NARKISS, UZI

(1925-97)

Hero of theSix-Day War(1967). Born inJerusalem, he began his military career as a teenager in theHagana, participating in the 1946 demolition of the bridges across theJordan Riverthat were used byArabirregulars. Later, he was in brief command of theEtzion Bloc.In 1948, he became an operations officer and then a battalion commander underYigal Allonin the south. He also was assigned toYitzhak Sadeh. Narkiss was a deputy battalion commander in thePalmahbrigade commanded byYitzhak Rabinand was ordered in May 1948 to break through to the besieged Jewish quarter of Jerusalem. His men succeeded in blowing a hole inZionGate and linking up with the beleaguered defenders, but lacking reinforcements and ammunition, he ordered his troops to break out of Jerusalem's old city. The Jewish quarter soon fell.

When the 1948 war ended, Narkiss was a battalion commander in theNegevdivision. He served in various command positions and established Israel's National Security College. In the Six-Day War, he headed the central command and directed the battle for the liberation of Jerusalem. As officer in command of the central command in 1967, he commanded the brigades that retook the old city during the

Six-Day War. Narkiss reentered the walled city, together with Defense MinisterMoshe DayanandIsrael Defense Forces(IDF) chief of staff Rabin. After retiring from the IDF in 1968, he worked for 25 years with theJewish Agency, serving as director general of the information department and the immigration (seeALIYA) and absorption department. He also served as chairman of the Government Coins and Medals Corporation and devoted himself to maintaining the soldiers' memorial on Ammunition Hill in Jerusalem. Narkiss died on 17 December 1997 in Jerusalem.