Rahamim Cohen

(1921 - ?)

Born 1921 in Jerusalem, Cohen joined Betar at the age of 12. In the 1936-1939 riots, was active in the Irgun's reprisals against Arabs and in the first operations against the British.

At the beginning of the Revolt, Cohen was appointed commander of the Fighting Force in Jerusalem and led the first attack on the British Intelligence offices in the Russian Compound.

On September 27, 1944, Cohen was assigned command of the attack on the eastern police station in Haifa. During the attack, he was about to hurl a grenade when one of his men suddenly appeared. To avoid injuring him, he held on to the grenade and, in the subsequent explosion, his hand was shattered. He continued to command his men until the withdrawal. After completing the assignment, he was taken to the Rothschild Hospital, where he underwent surgery. He awoke to find British soldiers at his bedside, as a result of an informer. He was taken to the Acre hospital and then exiled to Africa.

Cohen returned with the last exiles from Kenya on July 12, 1948, after the establishment of the State of Israel.

Sources: The Irgun Site