Meir Dagan facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Aluf
Meir Dagan
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| מאיר דגן | |
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| Director of the Mossad | |
| In office 2002–2011 |
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| Prime Minister | Ariel Sharon Ehud Olmert Benjamin Netanyahu |
| Preceded by | Efraim Halevy |
| Succeeded by | Tamir Pardo |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
Meir Hubermann
30 January 1945 Kherson, USSR |
| Died | 17 March 2016 (aged 71) |
| Awards | Medal of Courage |
| Nickname | King of Shadows |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance |  Israel |
| Branch/service | Israel Defense Forces |
| Years of service | 1963–1996 |
| Rank | Aluf |
| Battles/wars | Six-Day War Yom Kippur War 1982 Lebanon War |
Meir Dagan (born January 30, 1945 – died March 17, 2016) was a very important leader in Israel. He was a Major General in the Israel Defense Forces (IDF). He also led the Mossad, which is Israel's main intelligence agency. Think of it like a secret service that works outside the country.
Contents
Early Life and Family
Meir Huberman (who later changed his name to Dagan) was born in 1945. This was during World War II. His family was on a train near Kherson, trying to escape from Poland to the Soviet Union. They were Jewish and fleeing the terrible events of the Holocaust.
Surviving the Holocaust
Meir's maternal grandfather, Ber Erlich Sloshny, was sadly killed by the Nazis. In 2009, photos were published showing Nazi soldiers with his grandfather just before he was shot. Meir Dagan kept one of these photos in his office when he was the head of the Mossad.
Meir and his parents survived the Holocaust. In 1950, his family moved to Israel. They first lived in a camp for new immigrants in Lod. Later, they settled in Bat Yam, where Meir grew up. His parents ran a laundry business there.
Hobbies and Interests
Meir Dagan was a vegetarian. He also enjoyed painting and sculpture. He even studied these arts at Tel Aviv University. He was married to Bina and they had three children.
Military Career
Meir Dagan joined the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) in 1963. He became a soldier in the Paratroopers Brigade. After his first service, he was called back to fight in the Six-Day War in 1967. He was an officer leading a group of paratroopers.
Special Units and Bravery
In 1970, a famous general named Ariel Sharon noticed Dagan. Sharon asked Dagan to lead a special unit called Sayeret Rimon. This unit worked to find and stop suspected terrorists in the Gaza Strip.
In 1971, Dagan showed great bravery. He received a Medal of Courage for stopping a wanted terrorist who had a live grenade. This was a very dangerous act.
Wars and Leadership Roles
Dagan also fought in the 1973 Yom Kippur War. He was an officer during the fighting in the Sinai desert. He also took part in crossing the Suez Canal.
During the 1982 Lebanon War, Dagan led the Barak Armored Brigade. His unit was one of the first to enter Beirut. In the 1990s, he held many important positions in the IDF. He became a Major General before he retired from the army in 1995. He had served for 32 years.
Leading the Mossad
After leaving the army, Dagan advised Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on fighting terrorism. He also advised Prime Minister Ariel Sharon on national security. In August 2002, Sharon chose Dagan to become the Director-General of the Mossad.
Mossad's Role and Achievements
As the head of the Mossad, Meir Dagan was in charge of gathering intelligence. He also led efforts to stop terrorism outside of Israel. He was known for taking strong action against terrorists in other countries.
Under Dagan's leadership, the Mossad became very effective. One expert said that the Mossad changed a lot under him. It became much better at gathering information and carrying out special missions. The Mossad even tripled its efforts to find new recruits. It launched a website for people to apply to join.
Extending His Term
Prime Minister Ehud Olmert extended Dagan's time as Mossad director until the end of 2008. Then, in 2008, Olmert extended it again until the end of 2009.
In 2009, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu asked Dagan to stay on until the end of 2010. In November 2010, Tamir Pardo was announced as his replacement.
Views on Iran
After he left the Mossad, Dagan spoke out about important issues. He openly disagreed with Prime Minister Netanyahu about attacking Iran's nuclear facilities. He called the idea "stupid" in a conference in 2011. He believed that Iran was a "very rational regime."
Later Life and Awards
After his military and intelligence career, Meir Dagan became involved in business. He was the director of the Israel Port Authority. In 2011, he became the chairman of Gulliver Energy Ltd.
He also served as the honorary president of an Israeli intelligence company called Black Cube until his death.
In April 2011, Dagan received the Haim Herzog Award. This award recognized his special contributions to the State of Israel. In May 2011, he also won the Moskovitz Award for Zionism.
Illness and Passing
In 2012, Meir Dagan was diagnosed with liver cancer. He received treatment, but the cancer spread. He then needed a liver transplant.
At 67 years old, Dagan traveled to Belarus for a successful liver transplant operation. He returned to Israel and was hospitalized before recovering. He was helped by Rabbi Avraham Elimelech Firer, with whom he became close friends.
Sadly, despite the transplant, the cancer remained. Meir Dagan passed away from cancer on March 17, 2016, at the age of 71.
Tributes to a Hero
Many leaders spoke about Dagan's importance. President Reuven Rivlin said Dagan was "one of the greatest of the brave, creative and devout warriors that the Jewish people ever had." Prime Minister Netanyahu said, "In his eight years as the head of the Mossad, he led the organization in daring, pioneering and groundbreaking operations. A great warrior has died."
Images for kids
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Dagan, center, during the 1982 Lebanon War. To his left is Yossi Ben Hanan, to his right is Haim Nadel (he), and to the side is Amos Yaron.
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Dagan as a General in 1993
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Meir Dagan's funeral, with Benjamin Netanyahu, Reuven Rivlin, Shimon Peres, and Moshe Ya'alon in attendance.
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See also
In Spanish: Meir Dagan para niños
- Assassination of Imad Mughniyah
- Operations conducted by the Mossad
