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Revision as of 23:13, 10 April 2006 by 68.50.169.120 (talk)(diff) ← Previous revision | Latest revision (diff) | Newer revision → (diff)Ben Dunkelman (1913–1997) was a Canadian Jew who became a war hero for his efforts in World War II, when he enlisted with the Queen's Own Rifles and fought on some of the worst battlefields of the war during the allied Operation Overlord, including Caen, Falaise, and the Scheldt. His father was David Dunkelman, the founder of the Canadian men's retailers, Tip Top Tailors.
After the war, he returned to Canada, but again decided to travel to war, this time to fight for Israel in the spring of 1948. He arrived there at a time when the Israeli army was short of officers with combat experience, and he became the commander of the 7th Brigade, the country's best-known armored brigade. In his autobiography, Dunkelman tells the story of how, between July 8 and 18, 1948 during Operation Dekel, he led the 7th Brigade and its supporting units as it moved successfully to capture the town of Nazareth (Dunkelman 1984). Following the capture, Dunkelman received orders from General Chaim Lasakov to evacuate the civilian population in the town. He refused to implement these orders and as a result, the citizens of Nazareth were the sole community which didn't face a widespread exodus of refugees. Shortly after his refusal, he was removed from his post.
There is a bridge on the Lebanese border called Gesher Ben in Dunkelman's honor. His story is told in the film Ben Dunkelman: The Reluctant Warrior.
References
- Dunkelman, Ben. Dual allegiance: an autobiography, Goodread Biography, 1984, ISBN 0887801277
Further reading
- Kidron, Peretz. Blaming the Victims. Edward W. Said and Christopher Hitchens (eds.) 1988, p.85-97