Yisrael Galili
Encyclopedia
Yisrael Galili was an Israel
i politician, government minister and member of Knesset
. Before Israel's independence in 1948, he had served as Chief of Staff of the Haganah
.
(now Ukraine
). His family immigrated
to Palestine
when he was three years old, and settled in Tel Aviv
. Galili attended school there and apprenticed with a printer.
Galili began his military career in 1927, when he enlisted in the Haganah
. He was appointed to the organization's leadership committee in 1935, and was later placed in charge of Acquisitions and Armaments. During the Second World War, he was involved in preparations to counter an anticipated German
invasion of Palestine. He was appointed Chief of Staff of the Haganah in 1946, and served in that capacity until he was removed by David Ben-Gurion
, June 1948, in what was called the "General's Revolt".
Galili was also a founder of the HaNoar HaOved ("Working Youth") youth group, and of Na'an
, a kibbutz
where he lived until his death. He served in the first Knesset
from 1949 to 1951, and then again from 1955 until 1977, first on behalf of the Mapam
party, before being part of the split that formed Ahdut HaAvoda
and later merged into the Alignment
. He served briefly as Minister of Information and was Minister without Portfolio
in several governments. One of Prime Minister Golda Meir
's top advisers, and member of her Cabinet, he was also a member of the prestigious Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee and on the Ministerial Committee for Settlement.
Victor John Ostrovsky an author, artist and self-proclaimed former katsa (case officer) for the Israeli Mossad
(foreign intelligence service) has stated in his non-fiction book about his service with the Mossad: By Way of Deception,that Yisrael Galili
had a long running affair with Golda Meir (Prime Minister of Israel) who was some 13 years older than him in age.
Israel
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
i politician, government minister and member of 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...
. Before Israel's independence in 1948, he had served as Chief of Staff 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 :...
.
Biography
Galili was born in the town of Brailov in the Russian EmpireRussian 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...
(now Ukraine
Ukraine
Ukraine is a country in Eastern Europe. It has an area of 603,628 km², making it the second largest contiguous country on the European continent, after Russia...
). His family immigrated
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...
to Palestine
Palestine
Palestine is a conventional name, among others, used to describe the geographic region between the Mediterranean Sea and the Jordan River, and various adjoining lands....
when he was three years old, and settled 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...
. Galili attended school there and apprenticed with a printer.
Galili began his military career in 1927, when he enlisted in 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 :...
. He was appointed to the organization's leadership committee in 1935, and was later placed in charge of Acquisitions and Armaments. During the Second World War, he was involved in preparations to counter an anticipated German
Nazi Germany
Nazi Germany , also known as the Third Reich , but officially called German Reich from 1933 to 1943 and Greater German Reich from 26 June 1943 onward, is the name commonly used to refer to the state of Germany from 1933 to 1945, when it was a totalitarian dictatorship ruled by...
invasion of Palestine. He was appointed Chief of Staff of the Haganah in 1946, and served in that capacity until he was removed by David Ben-Gurion
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...
, June 1948, in what was called the "General's Revolt".
Galili was also a founder of the HaNoar HaOved ("Working Youth") youth group, and of Na'an
Na'an
Na'an is a kibbutz near the city of Rehovot in Israel. Located within the Central District, it falls under the jurisdiction of Gezer Regional Council and borders the villages of Ganei Hadar, Ramot Meir and Sitria....
, a 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...
where he lived until his death. He served in the first Knesset
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...
from 1949 to 1951, and then again from 1955 until 1977, first on behalf of the Mapam
Mapam
Mapam was a political party in Israel and is one of the ancestors of the modern-day Meretz party.-History:Mapam was formed by a January 1948 merger of the Hashomer Hatzair Workers Party and Ahdut HaAvoda Poale Zion Movement. The party was originally Marxist-Zionist in its outlook and represented...
party, before being part of the split that formed Ahdut HaAvoda
Ahdut HaAvoda
Ahdut HaAvoda was the name used by a sequence of political parties that existed firstly during Mandate Palestine and later in Israel. Its original version, led by David Ben-Gurion, is one of the main ancestors of the modern-day Israeli Labor Party....
and later merged into the Alignment
Alignment (political party)
The Alignment was an alliance of the major left-wing parties in Israel between the 1960s and 1990s. It was established in 1965 as an alliance of Mapai and Ahdut HaAvoda but was dissolved three years later when the two parties and Rafi formally merged into the Israeli Labor Party...
. He served briefly as Minister of Information and was Minister without Portfolio
Minister without Portfolio
A minister without portfolio is either a government minister with no specific responsibilities or a minister that does not head a particular ministry...
in several governments. One of Prime Minister Golda Meir
Golda Meir
Golda Meir ; May 3, 1898 – December 8, 1978) was a teacher, kibbutznik and politician who became the fourth Prime Minister of the State of Israel....
's top advisers, and member of her Cabinet, he was also a member of the prestigious Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee and on the Ministerial Committee for Settlement.
Victor John Ostrovsky an author, artist and self-proclaimed former katsa (case officer) for the Israeli Mossad
Mossad
The Mossad , short for HaMossad leModi'in uleTafkidim Meyuchadim , is the national intelligence agency of Israel....
(foreign intelligence service) has stated in his non-fiction book about his service with the Mossad: By Way of Deception,that Yisrael Galili
had a long running affair with Golda Meir (Prime Minister of Israel) who was some 13 years older than him in age.