir Avizohar defected from the National List to the Alignment² Avner Shaki left the National Religious Party and remained a single MK...
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...
s. Throughout her 25 year service she was a member of the Education and Culture Committee and the House Committee. In the election to the 8th
Israeli legislative election, 1973
The Elections for the eighth Knesset were held on 31 December 1973. Voter turnout was 78.6%.-Results:1 Aryeh Eliav left the Alignment and merged with Ratz to form Ya'ad - Civil Rights Movement...
Knesset she was replaced by Geula Cohen
Geula Cohen
Geulah Cohen is an Israeli former Irgun and Lehi member, politician, and journalist.-Biography:Geulah Cohen was born in Tel Aviv during the British Mandate of Palestine...
.
She died on November 11, 2002, and was buried in Jerusalem. Her son, Aryeh Naor, was Government Secretary under both of Menahem Begin's governments and his wife is Miriam Naor, a supreme court
Supreme Court of Israel
The Supreme Court is at the head of the court system and highest judicial instance in Israel. The Supreme Court sits in Jerusalem.The area of its jurisdiction is all of Israel and the Israeli-occupied territories. A ruling of the Supreme Court is binding upon every court, other than the Supreme...
judge.