Chaim Herzog

(1918 - 1997)

Chaim Herzog was born in Ireland in 1918. His father was the distinguished Rabbi Yitzhak HaLevi Herzog.

He immigrated to Palestine in 1935, and served in the Haganah during the Arab revolt of 1936-38.

He acquired a degree in law and served in the British army in World War II, becoming head of intelligence in northern Germany and participating in the liberation of the concentration camps.

In Israel's War of Independence (1948) he served as an officer in the battles for Latrun.

Herzog headed the IDF Military Intelligence Branch from 1948-50, and again in 1959-62. From 1950-1954 he served as defense attache in Washington. He retired from the army in 1962 with the rank of major-general, and engaged in business and law.

During the 1967 Six-Day War, Herzog was the leading military commentator on Israeli radio, and afterwards became the first military governor of the West Bank.

Chaim Herzog served as Israel's Ambassador to the UN from 1975-1978, where he argued against the U.N. resolution equating Zionism with racism.

He was elected to the Knesset on the Labor ticket in 1981, serving until 1983.

Chaim Herzog was chosen as the sixth President of the State of Israel in 1983 and served two terms, until 1993.

His historical writings include The Arab-Israeli Wars, War of Atonement: The Inside Story of the Yom Kippur War, Who Stands Accused? and Israel's Finest Hour.