Nehemiah Tamari

Nehemiah Tamari was born in 1946 in Ein Harod

Tamari was born on November 17, 1946, at kibbutz Ein Harod, to Zvi and Miriam. He was named after Nehemiah Shein, a Palmach fighter from the kibbutz. As a child he moved with his family to Bnei Atarot and later studied at Blich High School.

He was drafted in 1965 and volunteered for the paratroopers. He fought and was wounded in the Six Day War as an officer cadet, then held command roles in the Paratroopers Brigade. He was wounded again at the Battle of the Chinese Farm in the Yom Kippur War.

In 1974 he joined Sayeret Matkal as deputy commander and took part in the Savoy Hotel operation. He commanded Battalion 890 in Operation Entebbe and led Sayeret Matkal from 1978 to 1980. He led a paratroop brigade in the First Lebanon War, then commanded the Nahal and Paratroopers brigades and the Galilee Division.

He was promoted to major general in November 1991 and became head of Central Command in 1993. He was killed on January 12, 1994, when an air force helicopter crashed while landing at the command headquarters. The base was later renamed in his memory.