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Hero of Israel

Hero of Israel (Hebrew: גיבור ישראל) was an Israeli military decoration that was awarded during the Independence War.

The decoration was instituted in the summer of 1949 in order to decorate the 12 most brave soldiers of the IDF.

It was awarded in July 17, 1949. After a military parade, President Chaim Weizman, Prime Minister David Ben-Gurion and IDF Chief of Staff Yaakov Dori awarded the decoration to its recipients.

Since this occasion the decoration was never awarded again and in 1970 it was replaced with the Medal of Valor. All recipients of the Hero of Israel automatically received the Medal of Valor as well.

The decoration is designed in the form of a red ribbon bar, charged with a clasp of the Israeli coat of arms made of gold.

• Yair Racheli was decorated for destroying an enemy position near Shefa-'Amr.
• Emmanuel Landau was decorated for capturing an enemy supply truck.
• Abraham Avigdorov was decorated for destroying two enemy Bren machine gun positions.
• Zerubavel Horowitz was decorated for covering the retreat of his comrades from an enemy attack.
• Yizhar Armoni was decorated for covering the retreat of his comrades and evacuation of wounded soldiers.
• Emil Brig was decorated for blowing up a bridge and thus preventing the enemy from advancing.
• Zvi Zibel was decorated for delivering supply to the besieged Ben Shemen while under heavy enemy fire.
• Ben-Zion Leitner was decorated for destroying enemy bunkers.
• Ron Feller was decorated for destroying an enemy tank.
• Yohai Ben-Nun was decorated for sinking the Egyptian flag ship.
• Siman-Tov Ganeh was decorated for covering the retreat of his comrades.
• Arieh Atzmoni was decorated for rescuing a cannon from the enemy hands.