Meir Pa'il facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Meir Pa'il
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| Faction represented in the Knesset | |
| 1974–1977 | Moked |
| 1977–1980 | Left Camp of Israel |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 19 June 1926 Jerusalem, Mandatory Palestine |
| Died | 15 September 2015 (aged 89) Tel Aviv, Israel |
Meir Pa'il (Hebrew: מאיר פעיל; 19 June 1926 – 15 September 2015) was an important person in Israel. He was a high-ranking officer in the Israeli army, a politician, and a historian who wrote about military events.
Contents
Who Was Meir Pa'il?
Meir Pa'il was born in Jerusalem in 1926. At that time, the area was called Mandatory Palestine, which was under British rule. His parents, Nahum and Bracha Pilevsky, were early settlers who helped build the Jewish community there.
Early Life and Military Service
Meir Pa'il went to school in Jerusalem, Holon, and Tel Aviv. When he was 11, in 1937, he joined a youth group called "Working Youth." He also became part of a secret Jewish defense group called the Haganah, working in their signal unit.
Serving in the Palmach
From 1943 to 1948, Pa'il served in the Palmach. This was a special fighting force of the Haganah. He took part in many secret missions. These included helping Jewish immigrants enter the country illegally from Syria and Lebanon. He also participated in important operations like "The Hunting Season" and the "Night of the Bridges."
A Career in the IDF
When Israel became a country in 1948, the Palmach became part of the new Israel Defense Forces (IDF). Pa'il continued his military career. During the 1948 Arab-Israeli War, he served in the Negev Brigade. He later commanded the 51st Battalion during the Suez Crisis in 1956.
From 1964 to 1966, he led the Bahad-1 officers school, which trains future army leaders. He also headed the Department of Military Theory for the General Staff. Pa'il left the IDF in 1971 as a colonel.
From Soldier to Politician
After leaving the army, Meir Pa'il studied history and Middle Eastern studies at Tel Aviv University. He earned a special degree in military and general history.
In 1973, he helped start a political group called the Blue-Red Movement. This group later joined with another party to form Moked. Pa'il became the leader of Moked.
Joining the Knesset
In the 1973 elections, Meir Pa'il was chosen to be a member of the Knesset. The Knesset is Israel's parliament, similar to a congress or assembly. He was the only person from the Moked party to win a seat.
Before the 1977 elections, Moked joined with other parties to create the Left Camp of Israel. This new party won two seats in the Knesset. Pa'il was one of five members who shared these seats, taking turns serving. However, in the 1981 elections, the party did not win any seats, and Pa'il did not return to the Knesset.
Meir Pa'il passed away on September 15, 2015. He was 89 years old and had been living with Alzheimer's disease.
Books and Writings
Meir Pa'il was also a writer and historian. He wrote several books, mostly in Hebrew, about military history and politics. Here are some of his published works:
- Political and Military Reflections in the Wake of the War of October 1973. Tel Aviv: Israel Peace Research Society, 1974.
- From the Hagana to the IDF (1979) (Hebrew)
- The West Bank and Gaza: A Strategic Analysis for Peace. Tel-Aviv: New Outlook, 1981.
- Development of Jewish Defense Capabilities, 1907–1948 (1987) (Hebrew)
- Independence 1948 (1990) (Hebrew)
- Rift in 1948 (1990)
- The Palmach (1995) (Hebrew)
- From Hashomer to the Israel Defence Forces: Armed Jewish Defense in Palestine. Jerusalem: Israel Information Center, 1997.
- The Commander: Temperate Military Leadership (2003) (Hebrew)
- Meirke - Meir Pa'il: Commander, Educator, Historian, Politician - Autobiography and Selected Texts. (2014) (Hebrew)
