Militaryאריה בירו

Arie Biro

Arie Biro was an IDF officer with the rank of brigadier general who commanded a brigade in the Yom Kippur War and later served as chief officer for civil and territorial defense.

1927 to 2006Surviving AuschwitzCommanding Brigade 8 in 1973Early paratrooper commanderAdmission about killing Egyptian prisoners

Born: 4 December 1927, Arad
Died: 15 April 2006, Israel
Occupation: military officer
Rank: brigadier general
Wars: South Lebanon conflict, 1948 Palestine war, Suez Crisis, Six-Day War

Arie Biro was born in 1927 in Arad

Biro was born in Arad, Romania, to Esther and Avraham. As a youth he studied mechanical metalwork in Hungary. In 1944 he and his family were sent to Auschwitz, where he did forced labor at the IG Farben plant in Monowitz.

When the camp was closed, he pretended to have a contagious illness and was not taken on the death march. After the war he reached Italy, and in August 1945 he came to the Land of Israel by ship.

He joined the Palmach and fought in the War of Independence. He later served in the paratroopers, the Armored Corps and senior command posts, and was wounded in both the Six-Day War and the Yom Kippur War. From 1979 to 1984 he was chief officer for civil and territorial defense.

In 1995 he admitted that he and his soldiers had killed bound Egyptian prisoners during the Sinai campaign. He died in 2006 after a serious illness and was buried in the old cemetery in Herzliya.

Arie Biro's life in 9 milestones

1944
Deported with his family to Auschwitz.
1945
Arrived in the Land of Israel by ship.
1949
Began an officers course.
1957
Moved to the Armored Corps.
1964
Appointed a battalion commander.
1973
Appointed commander of Brigade 8.
1979
Became chief officer for civil and territorial defense.
1995
Admitted to killing Egyptian prisoners in the Sinai campaign.
2006
Died after a serious illness.

Arie Biro served in Armored Corps

Biro served in the Palmach, the paratroopers and the Armored Corps, commanding Battalion 129 in the Six-Day War and Brigade 8 in the Yom Kippur War. He reached the rank of brigadier general and was chief officer for civil and territorial defense from 1979 to 1984.

Armored Corps