Nathan Elbaz
Encyclopedia
Nathan Elbaz, – Israel Defense Forces
Soldier
that sacrificed his life for his friends, receiving for this the Medal of Distinguished Service
. Elbaz was born in Safro, Morocco
and left his family to emigrate to Israel
as part of Aliyat Hanoar ("Youth Aliyah").
Elbaz was inducted into the Israel Defense Forces in 1952 and served in the Infantry Corps
. On 11 February 1954, while disassembling hand grenade
s, a routine task he was entrusted with, a grenade was accidentally activated. He immediately called on his friends to take shelter, but when he saw that there was no way to throw the grenade without endangering them, he ran away from them while pressing it to his chest
and was thus killed. For this action he received a posthumous citation from the chief of staff Moshe Dayan
. The citation was replaced with the Medal of Distinguished Service.
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...
Soldier
Soldier
A soldier is a member of the land component of national armed forces; whereas a soldier hired for service in a foreign army would be termed a mercenary...
that sacrificed his life for his friends, receiving for this 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....
. Elbaz was born in Safro, Morocco
Morocco
Morocco , officially the Kingdom of Morocco , is a country located in North Africa. It has a population of more than 32 million and an area of 710,850 km², and also primarily administers the disputed region of the Western Sahara...
and left his family to emigrate to Israel
Israel
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
as part of Aliyat Hanoar ("Youth Aliyah").
Elbaz was inducted into the Israel Defense Forces in 1952 and served in the Infantry Corps
Israeli Infantry Corps
The Israeli Infantry Corps is a corps in the IDF GOC Army Headquarters. It is a maneuvering corps which primarily relies on infantry troops. It includes several regular and reserve service units and brigades which are operatively commanded by the IDF’s regional commands.-Overview:The corps moves to...
. On 11 February 1954, while disassembling hand grenade
Hand grenade
A hand grenade is any small bomb that can be thrown by hand. Hand grenades are classified into three categories, explosive grenades, chemical and gas grenades. Explosive grenades are the most commonly used in modern warfare, and are designed to detonate after impact or after a set amount of time...
s, a routine task he was entrusted with, a grenade was accidentally activated. He immediately called on his friends to take shelter, but when he saw that there was no way to throw the grenade without endangering them, he ran away from them while pressing it to his chest
Falling on a grenade
Falling on a grenade refers to the deliberate act of using one's body to cover a live time-fused hand grenade, absorbing the explosion and fragmentation in an effort to save the lives of others nearby...
and was thus killed. For this action he received a posthumous citation from the chief of staff 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...
. The citation was replaced with the Medal of Distinguished Service.