| Shimon Avidan | |||||||||||
| Birth Name: | Siegbert Koch | ||||||||||
| Birth Place: | Lissa, German Empire | ||||||||||
| Death Place: | Central District, Israel | ||||||||||
| Birth Date: | 7 February 1911 | ||||||||||
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Shimon Avidan (Hebrew: שמעון אבידן; February 7, 1911 – September 11, 1994), born Siegbert Koch (Hebrew: זיגברט קוך), was a Palmach soldier and IDF military leader. He was the commander of the Givati Brigade during the 1948 Arab-Israeli war.
Born in Germany, Avidam joined the Communist Party of Germany and later moved to Mandatory Palestine in 1934, and lived on Kibbutz Ayelet HaShahar and then Ein HaShofet. He fought with the International Brigades during the Spanish Civil War. He also served as an officer in the Special Night Squads established by Orde Wingate during the Arab revolt in Palestine.[1]
Avidan is also known for his activities in the Palmach in World War II. He led the "German Unit" of the Palmach, which was responsible for conducting guerrilla operations against the Axis powers.[2] In 1945 he commanded the Saison operation against the Irgun and Lehi.[3]
During the 1948 war he was the operational commander of Operation Nachshon, Operation Barak, Operation Pleshet and Operation An-Far. His troops also fought at Nitzanim as well as joining Operation Death to the Invader and Operation Yoav.
He resigned from the army after, according to Chaim Herzog, "His extreme left-wing philosophy proved to be irreconcilable with David Ben-Gurion's policies."[4] In 1975, he was appointed as the internal comptroller of the Ministry of Defense by the minister Shimon Peres.
Avidan died in 1994 at age 83. Streets were named for him in Rishon LeZion and Beersheba.