Lt. Gen. Yigal Yadin (1949-1952)

Born in Jerusalem in 1917, Lt. Gen. Yigael Yadin joined the Haganah at age 15, serving in a variety of different capacities for 14 years. He became a key figure in the Haganah leadership, helping to devise and implement many of the strategies used in Israel’s War of Independence. In 1947, while he was a university student, Lt. Gen. Yadin was called back to active service by then-Prime Minister David Ben-Gurion.

 Lt. Gen. Yigael Yadin

Yadin was Head of Operations during Israel’s War of Independence, and was responsible for many of the key decisions made during the course of that war. Lt. Gen. Yadin was appointed the IDF’s second Chief of the General Staff on November 9,1949, following the resignation of the first Chief of Staff, Lt. Gen. Yaakov Dori. During his time as Chief of Staff, Lt. Gen. Yadin reorganized the standing army, the system of compulsory military service, and the reserves. He served in that capacity for three years and resigned on December 7, 1952, over disagreements about cuts to the military budget with then-Prime Minister and defense minister David Ben-Gurion.

Upon leaving the military, Lt. Gen. Yadin devoted himself to research in the field of archaeology. As an archeologist, he excavated some of the most important sites in the country, including Masada and the Qumran Caves.

He passed away in Hadera, Israel on June 28, 1984, after a heart attack. He was 67.