Zvi Ofer
Encyclopedia
Zvi Ofer also known as "Tzvika Ofer" or "Zvika Ofer", was the commander of the Israel Defense Forces
Haruv
Reconnaissance
Unit, and recipient of the Israeli medal of valor for the 1962 Nuqeib operation in Syria
. In 1967, he served as the military commander of Hebron
and Nablus
.
and were among the founders of the settlement Kfar Azar
. As a youth, Ofer delivered the Hagana newspapers to its subscribers, hung pro-Hagana posters in the middle of the night and oiled the guns belonging to the settlement. At sixteen, he left school and joined the Palmach
, an elite group of fighters associated with the Hagana. He participated in Operation Dani in which the Arab occupied towns of Lod
and Ramle fell to Jewish forces. His military talents did not go unnoticed and he was handpicked for officer’s training. In the midst of his training, he learned that his Palmach unit was gearing up for Operation Yoav
, an offensive in the Negev
region. He left officer’s school to join his unit in time for the offensive. By the end of the war, he attained the rank of sergeant while his classmates had not yet enlisted in the army.
Following the 1948 War of Independence, he returned to civilian life but reenlisted in 1952. He was first assigned to a unit that tracked down Arab guerilla infiltrators. Later, he joined the paratroops and partook in many reprisal operations of the 1950s. During Operation Kadesh, Ofer commanded a paratroop platoon that took part in the Battle for the Mitla Pass
. Later, forces under his command took part in the taking of the Sharm el-Sheikh
military base, thus clearing the way for Israeli shipping to pass through the Gulf of Eilat, which had hitherto been blocked by Egyptian cannon. In the early 1960s he was given a command position within Sayeret Golani. His unit became known as “The Flying Tiger.” In 1962, Syrian artillery on the Golan Heights bombarded Israeli civilian targets, including fishermen on the Kinneret
. The Israel Defense Forces felt that retaliation was warranted and chose a Syrian military target near the village of Nuqeib. Ofer’s unit played a central role in operation Snunit (Swallow) which resulted in the destruction of the chosen targets. During the operation, Ofer charged the Syrian pillboxes while firing his machinegun and throwing grenades. He yelled at them, “surrender; you don’t stand a chance,” before silencing them with antitank fire. During the Six-day war
, his was one of the few battalions that did not see combat as his assigned objectives, Bethlehem and Hebron, fell without a shot. Following the Six-day war, Ofer was appointed military governor of Hebron
and Shechem
and was lauded for his performance in those roles.
, west of Jericho
, while in pursuit of militants, which had crossed the Jordan river. The Arab guerrillas were on their way to attack civilian targets and the force led by Ofer intercepted them before they could reach their target. Ofer was the sole Israeli fatality in the engagement which also resulted in the killing of two guerrillas and the capture of six others along with a large weapons cache.
At his graveside, the Commanding Officer of the Central Command, General Rehavam Ze'evi said of Zvi Ofer, "the figure Zvika, the country boy, the youth in the Palmach
, the scout, the commander, and the instructor, will remain engraved in our hearts."
The IDF Camp Ofer and Ofer Prison
, founded in December 1968, are named after him.
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...
Haruv
Haruv
Haruv , also Kerem Ami is a communal settlement in Hevel Lakhish in south-central Israel. It belongs to the Lakhish Regional Council.It was founded in 2004. It is named after the eponymous carob tree which grow in the region of the community. Secular, traditional and religious Jews live there and...
Reconnaissance
Reconnaissance
Reconnaissance is the military term for exploring beyond the area occupied by friendly forces to gain information about enemy forces or features of the environment....
Unit, and recipient of the Israeli medal of valor for the 1962 Nuqeib operation in Syria
Syria
Syria , officially the Syrian Arab Republic , is a country in Western Asia, bordering Lebanon and the Mediterranean Sea to the West, Turkey to the north, Iraq to the east, Jordan to the south, and Israel to the southwest....
. In 1967, he served as the military commander of Hebron
Hebron
Hebron , is located in the southern West Bank, south of Jerusalem. Nestled in the Judean Mountains, it lies 930 meters above sea level. It is the largest city in the West Bank and home to around 165,000 Palestinians, and over 500 Jewish settlers concentrated in and around the old quarter...
and Nablus
Nablus
Nablus is a Palestinian city in the northern West Bank, approximately north of Jerusalem, with a population of 126,132. Located in a strategic position between Mount Ebal and Mount Gerizim, it is the capital of the Nablus Governorate and a Palestinian commercial and cultural center.Founded by the...
.
Early life and the 1948 war
Ofer’s parents moved to British mandatory Palestine during the Third AliyahThird Aliyah
The third Aliyah refers to the third wave of the Jewish immigration to Israel from Europe who came inspired by Zionist motives between the years 1919 and 1923 . A symbol of the start of the third immigration wave is the arrival of the boat "Roselan" in the Jaffa Port on December 19, 1919...
and were among the founders of the settlement Kfar Azar
Kfar Azar
Kfar Azar is a moshav ovdim located in the Ono Valley in central Israel. Previously part of Ef'al Regional Council, in 2007 it was transferred to the municipality of Ramat Gan together with Ramat Ef'al. With an area of around , its population is around 500....
. As a youth, Ofer delivered the Hagana newspapers to its subscribers, hung pro-Hagana posters in the middle of the night and oiled the guns belonging to the settlement. At sixteen, he left school and joined the Palmach
Palmach
The Palmach was the elite fighting force of the Haganah, the underground army of the Yishuv during the period of the British Mandate of Palestine. The Palmach was established on May 15, 1941...
, an elite group of fighters associated with the Hagana. He participated in Operation Dani in which the Arab occupied towns of Lod
Lod
Lod is a city located on the Sharon Plain southeast of Tel Aviv in the Center District of Israel. At the end of 2010, it had a population of 70,000, roughly 75 percent Jewish and 25 percent Arab.The name is derived from the Biblical city of Lod...
and Ramle fell to Jewish forces. His military talents did not go unnoticed and he was handpicked for officer’s training. In the midst of his training, he learned that his Palmach unit was gearing up for Operation Yoav
Operation Yoav
Operation Yoav was an Israeli military operation carried out from 15–22 October 1948 in the Negev Desert, during the 1948 Arab-Israeli War. Its goal was to drive a wedge between the Egyptian forces along the coast and the Beersheba–Hebron–Jerusalem road and ultimately to conquer the whole Negev...
, an offensive in the Negev
Negev
The Negev is a desert and semidesert region of southern Israel. The Arabs, including the native Bedouin population of the region, refer to the desert as al-Naqab. The origin of the word Neghebh is from the Hebrew root denoting 'dry'...
region. He left officer’s school to join his unit in time for the offensive. By the end of the war, he attained the rank of sergeant while his classmates had not yet enlisted in the army.
Border wars, the Suez war, the Six-day war
Mitla Pass
The Mitla Pass is a 32 km-long snaky pass in the Sinai of Egypt, wedged between mountain ranges to the north and south, located about 50 km east of Suez...
. Later, forces under his command took part in the taking of the Sharm el-Sheikh
Sharm el-Sheikh
Sharm el-Sheikh is a city situated on the southern tip of the Sinai Peninsula, in South Sinai Governorate, Egypt, on the coastal strip along the Red Sea. Its population is approximately 35,000...
military base, thus clearing the way for Israeli shipping to pass through the Gulf of Eilat, which had hitherto been blocked by Egyptian cannon. In the early 1960s he was given a command position within Sayeret Golani. His unit became known as “The Flying Tiger.” In 1962, Syrian artillery on the Golan Heights bombarded Israeli civilian targets, including fishermen on the Kinneret
Sea of Galilee
The Sea of Galilee, also Kinneret, Lake of Gennesaret, or Lake Tiberias , is the largest freshwater lake in Israel, and it is approximately in circumference, about long, and wide. The lake has a total area of , and a maximum depth of approximately 43 m...
. The Israel Defense Forces felt that retaliation was warranted and chose a Syrian military target near the village of Nuqeib. Ofer’s unit played a central role in operation Snunit (Swallow) which resulted in the destruction of the chosen targets. During the operation, Ofer charged the Syrian pillboxes while firing his machinegun and throwing grenades. He yelled at them, “surrender; you don’t stand a chance,” before silencing them with antitank fire. During the Six-day war
Six-Day War
The Six-Day War , also known as the June War, 1967 Arab-Israeli War, or Third Arab-Israeli War, was fought between June 5 and 10, 1967, by Israel and the neighboring states of Egypt , Jordan, and Syria...
, his was one of the few battalions that did not see combat as his assigned objectives, Bethlehem and Hebron, fell without a shot. Following the Six-day war, Ofer was appointed military governor of Hebron
Hebron
Hebron , is located in the southern West Bank, south of Jerusalem. Nestled in the Judean Mountains, it lies 930 meters above sea level. It is the largest city in the West Bank and home to around 165,000 Palestinians, and over 500 Jewish settlers concentrated in and around the old quarter...
and Shechem
Shechem
Shechem was a Canaanite city mentioned in the Amarna letters, and is mentioned in the Hebrew Bible as an Israelite city of the tribe of Manasseh and the first capital of the Kingdom of Israel...
and was lauded for his performance in those roles.
Last battle
Ofer wanted to rejoin a combat unit and after a request, was assigned command of the Horev Commando Unit. The unit's primary responsibility was to combat Arab guerrilla infiltration in the Jordan valley. In 1968, Ofer was killed in action in Wadi QeltWadi Qelt
Wadi Qelt or Nahal Prat is a valley or stream running west to east across the Judean desert in the West Bank, originating near Jerusalem and terminating near Jericho, near the Dead Sea...
, west of Jericho
Jericho
Jericho ; is a city located near the Jordan River in the West Bank of the Palestinian territories. It is the capital of the Jericho Governorate and has a population of more than 20,000. Situated well below sea level on an east-west route north of the Dead Sea, Jericho is the lowest permanently...
, while in pursuit of militants, which had crossed the Jordan river. The Arab guerrillas were on their way to attack civilian targets and the force led by Ofer intercepted them before they could reach their target. Ofer was the sole Israeli fatality in the engagement which also resulted in the killing of two guerrillas and the capture of six others along with a large weapons cache.
At his graveside, the Commanding Officer of the Central Command, General Rehavam Ze'evi said of Zvi Ofer, "the figure Zvika, the country boy, the youth in the Palmach
Palmach
The Palmach was the elite fighting force of the Haganah, the underground army of the Yishuv during the period of the British Mandate of Palestine. The Palmach was established on May 15, 1941...
, the scout, the commander, and the instructor, will remain engraved in our hearts."
The IDF Camp Ofer and Ofer Prison
Ofer Prison
Ofer Prison , formerly officially known as Incarceration Facility 385 , is an Israeli incarceration facility located in the West Bank, between Ramallah/Beituniya and Giv'at Ze'ev...
, founded in December 1968, are named after him.