Posted on 11/23/2004 8:50:00 AM PST by yonif
Rafael Eitan was born in Tel Adashim in the Jezreel Valley in 1929. He served as the Israel Defense Forces chief of staff from 1978 through 1983, following 37 years of military service in the pre-state Palmah strike force and in the IDF. Eitan commanded the 890th Paratroop Battalion, the Paratroop Brigade and the Beka'a Brigade. He was involved in the IDF's sole combat parachute jump into the Mitla Pass during the 1956 Sinai campaign.
Eitan, who was wounded in the 1948 War of Independence and on three other occasions, served the IDF as a paratrooper, armored corpsman and pilot. Soldiers who served under him described him as utterly fearless.
In 1983, Eitan entered political life and established the Tzomet movement that acted against the withdrawal from the Sinai Peninsula.
In the 1984 elections, Eitan ran for the Tehiya (Revival) movement and entered the Knesset. In the 1988 elections, he was reelected and served as agricultural minister in Yitzhak Shamir's government. Eitan resigned in 1991 when Shamir refused to bring to the Knesset a vote on a bill regarding direct prime ministerial elections.
In 1992, Eitan was voted into the Knesset again as a representative of Tzomet but the party later split. Around the time of the 1996 elections, an agreement was signed forming a coalition between Likud, Gesher and Tzomet. Eitan was entered the 14th Knesset on the joint list and was appointed to serve as deputy prime minister, agriculture minister and environment minister.
Tzomet's run for the 15th Knesset was its last and the movement did not receive the minimum required number of votes to obtain representation in the parliament.
Eitan was a political hardliner who opposed handing land to Palestinians in peace talks. He often expressed his views on relations with the Arabs bluntly. Once he referred to Palestinians as "drugged cockroaches in a bottle."
Eitan had two sons and three daughters. One of his sons, Yohanan, died at the age of 10 from an asthma attack and his other son, Yoram, was killed in an accident during a training flight at the age of 26.
In 2003, Eitan was nominated to serve as logistic coordinator for the Ashtrom company, which was improving the breakwater at the Ashdod port. He would drive to work every morning from his home in the Jerusalem neighborhood of Beit Hakerem.
Eitan, who moved to Beit Hakerem with his wife Ofra Meirson seven years ago, was a farmer, carpenter and pilot.
This fellow was called the 'Jewish patton' and for good reason. He was pretty much a soldier's soldier.
This provides some background
Last update - 18:30 23/11/2004
Former IDF chief of staff Rafael Eitan drowns in Ashdod port
By Yuval Azoulay, Haaretz Correspondent, and Haaretz Service
Former minister and ex-Israel Defense Forces chief of staff Rafael Eitan, 75, will be laid to rest Wednesday afternoon at the cemetery in his hometown of Tel Adashim in the Jezreel Valley. Eitan drowned Tuesday morning after he was swept into the water at Ashdod port.
His body will lie in state at Beit Ha'am in Tel Adashim between 11 A.M. and 1:30 P.M. Wednesday. Mourners will eulogize Eitan there, and the funeral procession will begin at 2:15 P.M. The military funeral will not be open to the public.
Eitan served as the Israel Defense Forces chief of staff from 1978 through 1983, following 37 years of military service in the pre-state Palmah strike force and in the IDF.
A political hardliner who opposed handing land to Palestinians in peace talks, Eitan commanded the 890th Paratroop Battalion, the Paratroop Brigade and the Beka'a Brigade. He was involved in the IDF's sole combat parachute jump into the Mitla Pass during the 1956 Sinai campaign.
In 1983 Eitan entered political life and established the Tzomet movement, which acted against the withdrawal from the Sinai Peninsula. In 2003 he was nominated to serve as logistic coordinator for the Ashtrom company, which was improving the breakwater at the Ashdod port.
Eitan, a farmer, carpenter and pilot, is survived by his wife, Ofra Meirson - with whom he moved to the Jerusalem neighborhood of Beit Hakerem seven years ago - and three daughters. One of his sons, Yohanan, died at the age of 10 from an asthma attack and his other son, Yoram, was killed in an accident during a training flight at the age of 26.
Police believe Eitan fell from a breakwater Tuesday morning into rough seas off the port and disappeared for a number of minutes before he was found and pulled from the water.
Magen David Adom paramedics at the scene attempted without success to resuscitate him. Eitan's vehicle was found abandoned near the port's docks.
Police forces and Israel Navy soldiers, aided by a helicopter, located Eitan in the water and extricated him with the help of a naval vessel.
The Ashtrom company reported that the last contact with him was at around 7 A.M. Tuesday morning. He called from a cellular phone to senior company officials to report on the state of equipment at the site following an overnight storm.
Ashtrom officials said the conversation was cut off, and, after they were unable to reach Eitan on his phone a search and rescue force was dispatched to the area.
Yair Avishar, an MDA paramedic who arrived at the scene of the incident, said: "A naval ambulance crew and another ambulance crew from the port, which is situated there on a permanent basis, gave Eitan first aid and attempted to resuscitate him. We continued trying to revive him? but after half an hour had past the doctor declared him dead."
Police continue to investigate the exact circumstances of Eitan's death.
Transportation Minister Meir Sheetrit ordered the formation of a committee to investigate the circumstances of Eitan's death.
The construction of the new section of the Ashdod port is currently reaching completion, and its official opening has been delayed a number of times over the past few months.
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