Politicsראובן דפני

Reuven Dafni

Reuven Dafni was an Israeli soldier and diplomat, one of the Jewish parachutists from Mandatory Palestine in World War II and a founder of kibbutz Ein Gev.

1913 to 2005Jewish parachutists of World War IIFounding kibbutz Ein GevIsraeli diplomatic serviceSenior role at Yad Vashem

Born: 11 November 1913, Zagreb
Died: 15 June 2005, Israel
Occupation: diplomat
Wars: World War II

Reuven Dafni was born in 1913 in Zagreb

Dafni was born Ruben Kandt in Zagreb on 11 November 1913, to an educated Croatian Jewish family. His family moved to Vienna, where his father was a diplomat. There he was active in sports and in the Zionist youth movement.

In 1936 he moved to Mandatory Palestine and helped found kibbutz Ein Gev. In 1940 he joined the British Army, and in 1944 he was parachuted into occupied Yugoslavia with other Jewish parachutists. He later served in the Jewish Brigade.

In 1946 he went to the United States for the Haganah to raise money and buy weapons. In 1948 he became the first Israeli consul in Los Angeles, and from 1953 to 1956 he served in New York. In 1960 he was asked by David Ben-Gurion to set up the sports and physical education authority in the Ministry of Education.

He later served as consul general in Bombay, ambassador to Kenya and, from 1975, ambassador to Thailand. After leaving the Foreign Ministry he worked for 13 years in a senior role at Yad Vashem. He received the Yakir Yerushalayim award and died in 2005.

Reuven Dafni's life in 9 milestones

1913
Born in Zagreb.
1936
Moved to Mandatory Palestine and helped found Ein Gev.
1940
Joined the British Army.
1944
Parachuted into occupied Yugoslavia.
1946
Went to the United States to buy weapons for the Haganah.
1948
Became the first Israeli consul in Los Angeles.
1960
Set up the sports and physical education authority.
1975
Became ambassador to Thailand.
2005
Died.

Reuven Dafni served in the military

Dafni served in the British Army from 1940, including in Greece, Crete and North Africa, and in 1944 was parachuted into Yugoslavia as a liaison with the Partisans. He later joined the Jewish Brigade, was mentioned in despatches and was commissioned as an officer.