1st Brigade - Golani
The Golani infantry brigade was the IDF northern oriented infantry brigade. "Golani Brigade", also known as “Brigade No. 1”, it is an infantry brigade within the Israeli army, and is considered one of the most important and powerful elite brigades in Israel. Golani had endured a long tradition of being the unit to which all rejects from other IDF echelons had been sent. In the years preceding the Yom Kippur War, the brigade had demonstrated a remarkable ability to "pull itself up by its own bootstraps" and by 1975 was recognized as an elite unit.
Formed as the Golani Brigade under David Ben-Gurion in February 1948, the 1st Mechanized Brigade is one of Israel's original fighting units. The Golani Brigade was responsible for operating in the Jordan valley and eastern Galilee during Israel's war for independence. As one of nine elite units known as the Palmach, the Golani Brigade and the other Palmach units made up the core of the Haganah army that was instrumental in Israel's initial victories over its surrounding neighbors.
The Golani infantry brigade, was founded in 1948, affiliated with the 36th Division, and linked to the Northern Command. It is the first and only brigade that has continued its work since the founding of the Israeli army. It participated in the 1948 Nakba. It also participated in all the military wars launched by Israel against the Arab countries and Palestinians.
The brigade also participated in the wars launched by the Israeli army against Gaza, the most recent of which was the “Iron Swords” war in 2023, from which the brigade withdrew in defeat after 60 days of fighting, in which it suffered heavy losses.
The brigade is attributed to the Syrian Golan Heights, from where it acquired its name "Golani", because its main mission was to be stationed on the Syrian border with occupied Palestine. The Golani logo consists of a tree with extended roots with a yellow background, in reference to what its founders wanted of extension and connection to the land, because the first soldiers in the brigade were immigrant farmers.
As for the tree, it is an olive tree, according to what the lieutenant colonel said on the day Hazan died, as he explained that the reason for choosing the olive tree as the emblem of the brigade was after the return from Umm al-Rashrash in 1949 to Galilee. The olive tree was chosen because its roots extend into the soil and the greenness of its leaves throughout the year, and the green color symbolizes the hills of Galilee. Green, while yellow symbolizes the Negev Desert, where the brigade fought battles in the 1948 war.
The brigade is divided into 4 battalions, which are:
Habokim Harachon Battalion - was established in 1947 and operated under the command of the Fifth Brigade, the former name of the Givati ??Brigade. After the dissolution of the Givati Brigade in 1957, the battalion joined the Golani Brigade and became number 51. The Israeli army sent the "Habokim Harashon" battalion - a name that means "the first rifle regiment" - to repel the advance of the Egyptian army in the Negev in 1948, and it was able to penetrate the defenses of the Egyptian forces. The battalion's emblem is a Golani Brigade tree with a double-edged sword in the middle, referring to the battalion's "fighting spirit."
Barak Battalion - is Battalion No. 12, which was established on February 22, 1984, and bears the name Barak, which is a Hebrew name that means “lightning.” The battalion was named after Barak bin Abinoam, a leader whose name appears in the Bible in the Book of Judges. He is credited with saving the children of Israel from the rule of Israel. King of the Canaanites, with his victory over Sisera, the army commander in one of the regions of Palestine. The battalion has participated in all of the brigade’s battles since 1948.
Gideon's battalion - is Battalion No. 13, founded on February 22, 1948, and was named after one of the judges of the children of Israel mentioned in the Book of Judges and in the First Book of Samuel. He is Judge Gideon, to whom they attribute leading the army, defending them, and saving them from the kings of the Midianites, Zebah and Zalmunna. The battalion participated in a number of Of the battles since the Nakba.
Reconnaissance battalion - is Battalion No. 631, and the Golani Brigade did not have its own name. It was established in 2001 and has participated in all of the brigade’s battles since then. Anyone who wants to join it is required to undergo a set of high-level and difficult physical and mental tests and evaluations, with the aim of selecting the most fit and intelligent soldiers. However, the tasks of this battalion are kept secret and confidential. The battalion's soldiers also undergo a training course lasting one year and two months, 4 months of beginner training, 3 months of advanced training at Golani Air Base, and 7 months of special training at the Fire Zone 100 training base, which includes advanced training such as: aviation, navigation, parachuting, Survey and others.
The brigade's soldiers wore the first hat, like the rest of the army, in 1948. Its design was like the front hat, and it was inspired by the French Legion hat. These hats were a gift from an American Jewish hat maker, with the words on the inside "A gift from Jewish hat makers in America." These hats were used for about two years before all army hats changed to olive or olive color.
After the setback of June 1967, the desire of the brigade’s leadership and its soldiers increased to allocate a hat or mark that would distinguish it from others, so its uniform was changed from olive to spotted, and the soldiers of the Golani Brigade continued to ask for a hat that distinguished it from the rest of the army brigades until their request was approved in March 1976, and it was chosen. The brown color of the general's hat, and his soldiers wore it in a special ceremony to distribute it in early April 1976. The brigade's soldiers also wear black shoes and carry a square badge with the unit's emblem, which is a green olive tree with a yellow background.
The brigade was founded on February 22, 1948, by David Ben-Gurion, the first Prime Minister of Israel. Its establishment came after the division of the Levanoni Brigade, which was fighting on the Lebanese border, into two brigades: the first was the Golani Brigade and the second was the Carmeli Brigade. The brigade was stationed in the valleys and hills of Galilee, and included Haganah soldiers, settlement residents, and recruits from all over Israel.
Immediately after its founding, it participated in the 1948 war and tried to repel the armies coming from Syria, Lebanon, Jordan, and Iraq. Among the most important military operations in which he participated in that war were:
Operation Hiram was a military attack launched by Israel with 4 brigades: “Shafi’a, Carmeli, Golani, and Oded” on October 28, 1948, after a ceasefire, with the aim of occupying the last military zone of the resistance, which extended from the Galilee to the borders of Lebanon. The Israeli forces were able to end the operation in 3 days and occupy the entire Upper Galilee and displace the population. During the following weeks, they deliberately expelled and displaced the population under the pretext of clearing the borders. Only a small number of residents remained in those areas.
This operation led to the martyrdom of a large number of resistance fighters and the capture of hundreds of others, according to what was reported in the New York Times, quoting the former chief of staff of the Haganah, Israel Galili, who stated that “mass killings” were committed in Sa’sa. There were massacres and major displacement and displacement of people from villages in that region, according to what was stated in the United Nations report. The report also stated evidence of organized looting and theft, in which trucks were used.
The Eilabun massacre occurred on October 30, 1948, when soldiers of the Golani Brigade entered the village and found its people barricaded in the church, raising white flags. They took them outside the church, carried out a field execution of 14 men, and expelled the villagers to Lebanon. During the displacement of the people upon their arrival at the Kafr Anan Junction, the army opened fire on them, killing one man, wounding others, and arresting some of the men. Israeli army armored vehicles continued to chase the displaced people until they reached the Lebanese border. Several days after the first massacre, the Golani Brigade committed another massacre in the village. Israeli soldiers took 19 young men from the Mawasi clan to the command center and executed 14 of them.
Assaf and Horev operations were two military operations carried out by the Israeli army in the northwestern Negev and Gaza against the Egyptian army, in December 1948, with the aim of occupying all areas controlled by the Egyptian army. A group of brigades and battalions participated in the operation, including the Gideon Battalion of the Golani Brigade. The first operation led To occupy the Negev region and the decline of the Egyptian army’s defenses, the Gideon Brigade occupied Site 86 east of Khan Yunis. The operation ended on January 8 with a call from the Security Council for a ceasefire in the Negev.
The Golani Brigade's participation in the Israeli battles against the Arab armies extended during the period between the Nakba and the Nakba. In 1951, the brigade participated in a series of operations against the Syrian army in the Tiberias region, and lost 40 fighters and injured 72 others, according to statements by the Israeli army. The brigade also participated in the tripartite war against Egypt and was entrusted with the task of controlling Rafah and the surrounding villages in 1955.
During the Sinai Campaign of 1956, the Golani Brigade was commanded by Infantry Colonel Benjamin Gibli who had previously served as Director of Military Intelligence. In the battle for Rafah, the Golani Brigade worked closely with the 27th Armored Brigade to move through a mine field and capture Egyptian positions.
The Golani Brigade also played an important role in the Six Day War of 1967, once again cooperating with other armored brigades. In the 1967 war, the brigade was assigned the task of fighting on the Syrian and Jordanian borders, and it fought violently against the Arab armies there. The brigade fought several operations, the most important of which were Tal al-Azizat operation is a Syrian military site in the Golan. The occupation forces tried to control it several times during the period extending from the Nakba to before 1967, but they failed.
The Syrian forces were controlling the top of the hill, while the Israeli forces were controlling the areas below it. During the Six Day War, Colonel Yona Efrat commanded the Golani Brigade through an assault on Syrian positions in the Golan Heights and succeeded in capturing positions around Tel Azaziat, from which they moved on to capture the remaining portions of the Golan Heights. The hill witnessed a violent battle on June 9, 1967, during which the Golani Brigade was able to penetrate the Syrian defenses from the back of the hill with heavy artillery cover, which led to the fall of the hill at the hands of the brigade, the martyrdom of more than 50 Syrian soldiers, and the arrest of 20 others, including the commander of the hill and his deputy. This was followed by the fall of the entire Golan into the hands of the occupation forces on the same day.
In the first days of the 1973 war, the brigade was able to reoccupy Mount Hermon and the surrounding heights from the Syrian forces, but it suffered heavy human losses. The Yom Kippur War of 1973 was another success for the Golani Brigade, in which members of the unit conducted night raids destroying almost two dozen enemy tanks. Near the end of the war, the Golani Brigade worked with a parachuting unit in an assault on Syrian positions at Mount Hermon. The Golani Brigade started from below and worked their way up, but in the dark, the Syrians had an initial advantage and ended up killing several commanders in the Golani Brigade. Members of the unit persevered and succeeded in taking Mount Hermon, but not before suffering over fifty casualties and one hundred wounded.
The war on Lebanon - In the Israeli invasion of Lebanon in 1982, the Golani Brigade formed the spearhead of the Israeli forces that occupied southern Lebanon, especially in the Battle of Beaufort Castle in several days that reached the outskirts of Beirut. The brigade participated in the Israeli war against Lebanon in 2006 and suffered heavy losses during the battles it fought with Hezbollah fighters in southern Lebanon, where a number of its members were killed while a number of others fled, in an incident that does not fit with the image that was woven about the courage of its soldiers and their insistence on victory.
Since the Israeli withdrawal from Lebanon, the brigade has been assigned to participate in guarding the northern borders of occupied Palestine. The brigade's soldiers serve in the northern West Bank, especially Jenin and Tulkarm.
In the 2008-2009 Wars in Gaza the Golani Brigade participated in the second phase of the war, which the resistance calls “the Battle of Al-Furqan” and which Israel calls “Operation Cast Lead.” It was one of the first to participate in the ground invasion phase, alongside the Givati ??Brigade, the paratroopers, the Armored Brigade, and other teams.
The Golani Brigade participated in the war launched by Israel against Gaza in the summer of 2014, a war that the resistance called “the devastating storm” and which Israel called “Operation Protective Edge.” The brigade's participation was concentrated in the second phase that followed the aerial bombardment, which was the ground invasion phase, as the brigade was part of the 36th Armored Division, which began the ground invasion on the night of July 17, 2014.
The brigade's name emerged in the battle of Shuja'iya, which took place in the Shuja'iya neighborhood, which Israel considers a Hamas stronghold. The events of the battle began when units of the Israeli army planned to send infantry soldiers to search for tunnels in the Shujaiya neighborhood on the night of July 19. In an attempt to distract the resistance fighters, other army units maneuvered along the fence line so that the infantry unit could enter the neighborhood, but as soon as the units crossed... The Golani Brigade, along the fence line, were surprised by heavy fire, which led to the killing of at least 7 soldiers and the wounding of the brigade commander, Ghassan Alian, and other commanders.
By the end of the battle on July 20, the total number of shells dropped on the neighborhood was 7,000 high-explosive artillery shells dropped by 11 Israeli artillery battalions, in addition to 100 bombs weighing 900 kilograms each dropped by the Israeli Air Force.
This led to the fall of at least 65 martyrs, the injury of 288 others, and the killing of 13 Israeli soldiers. In addition to the capture of a soldier from the Golani Brigade named Shaul Aaron on the outskirts of the Shujaiya neighborhood, whose arrest was announced by Abu Ubaida in a video recording after the end of the battle on July 20, putting the occupation leadership in an embarrassing position when he challenged them by saying, “If the enemy’s leadership can lie about the numbers of dead and wounded, “It must answer its audience about the fate of this soldier now,” which forced the Israeli government to announce Shaul’s disappearance on July 22, and the Golani Brigade soldier has been held captive by Al-Qassam since 2014.
War 2023 - Golani Brigade participated in the war launched by Israel on the Gaza Strip on October 7, 2023, following the Al-Aqsa Flood operation carried out by the Palestinian resistance on the same day on the settlements surrounding the Gaza Strip. The brigade's participation came 15 days after the start of the war, with the aim of supporting the army brigades participating in the ground assault. It was one of the brigades that advanced the ground battle, bearing the first and main shocks and suffering heavy losses.
It was stated by the brigade commanders that their participation in the war on Gaza was because they had a vendetta with the Shujaiya neighborhood and that their return was with the aim of eliminating this neighborhood, in reference to the great losses they suffered in the 2014 war. However, throughout the battle, the brigade was announcing the loss of officers and soldiers from its armies, the most important of which was the announcement by its commander that his brigade had received a “painful blow” in the Shujaiya neighborhood, when the Izz al-Din al-Qassam Brigades were able to kill 10 of its soldiers, most of whom were officers, in an ambush.
Reserve General Yossi Farr of the 51st Golani Corps, commenting on what is happening with the brigade on the ground in Gaza, said, “It is a shame that the hands of our fighters are tied...they are not actually fighting.” The successive losses that the brigade suffered in the Gaza Strip during the 60 days in which it participated in the war led to its announcement of its withdrawal on December 21, 2023. On December 17, former Golani Brigade commander Moshe Kaplinsky revealed that since October 7, 2023, the brigade had lost a quarter of its forces killed or wounded, as 82 officers and soldiers were killed during the aggression on Gaza.
In May 2011, a Guardian video report shed light on the occupation army’s crimes and violations against the Palestinians, by presenting testimonies from Israeli soldiers, including soldiers from the Golani Brigade. One of the soldiers stated in his testimony that they were preventing the Palestinians from passing the checkpoints for the sole purpose of tyranny, and another spoke About forcing Palestinians to crawl at the checkpoint, while one of them mentioned that theft and looting occurred routinely and constantly during inspections.
In February 2012, a report was issued by the International Solidarity Movement and Christian Peacemaker Teams stating that the number of documented human rights violations against the Palestinian people had increased since the Golani Brigade arrived in the Hebron region at the end of December 2011. The report included recent incidents of detention, arrest, and abuse of children, as well as beating, intimidation, and repeated assault of children and adolescents, including school children. The report indicated that the attacks were carried out for no reason and under the pretext of throwing stones. Some boys’ homes were raided and severely beaten with sticks and rifle butts, causing their bones to be broken and other severe injuries, and they were arrested for hours and sometimes more. The report explained that the attacks affected even children who suffer from disabilities.
In April 2014, The Times of Israel published a report talking about a military trial of 4 soldiers from the Golani Brigade on charges of abusing authority, exceeding their authority to the point of endangering the victim’s life or health, and multiple charges of obstructing justice and engaging in inappropriate behavior, after they were taken away. A Palestinian man went to an isolated area in the West Bank in March of the same year, beat him, assaulted him, and left him bleeding with various injuries in the isolated place, while they were on a routine patrol.
After the 2014 war, the Military Prosecutor General, General Danny Efroni, recommended investigating 5 complaints submitted to the army, including a complaint related to soldiers from the Golani Brigade who committed military violations during the war, namely:
- Stealing money from Palestinians.
- The killing of a Palestinian woman who left her home in coordination with the occupation forces during the ground invasion.
- A young Palestinian man was detained for 5 days in “Khirbet Khuza’a” and forced to carry out military tasks.
Israeli infantry soldiers of the Golani brigade take part in exercises during their deployment in the Israeli annexed Golan Heights, near the border with Syria, on May 6, 2013. Israeli air raids on Syria at the weekend killed at least 42 soldiers, a watchdog said , fuelling international concern over a spillover of the conflict, as Damascus warned it would strike back.
In 2018, a Haaretz investigation revealed that Israeli soldiers from the Golani Brigade’s reconnaissance battalion committed crimes against Palestinians in the Nablus camp in February 2018 in retaliation for the killing of a number of their friends. Three members of the reconnaissance battalion were killed in a traffic accident after their car collided with a truck driven by a Palestinian.
On the night of February 13, 2018, the soldiers were accused of carrying out acts of sabotage in the camp, destroying Palestinian vehicles and arresting a number of Palestinians. When the officer in charge of the division was summoned for investigation, he justified the matter by his soldiers’ need to take revenge and vent their anger, and that he allowed them to do so. After the investigation, the officers responsible for the file consulted and decided not to punish the soldiers and their commander.
Suicide cases in the Golani Brigade are old and ongoing. Israeli reports have revealed an increase in suicide cases in the Givati ??and Golani Brigades, which are among the elite brigades. Some Israeli reports have also revealed that the largest losses of the Israeli army among its soldiers are suicides, while the army has not announced The Israeli army only reported 817 soldiers who died in suicide incidents between 1990 and 2021.
The Israeli army explains suicide cases in its ranks as being due to psychological problems or genetic defects. One of the oldest cases of suicide in the Golani Brigade was that of soldier Uri Ilan, who committed suicide in his cell in January 1955, when he infiltrated with a group of soldiers from the brigade into the Syrian Golan Heights to carry out a mission there, but he was captured.
In March 2021, Israeli media reported that an Israeli soldier committed suicide by jumping out of a taxi after receiving a phone call, according to what the taxi driver reported. The Israeli Kan channel revealed that the soldier was Abiba Darsakh, a new soldier in the Golani Brigade in the Israeli army, and he had escaped. He left his military base and headed home due to his inability to train. However, someone convinced him to return to the base, and while he was heading to the base, he received a mysterious phone call, as a result of which he committed suicide.
In December of the same year, the Times of Israel newspaper published news about the suicide of a former soldier from the Golani Brigade, named Itzik Saidian, who was one of the brigade’s soldiers who participated in the 2014 war on Gaza and attended the battle of the Shujaiya neighborhood. According to what was reported in the newspaper, it said His family said that he was suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder, and that he was deprived of the medical care he needed as a result of his various scars resulting from military service.
According to the Israeli Army Veterans Association, the soldier was frustrated with the Israeli authorities’ treatment of him, so he burned himself in protest against the Ministry of Defense’s treatment of veterans. Anatolia Agency reported that three Israeli soldiers committed suicide after participating in the Gaza War in 2014. Two committed suicide near the border with Gaza, while the third committed suicide in Israel. The agency explained that the three soldiers were from the Golani Brigade and were suffering from psychological problems due to their participation in the war on the Gaza Strip.
Battalion 13 and Battalion 51 of the Golani Brigade were the first to respond to the brutal attack by Hamas on the morning of Saturday 10/7. The forces fought hard and stubborn battles against hundreds of terrorists in the Kissufim and Nahal Oz sectors. The battalions, which suffered many losses, later undertook in-depth training and extensive training for the next phase of combat.
The commander of the 13th Battalion, Lt. Col. Tomer Greenberg said: "The heroism of the fallen of the 13th Battalion accompanies us in every step we take. We are preparing for a ground entry into the Strip, with grueling training and self and group processing that will finally prepare us to fight and win. This time, we are the ones who will be surprised. We will arrive with intense concentration, with all the advanced capabilities and the high standard of the battalion, and we will be the ones who win!"
The commander of the 51st Battalion, Lt. Col. Meir Ohion said: "About three weeks have passed since that murderous Saturday when the battalion fought, repelled and did its best to fulfill the mission. In that hour of testing, the battalion's fighters demonstrated extraordinary courage and fighting spirit. We use every minute for training, together as a group and as individuals. Everyone finds the best in him, don't forget our values, we are in the battle for the house. There will be a maneuver, and when it arrives, we will win."
Moshe Kaplinsky, former commander of the Golani Brigade in the Israeli army, said 17 December 2023 that since October 7, the brigade had lost a quarter of its forces killed or wounded, with 82 officers and soldiers killed. The Israeli army announced the killing of two soldiers and the serious wounding of four others in battles in the north and south of the Gaza Strip. Thus, the number of deaths of the Israeli army since the seventh of last October has risen to 453, including 121 since the beginning of the ground military operation inside the Gaza Strip, while the number of its wounded since the beginning of the operation is 681, including 158 critical injuries.
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