Yehuda Lapidot | |
|---|---|
יהודה לפידות | |
 Yehuda Lapidot in 2009 | |
| Born | 1928 |
| Academic background | |
| Alma mater | Hebrew University of Jerusalem |
| Academic work | |
| Discipline | biochemistry |
| Military career | |
| Service | Irgun |
| Battles / wars | 1947-1948 Civil War in Mandatory Palestine 1948 Arab-Israeli War |
Yehuda Lapidot (Hebrew:יהודה לפידות; born August 13, 1928) is an Israeli historian, former professor ofbiochemistry, and veteran of the Zionist militiaIrgun.
Yehuda Lapidot was born inEretz Israel (Mandatory Palestine) in 1928. At age 15, he joinedIrgun, taking thenom de guerre "Nimrod" and soon became active in the Irgun's Combat Corps (Hayil Kravi) inRamat Gan, being responsible for maintaining weapon arsenals there and inBnei Brak.[1]
During theJewish insurgency in Palestine, also known as the Revolt, he took part in anti-British operations. On 2 April 1946, he participated in a major operation to sabotage the railway network in southern Palestine, and was severely wounded in the arm.[1] While recuperating from his injury, which prevented him from using a gun, he worked in the Irgun's propaganda department, where he was director of its foreign press section.[citation needed]
In 1947, he was transferred toJerusalem, and served as a commander during the1947-1948 civil war.[1] Initially, his role was to train new recruits.[citation needed] His most notable action during this period was taking part in a joint Irgun-Lehi attack on the Arab village ofDeir Yassin, in what would later become known as theDeir Yassin massacre. AfterBenzion Cohen, the overall Irgun commander of the operation, was wounded, he took charge of the Irgun force and led it through most of the fighting.[citation needed]
During the1948 Arab-Israeli War, he served as a company commander, and took part in fighting atRamat Rachel and inOperation Kedem,[1][2] during which he led a unit that was part of the final Israeli attempt to capture Jerusalem'sOld City during the war. His force successfully broke through theNew Gate and into the Old City, while other Israeli forces failed to reach their objectives, and Israeli commanderDavid Shaltiel ordered a general retreat shortly before an imminent pre-agreed cease-fire came into effect.[2] For his actions Lapidot was twice mentioned in dispatches.[1]
Lapidot also led the establishment of the agricultural training farm atShuni Fortress.[citation needed]
In 1949, he began studying biochemistry at theHebrew University of Jerusalem, and received a PhD in biochemistry in 1960.[1] He worked on thebiosynthesis of proteins.[citation needed] In 1973, he was appointed a professor of biochemistry at the Hebrew University.[1]
Between 1980 and 1985 he served as an adviser toIsraeli Prime Minister and former Irgun commanderMenachem Begin.[1] His role was that of head ofNativ, an Israeli liaison organization maintaining contacts with Jews living in theEastern Bloc.[citation needed]
In 1988, he retired from the Hebrew University and began researching the history of the British Palestine Mandate era, especially the history of the Irgun and the Revolt.[citation needed]
In the 1990s, Lapidot wrote four books on the history of the Irgun and the Revolt:
Refusenik movement and1990s post-Soviet aliyah | |||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Background |
| ||||||||||||||||
| Events | |||||||||||||||||
| People |
| ||||||||||||||||
| Organisations |
| ||||||||||||||||
| Aftermath | |||||||||||||||||
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
