Yossi Peled

Yossi Peled ( _he. יוסי פלד) (b. 1941) is an Israeli general and politician, the former Aluf of the Northern Command in the Israel Defense Forces.

Early life

Yossi Peled was born Jeffke Mendelevich in Belgium. During World War II, he was adopted by a Christian family along with his sister, and lived as a Christian until the age of 6. After the war, his mother returned to take him to Israel, and their aliyah was made possible through the Jewish Brigade. His father died in the Auschwitz concentration camp.

Peled settled in the kibbutz Negba.

Military career

In the Six Day War, Peled was a company commander in the 9th Battalion of the 7th Brigade of the 84th Armored Division, under Aluf Israel Tal. In the War of Attrition, he served as a battalion commander on the Suez Canal.

In the Yom Kippur War, Peled was in command of the reservist 205th Armored Brigade, under Moshe Peled's division. His brigade moved from Jerusalem to the Golan Heights and engaged the Syrian army on the northern front.

Later in the 1970s, Peled was placed in command of the 252nd Division in the Sinai Peninsula. In the First Lebanon War, he commanded a provision unit nicknamed Yossi's Force, east of Lake Qaraoun.

Peled's final military position was the command of the IDF's Northern Command, which he held from 1986 to 1991. During his tenure, Peled saw the protection of the northern towns and villages as his top priority, and instructed his subordinates to place a sign reading "The goal: Protection of the northern settlements" in the offices.Fact|date=November 2007

Government and political career

After serving as the CEO of Tadiran Telecom, Yossi Peled has held numerous positions in government offices, not officially entering politics. In 1993, he served as head of the Second Israeli Broadcasting Authority, as well as heading several government-appointed committees, including:
*Formulation of a plan for a government policy regarding communications (1996)
*Investigation of the causes and failures which led to the kidnapping of 3 soldiers by Hezbollah in Mount Dov in October 2000
*Formulation of a policy for the treatment of South Lebanon Army personnel in Israel
*Investigation of the railway incident which left 5 dead near Beit Yehoshua (2006)

In 1996, Peled joined the Likud party and was a major supporter of Benjamin Netanyahu. While he stated his disappointment with Netanyahu's term as Prime Minister in an official letter,Fact|date=November 2007 in 2006 he reiterated his support for the Likud head, stating that he matured and is the most fit candidate to rebuild Israel's army, economy, etc.