Lt. Gen. Yaacov Dori (1948-1949)
Lt. Gen. Yaacov Dori was the IDF’s first Chief of the General Staff. During World War I, he served in the 40th Battalion of the Jewish Legion, a Jewish military unit attached to British forces in the Middle East. At a young age, Lt. Gen. Dori foresaw the struggle that Israel would face for control of its land. Following the war, he joined the Haganah under the name “Dan” and was one of its early organizers, serving as the commander of the Haganah Forces in Haifa.
01.11.17
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The IDF’s 1st Chief of Staff, Lt. Gen. Yaakov Dori
After studying engineering in Belgium, he returned to Israel in 1926. In 1939, Lt. Gen. Dori was appointed Chief of Staff of the Haganah – a position he held until 1946 – with the motive of turning a small self-defense paramilitary into the state’s national armed forces. With the establishment of the Israel Defense Forces in 1948, Lt. Gen. Dori was appointed the first Chief of the General Staff. Unfortunately, despite his good command and organizational skills, his failing health meant he faced immense difficulty in commanding troops during Israel’s War of Independence and he was forced to rely heavily on his deputy, Yigael Yadin. He completed his term as Chief of Staff on November 9, 1949 and retired from the military.
After his release from the army, Lt. Gen. Dori continued to wear the officer’s pin he was awarded when he became a second lieutenant.
Yaakov Dori passed away on January 22, 1972 in Haifa. In his memory, a military base in Tel HaShomer was named after him, along with several street names throughout Israel.
WATCH: Shosh Habas talks about being the office director of the IDF’s first Chief of Staff, Yaakov Dori
