Militaryיוסף קסטל

Yosef Castel

Yosef Castel was an Israeli military officer who retired as a brigadier general, commanded Sayeret Matkal and later headed the Neve Monosson local council.

1926 to 2015Commanding Sayeret MatkalGovernor of the Gaza StripHeading the Neve Monosson councilResearch on the Castel family

Born: 29 October 1926
Died: 15 July 2015
Occupation: military officer
Rank: tat aluf
Wars: 1948 Palestine war, Suez Crisis, Six-Day War, War of Attrition

Yosef Castel was born in 1926

Yosef Castel was born in 1926 to Eliezer and Eugenie Castel. He came from the Jewish community of Hebron, where his grandfather Nissim Castel served as mukhtar. He went to elementary school in Mazkeret Batya.

As a teenager he joined the Haganah. In 1944 he joined a training group at Kibbutz Hulata and was a member of the kibbutz for 8 years.

He served in the army from the War of Independence until his retirement as a brigadier general. He commanded units in Golani and Sayeret Matkal, served as IDF attaché in South America and was governor of the Gaza Strip from 1977. His last post was secretary of the foreign military attachés in Israel.

In 1983 he became an envoy of the Jewish National Fund in England. A Labor Party activist, he ran for mayor of Bat Yam and headed the Neve Monosson local council from 1993 to 2003. In 2003 he agreed to merge the council with the Yehud municipality because of budget problems.

He researched his family history and published the book on the Castel clan in 2006. He was married to Bracha and had 2 sons and 2 daughters. He died in 2015 and was buried in Yehud-Neve Monosson.

Yosef Castel's life in 10 milestones

1926
Born to Eliezer and Eugenie Castel.
1944
Joined a training group at Kibbutz Hulata.
1958
Moved to the Golani Brigade.
1961
Took command of Sayeret Matkal.
1975
Became IDF attaché in 5 South American countries.
1977
Appointed governor of the Gaza Strip.
1983
Became a Jewish National Fund envoy in England.
1993
Became head of the Neve Monosson local council.
2006
Published a book on the history of the Castel clan.
2015
Died and was buried in Yehud-Neve Monosson.

Yosef Castel served in Sayeret Matkal and Golani Brigade

He commanded Sayeret Golani from 1959 to 1961, receiving a commendation for Operation Hargol, and Sayeret Matkal in 1961 and 1962. He led reserve Battalion 76 in the Six-Day War, a task force on the Golan Heights in the Yom Kippur War, and retired as a brigadier general.

Sayeret Matkal Golani Brigade