Yehiel Amsalem

Yehiel Amsalem was born in 1939 in Haifa

Yehiel Amsalem was born in Haifa in 1939 and grew up there. His parents, Yael and Shimon Amsalem, had 10 children. He studied at religious schools and later won a scholarship to the military boarding school at the Hebrew Reali School in Haifa, where he graduated with honors.

He was drafted into Golani in 1958 and joined Sayeret Matkal in 1959, recruited by its founder Avraham Arnan. As a sergeant he led the unit's first team, and he became its first soldier sent to officers' course. He then returned to command his own team, which included Ehud Barak.

In 1964 the IDF sent him to study Middle Eastern studies and political science at the Hebrew University. He later trained paratrooper recruits, taught parachuting at Tel Nof and served as an intelligence officer. Before the war he received command of Company B in Battalion 202.

On 5 June 1967 his company fought in the Gaza Strip, and he was killed while storming a position at Khirbet Daraj. He was promoted to major after his death and buried in Haifa. In 1968 his comrades built a memorial for him at Ma'ale Sayarim, and Eli Amir based the main character of his 1998 novel Ahavat Shaul on him.