Militaryיוסי הראל

Yossi Harel

Yossi Harel was an Israeli intelligence officer who commanded the Aliyah Bet ship Exodus in 1947.

1918 to 2008Commanding the Exodus in 1947Aliyah Bet ship commandHeading IDF Unit 131

Born: 4 January 1918, Jerusalem
Died: 26 April 2008, Tel Aviv
Occupation: intelligence officer, military personnel, Aliyah Bet activist
Rank: Sgan Aluf
Wars: 1948 Palestine war

Yossi Harel was born in 1918 in Jerusalem

Yossi Harel was born Yosef Hamburger in Jerusalem in 1918, with a twin brother, Natan. His parents were Moshe and Batya Hamburger, and he was a sixth generation Jerusalemite. He attended Tachkemoni School and worked as a teenager in a quarry and laying telegraph cables.

He joined the Haganah at 15 and fought in the Special Night Squads under Orde Wingate. In World War II he joined the British Army and was badly wounded in Greece in 1941. From 1945 to 1948 he commanded 4 immigrant ships, including the Exodus in 1947.

In 1948 he served as liaison officer to IDF Chief of Staff Yaakov Dori. He later studied at MIT and was called back to investigate the Lavon Affair. David Ben-Gurion then made him head of Unit 131, an IDF intelligence unit.

The character Ari Ben Canaan in the novel and 1960 film Exodus was based on him. Italy gave him the Exodus prize in 2007. He died in Tel Aviv in 2008 and is buried at Kibbutz Sdot Yam.

Yossi Harel's life in 9 milestones

1918
Born in Jerusalem.
1938
Took part in the settlement operation at Hanita.
1941
Fought with the British Army in Greece and was wounded.
1946
Commanded the immigrant ship Knesset Israel.
1947
Commanded the immigrant ship Exodus.
1948
Served as liaison officer to Chief of Staff Yaakov Dori.
1951
Married Julie Berez.
2007
Received the Exodus prize from Italy.
2008
Died in Tel Aviv.

Yossi Harel served in the military

He served in the Haganah, the Special Night Squads and the British Army, and was wounded in Greece in 1941. In the IDF he served in military intelligence, headed Unit 131 and held the rank of lieutenant colonel.