Moshe Dayan
1915-1981
Moshe Dayan was a true “sabra” – born on Kibbutz Degania Alef in
1915.
It was famously written that, “Rocking the boat is [Dayan’s] favorite
tactic, not to overturn it, but to sway it sufficiently for the helmsman to
lose his grip or for some of its unwanted passengers to fall overboard.”
In 1929, Dayan joined the Haganah; when the British outlawed the
underground organization in 1939, Dayan was arrested and imprisoned
for two years.
Dayan can be recognized by his trademark black eye patch, which he
began wearing after he lost his left eye in battle in Lebanon in 1941.
Dayan participated in armistice talks with Jordanian officials in 1949.
Dayan led Israel’s Suez campaign in 1956, an invasion of the Sinai
Peninsula after Egypt, Syria, and Jordan signed a pact stating the
destruction of Israel as their goal.
Dayan was appointed Minister of Defense just in time for the Six Day
War in 1967.