| Arieh Atzmoni | |
| Birth Name: | Leib Markowicz |
| Birth Date: | 2 November 1926 |
| Birth Place: | Uzhhorod, Czechoslovakia (present day Ukraine) |
| Death Place: | Haifa, Israel |
| Battles: | 1948 Arab–Israeli War Six-Day War War of Attrition Yom Kippur War |
| Awards: | Hero of Israel |
Arieh Atzmoni (born Leib Markowicz; Hebrew: אריה עצמוני; 2 November 1926 – 30 March 2005) was a Czech-born Israeli soldier and Hero of Israel.[1]
Atzmoni was born Leib Markowicz in Uzhhorod (then in Czechoslovakia, now in Ukraine). During World War II, when he was 13, he left his parents home and lived alone in Budapest. During the Holocaust, his mother and two younger sisters were murdered, while his father, brother and older sister were saved.[2] Later, he was taken to a labor camp in Yugoslavia and worked in copper mining until he was liberated by local partisans, whom he joined in fighting the Germans until his immigration to Palestine in 1944 at age 18. Atzmoni wanted to join the military, but was concerned that his slim figure would cause him to be rejected, so he said he was two years older than he was.
After immigrating to Palestine, Atzmoni joined the Jewish Settlement Police and dealt with Naharayim. Following an Arab Legion attack, he retreated with the guards and reached the nearby base of the 12th Battalion of the Golani Brigade. He joined the ranks of the brigade and after a sergeant course was stationed as a company sergeant and served in this position during the 1948 Arab–Israeli War. Later, He joined the artillery corps, where he served in reserves for many years. In 1969, following severe manpower shortage in the Israel Defense Forces, he responded to a request by its Chief of General Staff and returned for a year of voluntary service in the artillery corps.
In September 1948, Atzmoni cleared a fire-focused ammunition box during battle and received a commendation from the brigade commander.[3]
In January 1949, Atzmoni's unit was attacked near Rafah.[4] [5] A military car was blocking the artillery's line of sight, preventing an effective response. Atzmoni ran, under heavy fire, and was able to start the car and move it, thus clearing the way for the artillery to act and destroy 18 enemy vehicles. For this he was awarded the Hero of Israel commendation, which is the highest commendation ever awarded by the IDF, given to only twelve soldiers:
Following his discharge from the military, Atzmoni settled in the Hadar neighborhood in Haifa with his wife Lea (née Lustig), and worked as a cab driver.[6] Concurrently, he imported and sold car parts. The two then established the Haifa branch of car rental company Hertz, which flourished. They then established their own car rental agency, also successful, allowing him donate some earnings to charity. After decades, the couple retired to the Ahuza retirement home. He died on March 30, 2005, and was buried in Haifa with a military ceremony. He had a son, daughter and four grandchildren.