Ygal Yadin Archaeologist, second chief of the General Staff of the Israel Defense Forces. Date of Birth: 20.03.1917 Country: Israel

1. Biography of Igal Yadin
2. Early Life and Military Service
3. Chief of General Staff
4. Archaeological Career
5. Later Political Involvement

Biography of Igal Yadin

Igal Yadin was an Israeli archaeologist and political figure who served as the second Chief of General Staff of the Israeli Defense Forces. He was born in 1917 to a family of renowned archaeologist Eleazar Sukenik and women's movement activist Hasi Feinsod.

Early Life and Military Service

At the age of 15, Yadin joined the Haganah, where he held various positions. In 1946, he left the Haganah due to disagreements with his commander, Itzhak Sade. In 1947, shortly before the declaration of Israeli independence, David Ben-Gurion called Yadin back into military service while he was studying at university. Yadin led operations during the War of Independence due to the illness of the first Chief of General Staff, Yaakov Dori.

Chief of General Staff

On November 9, 1949, Yadin was officially appointed as the Chief of General Staff following Dori's resignation, and he held this position for three years. However, he resigned on December 7, 1952, due to disagreements with Ben-Gurion, who was serving as Prime Minister and Minister of Defense. Yadin ended his military career at the age of 35.

Archaeological Career

After his resignation, Igal Yadin conducted numerous archaeological research projects. In 1956, he received the Israel Prize for his doctoral dissertation on the translation of the Dead Sea Scrolls. Yadin participated in significant excavations such as Qumran, Masada, Hazor, and Megiddo.

Later Political Involvement

During the Six-Day War in 1967, Yadin served as a military advisor to Prime Minister Levi Eshkol, and after the War of Attrition, he was a member of the Agranat Commission. In 1976, Yadin, along with Professor Amnon Rubinstein, Shmuel Tamir, Meir Amior, and Meir Zorea, formed the Dash Party (Democratic Movement for Change). The new centrist party seemed promising in the fight against corruption within the Ma'arach movement (now the Labor Party). In the 1977 Knesset elections, the party won 15 seats. Likud leader Menachem Begin formed a coalition government with Dash Party, leaving Ma'arach in opposition. Igal Yadin became the Deputy Prime Minister and actively participated in the peace agreement with Egypt. Later, the Dash Party split, and in 1981, Yadin retired from politics.