Yigal Allon facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Yigal Allon
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| יגאל אלון | |
Allon in 1969, serving as Minister of Education & Culture
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| Interim Prime Minister of Israel | |
| In office 26 February 1969 – 17 March 1969 |
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| President | Zalman Shazar |
| Preceded by | Levi Eshkol |
| Succeeded by | Golda Meir |
| Deputy Prime Minister of Israel | |
| In office 1 July 1968 – 10 March 1974 |
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| Prime Minister | Levi Eshkol Golda Meir |
| Preceded by | Abba Eban |
| Succeeded by | Simha Erlich Yigael Yadin |
| Ministerial portfolios | |
| 1961–1968 | Labour |
| 1968–1969 | Immigrant Absorption |
| 1969–1974 | Education and Culture |
| 1974–1977 | Foreign Affairs |
| Faction represented in the Knesset | |
| 1955–1965 | Ahdut HaAvoda |
| 1965–1968 | Alignment |
| 1968–1969 | Labor Party |
| 1969–1980 | Alignment |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 10 October 1918 Kfar Tavor, Mandatory Palestine |
| Died | 29 February 1980 (aged 61) Afula, Israel |
| Spouse | Ruth Episdorf |
| Children | 3 |
| Education | Kadoorie Agricultural High School St Antony's College, Oxford |
Yigal Allon (Hebrew: יגאל אלון; 10 October 1918 – 29 February 1980) was an important Israeli military leader and politician. He was a top commander of the Palmach, which was a special fighting force, and a general in the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF). He also led political parties like Ahdut HaAvoda and the Israeli Labor Party.
Allon served briefly as the acting Prime Minister of Israel in 1969. This happened after the death of Levi Eshkol and before Golda Meir was appointed. He was the first Prime Minister born in Israel. He served as a government minister for many years, from 1961 to 1977.
Born in the Lower Galilee, Allon first became well-known for his military skills. He joined the Haganah and later the Palmach during the 1936–1939 Arab revolt in Palestine. He led important operations, including the Night of the Bridges. During the 1947–1949 Palestine war, Allon led forces that took control of areas like the Galilee, Lod, Ramla, and the entire Negev region.
After his military career, Allon entered politics. He served as the foreign minister, education minister, and deputy prime minister. He also briefly held the role of acting prime minister. He helped create the Labor Party by bringing together different groups.
In 1967, he created the Allon Plan. This plan suggested what Israel should do with certain territories after the 1967 Arab–Israeli War. Even though the plan was not officially made law, it guided how Israel developed settlements for the next ten years. He also took part in the Sinai Interim Agreement in 1975.
Yigal Allon died suddenly in 1980 from a heart attack. He was campaigning to become the leader of the Labor Party at the time.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Yigal Peikowitz, who later changed his name to Allon, was born on 10 October 1918. His birthplace was Kfar Tavor, which was then part of Mandatory Palestine. His father, Reuven, moved to Palestine in 1890 from Belarus. His mother, Haia Shortz-Peikowitz, came from a Jewish family in Safed.
Allon's father wanted to name him "Yigael," meaning "he will be redeemed." But he thought that was too passive. So, he chose "Yigal," which means "he will redeem."
When Allon was five, his mother passed away, and his older brothers left home. Allon, being the youngest, stayed with his father. Kfar Tavor was a remote area. It often faced raids and thefts from nearby Arab and Bedouin communities. After his bar mitzvah at age 13, his father gave him a gun. This was so he could protect their family's crops from thieves.
In 1934, at 16, Allon started attending the Kadoorie Agricultural High School. He realized his home education was not as good as his classmates from cities. His teachers encouraged him to learn more and fill these gaps. In his autobiography, Allon praised the school director. He said the director taught him important social values.
During school, Allon became a supporter of Labor Zionism. After graduating in 1937, Allon and other Labor Zionists founded the Kibbutz Ginosar. This kibbutz was on land leased to the settlement of Migdal. In Ginosar, Allon became a local leader and befriended Berl Katznelson.
Military Service
Allon joined the Haganah in 1931. The Haganah was a Jewish paramilitary organization in Palestine. He commanded a field unit and later a mobile patrol in northern Palestine. This was during the 1936–1939 Arab revolt in Palestine. While working on the kibbutz farms, Allon was asked to take a command role in the Haganah by Yitzhak Sadeh. After training, Allon led the Mobile Guards. He helped remove Arabs who brought their flocks to Jewish fields. He also became known for planning ambushes against gangs that entered settlements.
During this time, Allon took part in operations of the Special Night Squads (SNS). These were led by Orde Charles Wingate. In 1941, he helped create the Palmach, a special strike force. From 1941 to 1942, he worked as a scout with British forces in Syria and Lebanon.
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In 1945, he became the Commander in Chief of the Palmach. On 22 June 1948, Allon commanded troops who were ordered to fire on the Altalena. This was a ship carrying weapons for the Irgun group. During the 1948 Arab–Israeli War, he led several major operations. These included operations Yiftach in the Galilee, Danny in the center, and Yoav and Horev in the Negev. His last major military roles were in October and December 1948. He was responsible for security along the borders with Egypt and parts of Jordan. Allon's successes in the war were often due to his sharp instincts.
On 18 October 1949, while visiting Paris, Allon learned that Prime Minister David Ben-Gurion had decided to replace him. Most of Allon's staff officers resigned in protest. He retired from active military service in 1950.
Political Career
In January 1948, Allon helped form the left-wing Mapam party. However, Prime Minister Ben-Gurion, who led the rival Mapai party, told Allon to distance himself from Mapam. Ben-Gurion saw Mapam as too far left and a risk to state security.
From 1950 to 1952, Allon studied philosophy and history at St Antony's College, Oxford in England.
After his military career, Allon started his public political life. He became a key leader in Ahdut HaAvoda. This party had separated from Mapam in 1954. He was first elected to the Knesset (Israel's parliament) in 1955. He served there until his death. He was a member of several important committees in the Knesset.
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Allon served as the Labor Minister from 1961 to 1968. In this role, he worked to improve the national employment service. He also helped expand the road network. He pushed for laws about labor relations. From 1968 to 1969, he was the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Immigrant Absorption.
Allon briefly served as interim Prime Minister. This was after the death of Levi Eshkol on 26 February 1969. He held the office until 17 March 1969. Then, Golda Meir took over after being elected leader of the Labor Party. Allon became the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Education and Culture in Meir's government. He held that position until 1974.
During the September 1970 crisis in Jordan, he supported King Hussein. This was during Hussein's conflict with the PLO. In 1974, Allon was part of the delegation for the Separation of Forces Agreement. He became the Minister of Foreign Affairs in 1974 and held this post until 1977. When he died suddenly in 1980, he was a candidate for the leadership of the Alignment party. He was challenging the current party head, Shimon Peres.
The Allon Plan
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Yigal Allon created the Allon Plan. This was a proposal to decide the future of parts of the West Bank after the Six-Day War. He presented the plan to the government in July 1967. The plan was never officially made law. However, it guided how Israel developed settlements for the next ten years.
The plan suggested that Israel would keep about one-third of the West Bank. It would protect itself from attacks from the east with a line of settlements and military bases along the Jordan Valley. The mountain area to the west of this strip, where many Arabs lived, would be connected with Jordan. Some areas like Gush Etzion and parts of the Hebron Hills would become part of Israel. Small changes would also be made along the Green Line, especially near Latrun. Allon also wanted to build Jewish neighborhoods in East Jerusalem. He also suggested rebuilding the Jewish Quarter in the Old City. The plan also included taking control of Gaza.
Death and Legacy
Allon died from heart failure in Afula on 29 February 1980. He was buried in the cemetery of Kibbutz Ginosar. This kibbutz is in the Northern District by the Sea of Galilee. Tens of thousands of people attended his funeral. Many world leaders, including Egyptian president Anwar Sadat, sent their condolences.
Allon's Impact
Decades after his death, many people still admire Yigal Allon. Oren Dagan, from the Society for the Preservation of Israel Heritage Sites, explained why. He said people want to live in the kind of state Allon imagined. This is especially true regarding the relationship between Arabs and Jews. Dagan said Allon's approach was about safety and security. It said, "Our place is here," but also stressed the importance of talking and understanding. Allon always offered a hand in peace. Many people today want leaders to follow that same approach.
Personal Life
Allon was married to Ruth. She moved to Palestine from Germany in 1934. They had three children together. Their oldest daughter, Nurit, had autism spectrum and could not speak until she was five. After years of seeking medical advice, Nurit was eventually cared for in Scotland. Allon visited her once a year.
In 1948, after Israel became a state, Allon changed his last name. He changed it from "Peikowitz" to "Allon" (Hebrew: אלון). The name "Allon" means "oak tree" in Hebrew.
In the 1950s, the Allons helped their neighbors adopt a child, Tziona Heiman. She was from a Jerusalem hospital. This event became connected to the larger Yemenite Children Affair of that time. In this affair, thousands of Jewish babies, mostly from Yemen, were put up for adoption in Israel. Heiman said her adoptive parents and Allon treated her well and lovingly. Allon's wife stated they did not know where Heiman came from. As of 2016, Heiman's origins were still not clear.
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