Laskov, Haim (1919-83)

His father was killed by Arabs in 1930 and ten years later he joined the Palestinian Jewish units of the British army. In 1944 he commanded a mechanized machine-gun platoon of the Jewish Brigade in Italy. He joined the Haganah permanent staff in 1947 and the following year commanded the first mechanized battalion of the Israel army in the battles of Latrun, Nazareth, and Galilee. During the War of Independence, he was promoted to aluf (brigadier general) and director of training.

In 1951 he became commander of the Israel Air Force. In 1953 Laskov went to study at Oxford University, but was recalled in 1955 and appointed deputy chief of general staff. He was commanding officer of the armored corps in 1956. During the Sinai Campaign of that year he led a divisional task force on the northern axis. Appointed commanding officer of southern command after the fighting, he became chief of the general staff in 1958.

In 1961 he retired from the army to become director general of the ports authority. He resigned in 1970, and thereafter participated in various bodies. He was the ombudsman of the army, that is the person to whom soldiers' complaints against the army authorities are addressed for investigation.

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