Militaryעמוס ירקוני

Amos Yarkoni

Amos Yarkoni was a Bedouin-born Israeli officer who served as the first commander of the Shaked Reconnaissance Battalion of the IDF Southern Command.

1920 to 1991Founding commander of ShakedIDF tracking methodsMedal of Distinguished Service

Born: 1 June 1920, Na'ura
Died: 7 February 1991, Israel
Occupation: military officer
Rank: aluf
Wars: 1948 Palestine war, Suez Crisis, Six-Day War, War of Attrition

Amos Yarkoni was born in 1920 in Na'ura

Yarkoni was born Abd al-Majid Hidr in 1920 in the village of Na'ura, in the Gilboa region. His family were Muslim Bedouin of the Mazarib tribe. In 1936 he joined a band that sabotaged the Kirkuk to Haifa oil pipeline, then fled after an internal dispute and was sheltered by Jews.

Through Moshe Dayan he made contact with the Haganah. During the War of Independence he joined the IDF and took the name Amos Yarkoni. He served in the Minorities Unit as a tracker and scout, and passed the officers course in 1953.

In 1955 he was chosen to lead a new tracking and counter-infiltration unit, named Shaked, against attacks from Egyptian and Jordanian borders. He was wounded several times and lost a hand in combat in 1959. In 1961 he again commanded the unit, and in 1967 he served on the Sinai front.

He later served as governor of central Sinai and retired from the IDF in 1969 as a lieutenant colonel. He settled with his family in Beersheba and received the Yigal Allon Prize in 1985. He died of cancer in 1991 and was buried in the Kiryat Shaul military cemetery.

Amos Yarkoni's life in 10 milestones

1920
Born in Na'ura.
1936
Joined a band that sabotaged an oil pipeline.
1953
Passed the IDF officers course.
1955
Formed and led the Shaked unit.
1959
Lost a hand in combat.
1961
Again appointed commander of Shaked.
1967
Served on the Sinai front in the Six-Day War.
1969
Retired from the IDF as a lieutenant colonel.
1985
Received the Yigal Allon Prize.
1991
Died and was buried in Kiryat Shaul.

Amos Yarkoni served in the military

Yarkoni served in the Minorities Unit and founded and commanded the Shaked unit of the Southern Command from 1955, later serving as governor of central Sinai. He fought in the Six-Day War, retired in 1969 as a lieutenant colonel, and received the Medal of Distinguished Service.