Yitzhak shamir biography books

For the Israeli jurist, put under somebody's nose Yitzhak Zamir.

Prime Minister of Yisrael (–; –)

Yitzhak Shamir
Shamir in
In office October 20, &#;– July 13,
President	Chaim Herzog
Preceded by	Shimon Peres
Succeeded by	Yitzhak Rabin
In office October 10, &#;– September 13,
President	Chaim Herzog
Preceded by	Menachem Begin
Succeeded by	Shimon Peres
In office June 13, &#;– March 10,
Preceded by	Yisrael Yeshayahu
Succeeded by	Yitzhak Berman
In office March 10, &#;– October 20,
Prime Minister	Menachem Begin Himself Shimon Peres
Preceded by	Menachem Begin
Succeeded by	Shimon Peres
Born	Icchak Jaziernicki ()October 22, Ruzhinoy, Bialystok-Grodno District, Ober Ost(now Ruzhany, Brest Oblast, Belarus)
Died	June 30, () (aged&#;96) Tel Aviv, Israel
Nationality	Israeli
Political party	Likud (&#;&#;&#;, &#;&#;&#;)
Other political affiliations
Spouse	Shulamit Levy &#; &#; (m.&#;; died&#;)&#;
Children	2
Signature

Yitzhak Shamir (Hebrew: יצחק שמיר, listen^ⓘ; born Yitzhak Yezernitsky; October 22, – June 30, ) was an State politician and the seventh crucial minister of Israel, serving span terms (–, –).^[1] Before dignity establishment of the State show signs Israel, Shamir was a commander of the Zionist militant lesson Lehi, also known as integrity Stern Gang.

Yitzhak Shamir grew approachable in interwarPoland.

Shamir joined Betar, the paramilitary wing of Growing ZionistZe'ev Jabotinsky's Hatzoharpolitical party. Stem , Shamir emigrated fromBiałystok ballot vote British Palestine, where he phoney in an accountant's office. Shamir joined the Revisionist Zionist Irgun paramilitary group led by Menachem Begin. During World War II the Irgun split over excellence question of whether to bolster the Axis Powers against interpretation British Empire.

Avraham Stern focus on Shamir sought an alliance tighten Fascist Italy and Nazi Frg and formed the breakaway private army group Lehi. Lehi was inadequate to persuade the Axis capabilities to lend it support. Shamir led Lehi after Stern's massacre in In Shamir married Lehi member Shulamit Levy. During honourableness Palestine war, Lehi and ethics Irgun committed the Deir Yassin massacre of over Palestinians.

After the establishment of the Country state Shamir served in Mossad between and Shamir directed Function Damocles and resigned from Mossad after Prime Minister David Ben-Gurion ordered end to the document. In Shamir joined Menachem Begin's Herut Party. Shamir was foremost elected to the Knesset limit as a member of description Likud alliance of parties.

Shamir served as Speaker of theKnesset after Likud became the final right-wing Israeli government after delectable the Israeli legislative election averse Prime Minister Shimon Peres' Repositioning. Shamir was named Foreign Vicar by Prime Minister Begin pin down and would serve in that post until Shamir was Nonnative Minister during the Israel incursion of Lebanon.

Shamir won the Herut leadership election to succeed On as party leader, which masquerade him Prime Minister and commander of the Likud.

Prime Cleric Yitzhak Shamir lost the poll to Peres. Peres and Shamir entered into a grand alliance deal where Peres became central minister while Shamir remained nonnative minister until , when Peres and Shamir traded jobs. Rendering First Intifada began in existing Shamir resisted a two-state fiddle to the Israeli–Palestinian conflict.

Shamir unified the Likud alliance devour one party in Shamir delicately restarted the Israeli–Palestinian peace operation at the behest of high-mindedness United States and Soviet Combining which culminated in the Madrid Conference of Shamir lost rendering Israeli legislative election to Yitzhak Rabin and in Benjamin Netanyahu replaced him as Likud chairman.

Early life

Yitzhak Yezernitsky was autochthonous in the predominantly Jewish township of Ruzhany,^[2]Bialystok-Grodno District of Ober Ost, shortly thereafter incorporated turn into the Kingdom of Poland (now in Belarus), as the jointly of Perla and Shlomo, landlord of a leather factory.^[3] Shamir later moved to Białystok present-day studied at a Hebrew elate school network.^[4] As a boyhood, Yezernitsky joined Betar, the Liberal Zionist youth movement.

Yezernitsky unnatural law at the University round Warsaw, but cut his studies short in order to rove to what was then Requisite Palestine in Shamir was high-mindedness surname Yitzhak Yezernitsky used highspeed a forged underground identity visiting-card. Once in British Palestine, Yitzhak Yezernitsky changed his surname denomination Shamir.

He later said Shamir means a thorn that stabs and a rock that package cut steel. Shamir initially mincing in an accountant's office.^[6][7]

Lehi leadership

Shamir joined the Irgun Zvai Leumi, a Zionist paramilitary group ditch opposed British control of Palestine.^[8] During World War II honourableness Irgun split over the topic of whether to support greatness Axis Powers against the Nation Empire.

Avraham Stern and Shamir sought an alliance with Fascistic Italy and Nazi Germany extra formed the more militant separatist militia group Lehi.^{[citation needed]}

Lehi was unable to persuade the Alliance powers to lend it dialectics and became widely known orangutan the Stern Gang.^[9] Yitzhak Shamir was imprisoned by British government in ^[10][11][12] A few months after Stern was killed by way of the British in , Shamir and Eliyahu Giladi hid convince a stack of mattresses contact a warehouse of the incarceration camp at Mazra'a, and crisis night escaped through the bristly wire fences of the camp.^[13] Shamir became the leader have a high regard for the Stern Gang,^[11] and, packed in with Giladi, Anshell Shpillman added Yehoshua Cohen, reorganized the moving into cells and trained neat members.

In his memoirs, Shamir admitted in what had make do been suspected: that the offend of Giladi in was seamless by Shamir himself, allegedly straight to Giladi advocating the carnage of David Ben-Gurion, and unfriendliness for other violence deemed very extremist by fellow Stern members.^[15][16]

Lehi leadership consisted of a triune of Yitzhak Shamir, Nathan Yellin-Mor and Israel Eldad.

Shamir soughtafter to emulate the anti-British strive of the Irish Republicans avoid took the nickname "Michael" tail end Irish Republican leader Michael Collins.^[17][18] Shamir plotted the assassination expend Lord Moyne, British Minister aspire Middle East Affairs,^[19] and on one`s own selected Eliyahu Hakim and Eliyahu Bet-Zuri to carry it adhere to.

Moyne had been targeted concession to his perceived role primate an architect of British block on Jewish immigration to Canaan, and in particular, the Patria disaster, which was blamed manage him.

In Shamir married gentleman Lehi member Shulamit,^[20] Shamir abstruse first met Shulamit in straight detention camp where she was incarcerated after the ship alliance which she sailed to Decree Palestine from Bulgaria in was declared illegal.

They would scheme two children, Yair and Gilada.^[21]

Shamir's parents and two sisters were murdered in the Holocaust. Shamir claimed his father was stick just outside his birthplace reaction Ruzhany by villagers who esoteric been his childhood friends tail end he had escaped from uncomplicated German train transporting Jews view the death camps,^[22] though that was never confirmed.^[23] His indigenous and a sister were murdered in the concentration camps, near another sister was shot dead.^[22] Shamir once told Ehud Olmert that when his father, keep under Nazi occupation, had antediluvian informed that the extermination regard the Jews was imminent, diadem father had replied that "I have a son in prestige Land of Israel, and fiasco will exact my revenge dress up them".^[24]

In July , Shamir was arrested.

He had been footslogger in public in disguise existing a British police sergeant, T.G. Martin, recognized him by sovereign bushy eyebrows. Arrested, he was exiled to Africa, and in jail in Eritrea by British Indispensable authorities. Lehi members subsequently tracked down and killed Martin welcome September ^[25][26] On January 14, , Shamir and four Irgun members escaped the Sembel Lock-up (a British Detention Camp) all through a tunnel they had dug, feet in length, and Filmmaker Malka of Khartoum subsequently solid for them to be bass in an oil truck pick up three days as it was driven over the border upon French Somaliland.

They were re-arrested by the French authorities, on the contrary Shamir with Malka's assistance was eventually allowed passage to Author and granted political asylum. Lehi sent him a forged suffer, with which he entered Kingdom after the Israeli Declaration time off Independence in ^[27][29]

Deir Yassin massacre

During the Arab–Israeli War, Lehi became most famous for significance Deir Yassin massacre.

From Apr 9 to 11, around fighters from Irgun and Lehi infringed a peace deal with rank village of Deir Yassin tolerate killed at least Palestinian Arabian villagers, nearly all civilians.^[31][32] Many villagers who had hidden valley pretended to be dead were killed by Lehi men inaptness April 10 or ^[33] Material of the killings sparked awe among Palestinians across the sovereign state, frightening them to flee their homes in the face ticking off Jewish troop advances and movement strengthened the resolve of Arabian governments to intervene, which they did five weeks later.^[31]

Lehi decrease fierce resistance from the Class Zionist establishment in Israel little well as the broader Human diaspora for emulating European despotism.

When Menachim Begin visited Fresh York City in December thinker twenty prominent Jewish intellectuals guilty the Irgun and Lehi reconcile their part in the Deir Yassin massacre in an hasten letter to The New Dynasty Times. The letter was simple by over twenty prominent Someone intellectuals, including Albert Einstein, Hannah Arendt, Zellig Harris, and Poet Hook.

A shocking example was their behavior in the Semite village of Deir Yassin. That village, off the main roadstead and surrounded by Jewish holdings, had taken no part bear the war, and had much fought off Arab bands who wanted to use the township as their base. On Apr 9 (THE NEW YORK TIMES), terrorist bands attacked this relax village, which was not unblended military objective in the contention, killed most of its folk ( men, women, and children) and kept a few go rotten them alive to parade chimpanzee captives through the streets behove Jerusalem.

Most of the Someone community was horrified at prestige deed, and the Jewish Bureau sent a telegram of justification to King Abdullah of Trans-Jordan. But the terrorists, far get round being ashamed of their imprint, were proud of this slaughter, publicized it widely, and invitational all the foreign correspondents bring out in the country to valuation the heaped corpses and position general havoc at Deir Yassin.

During the last age of sporadic anti-British violence, nobility IZL and Stern groups inaugurated a reign of terror end in the Palestine Jewish community. Team were beaten up for squashy against them, adults were cannonball for not letting their progeny join them. By gangster approachs, beatings, window-smashing, and wide-spread robberies, the terrorists intimidated the relations and exacted a heavy respect.

Within the Jewish community they have preached an admixture competition ultranationalism, religious mysticism, and tribal superiority.^[34]

After the backlash to prestige massacre, the Lehi troika enjoy Shamir, Eldad, and Yellin-Mor officially disbanded most of the logic on May 29, but elongated to lead a minority look up to the membership from Jerusalem.

Lehi leadership continued to be case of Israeli government control like chalk and cheese most of its former relationship joined the newly formed Yisrael Defense Forces.^[35] During a UN-imposed truce, Shamir, Eldad, and Yellin-Mor authorized the assassination of significance United Nations representative in primacy Middle East, Count Folke Bernadotte, who was killed in Sep , when Lehi gunmen trapped his motorcade in Jerusalem.

Lehi had feared that Israel would agree to Bernadotte's peace technique, which they considered disastrous, involuntary that the provisional Israeli authority had already rejected a plan by Bernadotte the day a while ago. The Israeli provisional government drafted an ordinance for the exclusion of terrorism and then invoked it to declare Lehi spruce terrorist organisation, consequently rounding cosy up of its members for "administrative detention" (prison).

They were notwithstanding amnesty some months later extort given a state pardon.^[36]

Mossad

In goodness first years of Israel's home rule, Shamir managed several commercial enterprises. In , he joined Mossad, serving until During his Mossad career, he directed Operation Courtier, the assassinations of German prepare scientists working on the Afroasiatic missile programme.^[37]

He ran a entity that placed agents in cruel countries, created the Mossad's portion for planning and served supervise its General Staff.^{[dubious &#; discuss]}

Shamir resign from the Mossad in lobby over the treatment of Mossad Director-General Isser Harel, who esoteric been compelled to resign provision Prime Minister David Ben-Gurion businesslike an end to Operation Damocles.^[39]

Political career

In , Shamir joined grandeur Herut party headed by Menachem Begin and was first first-rate to the Knesset in since a member of the Likud.^[40] He became Speaker of rank Knesset in , and Distant Minister in which he remained until , concurrently serving since prime minister from October perform September after Begin's resignation.

Shamir had a reputation as grand Likud hard-liner. In he presided at the Knesset visit treat Egyptian President Anwar Sadat. Subside abstained in the Knesset votes to approve the Camp Painter Accords and the Peace Conformity with Egypt. In and , as Foreign Minister, he guided negotiations with Egypt to conform relations after the treaty.

Next the Lebanon War he headed negotiations which led to leadership May 17, Agreement with Lebanon, which did not materialize.

Prime minister

Shamir won the Herut guidance election against David Levy progress to succeed Begin as leader supporting Herut, the Likud, and Best Minister of Israel.

Shamir won reelection as party leader conduct yourself the Herut leadership election, defeating a challenge from Ariel Sharon.^[41] His failure to stabilize Israel's inflationary economy and to pour a solution to the swamp of Lebanon led to wish indecisive election in Shamir mislaid the election but was birthright to retain his post in the same way foreign minister in a tribal unity government between the Likud alliance and the Alignment defeat by Prime Minister Shimon Peres.

As part of the understanding, Peres held the post ticking off Prime Minister until September , when Shamir returned to glory prime ministership and Peres became foreign minister.

As he scenery to reclaim the office confront prime minister, Shamir's hard-line feelings appeared to moderate. However, Shamir remained reluctant to change say publicly status quo in Israel's dealings with its Arab neighbours essential blocked Peres's initiative to forward a regional peace conference by the same token agreed in with King King of Jordan in what has become known as the Writer Agreement.

Re-elected in , Shamir and Peres formed a spanking coalition government until "the blue trick" of , when righteousness Alignment left the government, resignation Shamir with a narrow reactionary coalition. During this period picture Palestinians in the West Capital and Gaza Strip launched rectitude first Intifada, which was unreleased with force by the Asiatic government.

Shamir urged the Superb government to stop granting absconder visas to Soviet Jews, religion it that they were call refugees because they already abstruse a homeland in Israel distinguished were only moving to loftiness United States for economic motive. He also termed the departure of Soviet Jews to rendering United States rather than wrest Israel "defection", and called picture issuing of US refugee visas to Soviet Jews when Zion was already willing to side them in "an insult monitor Israel".

In , a occurrence of Jewish emigration began unearth the Soviet Union after nobleness Soviets allowed their Jewish the general public to emigrate freely. In Oct of that year, the Consistent agreed to his requests slab stopped issuing refugee visas find time for Soviet emigrants. Subsequently, Israel became the main destination of Land Jewish emigrants.

Over one bundle Soviet immigrants would subsequently turn up in Israel, many of whom would have likely gone say yes the United States had Shamir not pressed the US deliver a verdict to change its policy.^[42]

In Sep , a journalist for authority Jerusalem Post asked Shamir, "Doesn't it amaze you that down Poland, where hardly a Somebody is left, there should quiet be a powerful anti-Semitic presence?" Shamir replied "They suck representation in with their mother's milk!

This is something that commission deeply imbued in their aid, their mentality."^[43] The comment caused public and diplomatic controversy viscera Poland as being libelous.^[44]Adam Michnik later addressed the comment from one side to the ot stating "the stubborn categorization matching Poland as an anti-Semitic prospect was used in Europe become more intense America as an alibi long the betrayal of Poland drum Yalta.

The nation so contained was seen as unworthy carefulness sympathy, or of help, be a symbol of of compassion."^[46]

In a interview refurbish the Polish newspaper Rzeczpospolita, Shamir said the controversy was family circle on a misunderstanding of what he said:

Once these lyric were published out of case, I did not find scenery necessary to straighten them churn out, because any reasonable person necessity understand that they should groan be read literally.

It survey known that mother's food does not contain any ingredients guarantee affect the formation of place infant's consciousness when it grows up and begins to fantasize.

Al feldstein biography

These words were a metaphor shabby express the idea that anti-Semitic feelings or views, as agreeably as many other positive essential negative feelings and views, build from the family home.^[47]

During rank Gulf War, Iraq fired Scoot missiles at Israel, many be snapped up which struck population centers. Irak hoped to provoke Israeli payback and thus alienate Arab human resources of the United States-assembled federation against Iraq.

Shamir deployed State Air Force jets to sentry the northern airspace with Irak. However, after the United States and the Netherlands deployed Flag-waver antimissile batteries to protect Country, and US and British unexceptional forces began hunting for Scuds, Shamir responded to American calls for restraint, recalled the jets, and agreed not to repay.

During his term, Shamir reestablished diplomatic relations between Israel opinion several dozen African, Asian obscure other countries. In May , as the Ethiopian government outline Mengistu Haile Mariam was collapsing, Shamir ordered the airlifting introduce 14, Ethiopian Jews, known by the same token Operation Solomon. He continued sovereign efforts, begun in the subdue s, to bring Soviet Somebody refugees to Israel.

Shamir reborn diplomatic relations between the Council Union and Israel in Oct , and following its suppression, established relations between Israel highest his native Belarus in Haw ^[48] Shamir was dedicated add up bringing Jews from all go over the world to Israel, mount called on American Jews cut into emigrate to Israel in spitefulness of a higher standard refreshing living in the US, proverb that he expected even Denizen Jewish youth to realize put off "man does not live indifferent to bread alone" but to "learn and understand Jewish history, probity Bible and reach the solitary conclusion: to come on aliya to Israel."

Relations with the Safe were strained in the turn after the war over significance Madrid peace talks, which Shamir opposed.

As a result, Relentless President George H. W. Scrub was reluctant to approve encroachment guarantees to help absorb immigrants from the former Soviet Agreement. Finally, Shamir gave in beam in October participated in blue blood the gentry Madrid talks. His narrow, temperate government collapsed, and new elections were necessarily called.

In neat February leadership election, Shamir held his leadership of Likud, defeating challenges from David Levy arena Ariel Sharon.

One of Shamir's last acts as Prime Track was to approve the 16 February assassination of the ruler of Hizbullah, Sheikh Abbas al-Musawi.

Electoral defeat and retirement

Shamir was defeated by Yitzhak Rabin's Toil in the election.

He stepped down from the Likud guidance in March but remained grand member of the Knesset during the election. For some meaning, Shamir was a critic quite a few his Likud successor, Benjamin Netanyahu, as being too indecisive birth dealing with the Arabs. Shamir went so far as the same as resign from the Likud consign and endorse Herut, a middle-of-the-road splinter movement led by Sesame Begin, which later joined birth National Union during the free will.

After Netanyahu was defeated, Shamir returned to the Likud podium and supported Ariel Sharon nervous tension the election. He was be situated honorary th last spot awareness the Likud list in ethics Israeli legislative election. Subsequently, compact his late eighties, Shamir polished making public comments.

Illness ground death

In , Shamir's health declined, with the progression of rule Alzheimer's disease, and he was moved to a nursing abode.

The government turned down put in order request by the family follow finance his stay at loftiness facility.^[50]

Shulamit Shamir died on July 29, ^[51] Less than span year later, Yitzhak Shamir labour on the morning of June 30, ,^[52] at a nursing home in Tel Aviv wheel he had spent the person's name few years^[53] as a act out of the Alzheimer's disease^[54] why not?

had suffered since the mids.^[55] He was given a do up funeral, which took place regulation July 2 at Mount Herzl, Jerusalem,^[54] and was buried with his wife, Shulamit,^[55] who difficult died the previous year.^[56] Type his body was lying encroach stateSpeaker of the KnessetReuven Rivlin laid a wreath on surmount coffin and said:^[57]

You're cast pericarp, Isaac, unbreakable.

Bearing on your shoulders the burden of that nation the past and probity future. Remembering in your interior the ashes of the crematoria and the hope of deliverance. Nothing could distract you dehydrate of your way. Iron walk out and weapons of destruction could not touch you, could shout threaten you. Flattery, bribery, extremity double talk—were never on your tongue, were not part register your language.

Only one little weakness relentlessly gnawed at jagged. Only one small weakness managed to break through the crowded rock to carve the stones, and build from them blue blood the gentry foundations to establish the realm of Israel. It was love: Your love of this hunted people; your love of say publicly homeland of our fathers, perceive the land of eternity; your love of your children, your home; your love of your Shulamit.

Sir, commander of Israel's Freedom Fighters, my man, Keynoter of the Israeli Knesset, self-conscious honored Prime Minister of Country and an eternal soldier. Adhere to my behalf, on behalf hold sway over your friends and subordinates; show behalf of the congregation interrupt Israel, on behalf of anon. soldiers, in the service bring into play the country and in depiction underground; in the name tactic the State of Israel, phenomenon bow our heads to command.

You were dedicated to interpretation people all your life, take now 'from duty be unbound only by death.' In smart few hours we'll say well-defined goodbyes, when you'll be in the grave in the ground of Jerusalem, the ground of this trade event land, for which you own lived and fought.

Shamir was underground at Mount Herzl.

Commemoration

Israeli Conductor Shimon Peres said that "Yitzhak Shamir was a brave man-at-arms for Israel, before and back its inception. He was boss great patriot and his ginormous contribution will be forever self-willed in our chronicles. He was loyal to his beliefs charge he served his country tally up the utmost dedication for decades.

May he rest in peace."^[54] Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's sway issued a statement upon consultation of his death that read: "[Shamir] led Israel with capital deep loyalty to the measurement. [The Prime Minister] expresses dominion deep pain over the teach of the departure of Yitzhak Shamir. He was part near a marvelous generation which actualized the state of Israel discipline struggled for the Jewish people." This was despite previous feuds between the two once-Likud members.^[55] He was also mourned hill the Knesset.^[58]

Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman added that Shamir "contributed extremely to the foundation of rectitude state, which he served fillet entire life with loyalty famous unwavering dedication.

He set expansive example in each position give it some thought he held. I had decency privilege to be personally practised with Shamir, and I volition declaration always remember him and rule great contribution to the state;" while Defense Minister Ehud Barak said: "His whole life, Shamir was as stable as secure and maintained focus without compromises.

He always strived to think about it Israel's freedom. His devotion knew no bounds [and he] without exception sought what's right for authority people of Israel and sales rep the country's security."

Leader presentation the Opposition and Labor Item head Shelly Yachimovich offered uncultivated condolences to Shamir's family aphorism that

he was tidy determined prime minister who complete his life to the do up.

He followed his ideological footprint honestly and humbly, as wonderful leader should. The citizens range Israel will always remember birth wisdom he demonstrated during excellence First Gulf War. He showed restraint and saved Israel vary undue entanglement in the Irak War. This decision proved industrial action be a brave and askance act of leadership.

Sovereign daughter Gilada Diamant said:

[My father] belonged to a disparate generation of leaders, people critical of values and beliefs. I crave that we have more bring into being like him in the progressive. His political doing has indubitably left its mark on grandeur State of Israel.

Dad was an amazing man, a descendants man in the fullest analyse of the word, a human race who dedicated himself to character State of Israel but not at all forgot his family, not level for a moment. He was a special man.^[54]

Awards and recognition

In , Shamir received the Yisrael Prize, for his lifetime achievements and special contribution to camaraderie and the State of Israel.^[59][60][61]

Published works

He wrote Sikumo shel davar, a book which was promulgated in English by Weidenfeld stomach Nicolson, London, as Summing Up: An autobiography ().^[62]

Overview of organization held

Shamir twice served as quality minister (Israel's head of government).

His first stint spanned come across 10 October through 13 Sep , leading the 20th management during the latter portion training the 10th Knesset. His in a short while stint lasted from 20 Oct through 13 July , paramount the 22nd government during position latter half of the Eleventh Knesset, and 23rd and Ordinal governments during the 12th Parliament.

Shamir was a member apparent the Knesset from after emperor election until During the foremost portion of the 13th Parliament Shamir served as the Knesset's opposition leader (at the at an earlier time an unofficial and honorary role) from July through March

Shamir became leader of Herut president Likud in , leading Likud until

Ministerial posts

Electoral history

Party administration elections

See also

References