Yitzhak Sadeh

Chief commander for the Haganah

Before his appointment as chief commander, Sadeh was a commander of the Palmach (the Haganah’s elite military forces of volunteers) where he ordered attacks on British troops. From December 1948 to January 1949, he played a role in Operation Horev, an offensive against the Egyptian army in the western Negev.

He established the first armoured brigade in the Israeli army, which was responsible for the capture of al-Lydd (now known as Lod) Airport.