(Jerusalem Post) Meir Har Zion, one of the best known members of the IDF's famous commando force Unit 101, died on Friday at the age of 80 at his home in the Beit Shean area. Har Zion was among the founders of the IDF's tank commando unit and was its first commander. Unit 101 was responsible for counter raids against Arab terror units in the 1950s. After being seriously wounded during a military strike in September 1956, Har Zion recovered and helped found the elite commando unit of the General Staff. During the Six-Day War in 1967 Har Zion fought with a tank unit on both the Golan Heights and Jerusalem fronts. During the Yom Kippur War in 1973 he rescued injured IDF soldiers from Syrian territory. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu expressed his sorrow on the passing of Har Zion, saying that he was among Israel's greatest heroes. "He was filled with the spirit of love of country and of the nation," Netanyahu said. Defense Minister Moshe Ya'alon remembered Har Zion on Friday as someone who was always in front of his fighters.
2014-03-14 00:00:00Full ArticleBACK Visit the Daily Alert Archive