Zvi Ben-Yaakov

Zvi Ben Yaakov (Hebrew: צבי בן יעקב‎; 1904 – November 9, 1956) was a senior figure in the Haganah and the IDF. Over 22 years, he held various high-ranking positions, including commander of the Hefer Bloc, leader of the group that settled Hanita, and commander of the Galilee. He completed his IDF service as a lieutenant colonel, heading the Ordnance Service, which later became the Ordnance Corps.

Zvi Ben Yaakov
Zvi Ben Yaakov in 1938 at Hanita
Nickname(s)	The Eagle
Born	1904 Riga, Russian Empire
Died	November 9, 1956 Israel (aged 52)
Allegiance	Haganah Israel Defense Forces
Years of service	1926–1952
Rank	Lieutenant Colonel
Commands	Commander of "Gush Hefer" and the Galilee National Armorer Commander of "Ordnance Service"
Battles / wars	Great Arab Revolt World War II Israeli War of Independence

Biography

Ben Yaakov was born in 1904. In 1925, during the Fourth Aliyah, he immigrated from Riga, Latvia, to Mandatory Palestine. Initially, he moved around the country in search of work, eventually settling in Binyamina. In 1926, he joined the Haganah, where he began repairing weapons. By the end of that year, he moved to Haifa, becoming an armorer, weapons warehouseman, and small arms instructor. He organized the "Dolphin" marine group, which outwardly engaged in water sports, while secretly transferring illegal weapons from ships.

In 1929, he became a full-time Haganah employee. In 1932, he was appointed commander of "Gush Hefer" and moved his family to Netanya. He trained numerous courses in small arms and field exercises while commanding the bloc and assisting in landing illegal immigrants on the coast. The family then moved to the moshav "Ein HaOved," which later merged with "Avihayil."

In 1938, he was appointed by Eliyahu Golomb as commander of the group that settled Hanita. He prepared and secured the site, staying there for eight months. Before the settlement, the Hanita group trained at "Zebulun Guard" in Haifa Bay. On March 21, 1938, they settled "Lower Hanita," later moving to "Upper Hanita," where the kibbutz stands today.

By the end of 1938, he became the commander of the Galilee, ensuring security for new settlements like the "Ussishkin Fortresses" and managing hidden weapons caches. The family moved to Kibbutz Ayyelet HaShahar.

In late 1940, he was appointed "National Armorer," responsible for the northern area. He handled the transfer of Aliyah Bet immigrants and their settlement distribution. The family returned to Avihayil, which became their permanent residence.

Throughout his service before Israel's establishment, he managed weapons storage and transfers, despite the British Mandate’s risks. Weapons were covertly moved through checkpoints, even in his personal vehicle, which had a hidden cache.

From 1947 until statehood, ships delivered suitcases containing weapons hidden beneath clothing or other items. During the Israeli War of Independence, machine guns from Czechoslovakia arrived and were prepared for combat. Specialists were brought from Czechoslovakia to address challenges. Ben Yaakov oversaw these activities in what later became the Ordnance Corps.

With the formation of the IDF in 1948, Ben Yaakov joined the "Ordnance Service," serving as its second commander from 1949–1950. He retired in 1952, opening a weapons store in Netanya, which became a hub for enthusiasts.

Ben Yaakov died of illness in 1956 at the age of 52 and was buried in Avihayil. He was survived by his wife Miriam (Mary) and two children, Dita and Elazar (Lazi). Both children served in the Ordnance Corps; his daughter as an armorer officer and his son as the first commander of Base 10 for the Merkava tank.

The caches in his home

While building his home in Avihayil, Zvi included infrastructure for several caches:

• A cache beneath the garage floor, expanded during World War II to serve as a shelter.
• A milk canister hidden in the bedroom floor, used for a rifle and ammunition.
• A small cache in the coop floor, discovered in 1969 with a rifle and bullets.
• A cave opposite the house, likely an ancient burial cave.

Further reading

• Rafi Kitron, Hidden Israel, Ariel Publishing, 2010, p. 97

External links

• Lt. Col. Zvi Ben Yaakov on the IDF Technology and Logistics Directorate
• Lt. Col. Zvi Ben-Yaakov on the Ordnance Corps website
• Davar, Lt. Col. Z. Ben-Yaakov, November 11, 1956.
• Davar, Memorial for Lt. Col. Zvi Ben-Yaakov, December 10, 1956.
• Davar, M. Rigai, In Memory of the Missing: Zvi Ben-Yaakov, January 7, 1957.