Avraham Ben-Artzi

Avraham Ben-Artzi was born in 1947 in Kfar Ma'as

Ben-Artzi was born in 1947 in the moshav Kfar Ma'as near Petah Tikva, the second child of Haim and Dovit. He studied in Petah Tikva and was a youth counselor in the HaNoar HaOved VeHaLomed movement.

He began studying humanities at Tel Aviv University and then joined the IDF. He completed a bachelor's degree in the history of the Middle East and Africa there in 1974 and a master's degree in Middle East history in 1994.

He served in Sayeret Matkal, wrote the unit's anthem, and later moved to the Armored Corps. On 20 November 1976 he was badly hurt when his jeep overturned in Sinai during training, and he spent about a month in a coma. He recovered and kept serving in posts including deputy brigade commander and division chief of staff.

In 1972 he married Dalia Rabin, daughter of Yitzhak Rabin, and they divorced in 1979. He married Esther in 1985. He published a book of poems and a book about his injury and recovery.

After leaving the army in 1994 he worked on a doctorate in Middle East history. He died of a stroke in 2010 and left 6 children.