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Mordechai Bar-On Edit Profile

also known as Moraleh

historian military officer politician

Mordechai Bar-On is an Israeli historian and former Israel Defense Forces, Chief Education Officer. He served as the head of the Office of the Chief of Staff, Moshe Dayan, and a member of the 11th Knesset on behalf of the Retz party and a left-wing activist.

Background

Mordechai Bar-On was born on December 26, 1928 in Tel Aviv, Israel. Son of Avraham Braun and Yehudit Sophie Braun (Schopf).

Education

In 1952 Mordechai Bar-On was sent from the army to study at the Hebrew University in undergraduate history and economics departments. In 1958 he studied at the Command and Staff College and went to school at Columbia University in New York in the years 1959-1961, where he did his Master of Arts degree in International relationships.

Upon completing his position at the Jewish Agency in 1977, he enrolled for a doctorate in the Department of International Relations and History at the Hebrew University.

Career

After high school, as part of the year of national service, Mordechai Bar-On enlisted in the Hebrew Local Police as the commander of the Rishon Lezion Moving Guard. With the outbreak of the War of Independence, in February 1948, he was sent to the first officers' course. Mordechai Bar-On became a platoon commander and company commander in the Givati Brigade, and in 1954 he commanded the academic reserve in Jerusalem.

The following year Mordechai Bar-On became head of the History Department of the General Staff, before being appointed as head of Office of the Chief of Staff Moshe Dayan position in 1956-1957. In this position, he accompanied General Dayan in all his meetings, military operations, at the front-line units in the 1956 Sinai War, and in his diplomatic meetings.

From 1961 until 1963 Mordechai Bar-On served as the Deputy Chief Education Officer in the Education and Youth Corps, before becoming its head in 1963. He was demobilized in 1968. After his release from the IDF, Mordechai Bar-On was appointed by the World Zionist Congress as a member of the Jewish Agency on behalf of the Labor Movement and as head of the Youth and Pioneer Department until 1977.

Mordechai Bar-On became was elected to the Knesset in 1984 on the Ratz list. However, he resigned from the Knesset on 26 November 1986 and was replaced by David Zucker.

Published 4 books and many articles in the daily press as well as an academic publication. Mordechai Bar-On was the one who wrote the speech on Mount Scopus carrying Chief of Staff Yitzhak Rabin after the Six-Day War.

In the summer of 1982, Mordechai Bar-On was mobilized to the military service and spent time in Lebanon, meeting Lebanese leaders. In 1983 he toured communities across the USA together with Mohamed Milhem, the Mayor of Halhoul, to spread the message that a peaceful solution for the West Bank is possible.

From 1989 to 1992 Mordechai Bar-On was a research fellow at the Ben-Gurion Institute in Sdeh Boker for the Study of Israel and Zionism. During that time he received an award of distinction and began to publish numerous articles and books in his field of research. From 1993 until 2010 Mordechai Bar-On was a research fellow at Yad Ben-Zvi. In 2005-2013 served as chairman of the steering committee of the Thr Center for Defence Studies.

Achievements

  • Mordechai Bar-On received medals for all Israel military campaigns.

Works

Membership

Mordechai Bar-On was a member of the Haganah from the age of 14 and a member of the Hashomer Hatzair movement. In 1978, Mordechai Bar-On began public activity in the Peace Now movement and was a member of the Executive Committee of the International Center for Peace in the Middle-East, which dealt with publications and dialogue between Jewish and Arab intellectuals. Served as president of the New Israel Fund.

  • Hagana

    Hagana , Israel

    1942

  • Hashomer Hatzair

    Hashomer Hatzair , Israel

  • Peace Now

    Peace Now , Israel

    1978

  • New Israel Fund

    New Israel Fund , Israel

  • International Center for Peace in the Middle-East , Israel

Connections

Father:
Avraham Braun

Mother:
Yehudit Sophie Braun (Schopf)

Spouse:
Erela nee Zaitsev

child:
Einat Bar-On

child:
Tal Bar-On

child:
Hilla Bar-On

Brother:
Benjamin Bar-On

Brother:
Yehzkel Braun