Shaul Avigur
Encyclopedia
Shaul Avigur was a founder of the Israeli Intelligence Community
.
in Latvia
) under the name Saul Meyeroff (later Meirov; ), but when his son Gur Meyeroff was killed in the 1948 Arab-Israeli War
, he changed it to Avigur, meaning "Father of Gur
". Along with Reuven Shiloah
, Avigur was instrumental in forming SHAI
, the intelligence wing of the Haganah
, in 1934. Since 1939 he was involved in the Mossad Le'aliyah Bet
operations to smuggle Jews into the British Mandate of Palestine and was named its commander. During Israel's War of Independence, he acted as David Ben-Gurion's
deputy defense minister. In 1953 he was appointed the founding head of Lishkat Hakesher
, also known as "Nativ", an Israeli organization that maintained contact with Jews in the Soviet Union
during the Cold War
. He headed the organization until 1970. Avigur was the brother-in-law of former Prime Minister Moshe Sharett
.
, for his special contribution to society and the State.
Israeli Intelligence Community
The Israeli Intelligence Community is the designation given to the complex of organizations responsible for intelligence collection, dissemination, and research for the State of Israel...
.
Biography
Avigur was born in Dvinsk (now DaugavpilsDaugavpils
Daugavpils is a city in southeastern Latvia, located on the banks of the Daugava River, from which the city gets its name. Daugavpils literally means "Daugava Castle". With a population of over 100,000, it is the second largest city in the country after the capital Riga, which is located some...
in Latvia
Latvia
Latvia , officially the Republic of Latvia , is a country in the Baltic region of Northern Europe. It is bordered to the north by Estonia , to the south by Lithuania , to the east by the Russian Federation , to the southeast by Belarus and shares maritime borders to the west with Sweden...
) under the name Saul Meyeroff (later Meirov; ), but when his son Gur Meyeroff was killed in the 1948 Arab-Israeli War
1948 Arab-Israeli War
The 1948 Arab–Israeli War, known to Israelis as the War of Independence or War of Liberation The war commenced after the termination of the British Mandate for Palestine and the creation of an independent Israel at midnight on 14 May 1948 when, following a period of civil war, Arab armies invaded...
, he changed it to Avigur, meaning "Father of Gur
Gur
-People:*Mordechai Gur , Israeli politician and the 10th Chief of Staff of the Israeli Defense Forces-Places:*A village in Tibet, see Gur, Tibet*Gur place name in ancient Israel near Megiddo*Guernsey, one of the Channel Islands-Other:...
". Along with Reuven Shiloah
Reuven Shiloah
Reuven Shiloah was the first Director of the Mossad from 1949 to 1952. Born in Ottoman ruled Jerusalem as Reuven Zaslanski, he would later shorten his last name to Zaslani and use the codeword Shiloah. From an Orthodox Jewish family and with a rabbi for a father, Shiloah abandoned the religious...
, Avigur was instrumental in forming SHAI
SHAI
Shai , established in 1940, was the intelligence and counter-espionage arm of the Haganah and the forebear of the Military Intelligence Directorate in Mandate Palestine....
, the intelligence wing of 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 :...
, in 1934. Since 1939 he was involved in the Mossad Le'aliyah Bet
Mossad Le'aliyah Bet
The Mossad LeAliyah Bet was a branch of the Haganah in the British Mandate of Palestine that operated to facilitate Jewish immigration to Palestine in violation of unilateral British restrictions. It operated from 1938 until the founding of the State of Israel in 1948...
operations to smuggle Jews into the British Mandate of Palestine and was named its commander. During Israel's War of Independence, he acted as David Ben-Gurion's
David Ben-Gurion
' was the first Prime Minister of Israel.Ben-Gurion's passion for Zionism, which began early in life, led him to become a major Zionist leader and Executive Head of the World Zionist Organization in 1946...
deputy defense minister. In 1953 he was appointed the founding head of Lishkat Hakesher
Lishkat Hakesher
Nativ or officially Lishkat Hakesher or The Liaison Bureau, is an Israeli liaison organization that maintained contact with Jews living in the Eastern Bloc during the Cold War and encouraged aliyah, or immigration to Israel....
, also known as "Nativ", an Israeli organization that maintained contact with Jews in the Soviet Union
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
during the Cold War
Cold War
The Cold War was the continuing state from roughly 1946 to 1991 of political conflict, military tension, proxy wars, and economic competition between the Communist World—primarily the Soviet Union and its satellite states and allies—and the powers of the Western world, primarily the United States...
. He headed the organization until 1970. Avigur was the brother-in-law of former Prime Minister Moshe Sharett
Moshe Sharett
Moshe Sharett on 15 October 1894, died 7 July 1965) was the second Prime Minister of Israel , serving for a little under two years between David Ben-Gurion's two terms.-Early life:...
.
Awards
In 1973, Avigur was awarded the Israel PrizeIsrael Prize
The Israel Prize is an award handed out by the State of Israel and is largely regarded as the state's highest honor. It is presented annually, on Israeli Independence Day, in a state ceremony in Jerusalem, in the presence of the President, the Prime Minister, the Knesset chairperson, and the...
, for his special contribution to society and the State.
See also
- List of Israel Prize recipients