Yigael Yadin

YIGAEL YADIN
Official Medal 2010/5770
12th Medal in the "IDF Chiefs of Staff" Series

Yigael Yadin (originally Sukenik), Lieut. General, was the second IDF Chief of Staff of Israel. He was also a noted archaeologist and a politician, following his retirement from the army and until his death.
Yigael Yadin was born in 1917 in Jerusalem and studied at the famous high school there, HaGymnasia Haivrit, in the elite Rehavia neighborhood. He was a member of the “Tzofim” scout movement and as such joined the pre-State defense forces, the “Haganah”, at age 15, serving in a variety of capacities.
He studied archaeology and Hebrew literature, but the terrorist events of 1936 caused him to abandon his studies and join the Haganah fighting forces, aged 22. He served under commander Yaacov Dori, the first CoS, and rose in the ranks of the Haganah. He left military service to complete his studies, but returned, in 1947, at the behest of David Ben Gurion, as Head of Operations. It was on the eve of the United Nations Partition Plan, which ignited the Arab attack that turned into the Israeli War of Independence (1948), after the State was declared. Following the war, Yadin participated in the cease-fire talks with Egypt and was appointed CoS on Nov. 9, 1949. In this capacity, he established many of the foundations and guidelines for the IDF. He served for 3 years, till Dec. 7, 1952, when he resigned over disagreements about budget cuts with Ben Gurion.
After the military, Yadin devoted himself to research and excavation in archaeology, most famously unearthing some of the famous Dead Sea Scrolls and translating them. He also excavated at sites Qumran, Masada, Hazor, Tel Megiddo and the Solomonic Gate at Tel Gezer. But he never completely abandoned public life and on the eve of the Six Day War (1967), he served as military advisor to Prime Minister Levi Eshkol. Following the Yom Kippur War (1974), he was a member of the commission investigating actions and events leading up to that war in Israel.
In 1976, Yadin formed the new political party known as DASH, aiming to combat the alleged corruption in Israeli politics, especially after the Yom Kippur War. As such, he was instrumental in the Camp David Accords between Israel and Egypt. He retired from politics in 1981 but continued to write, with the help of his wife Carmela, and died in 1984. He is buried on Mt. Herzl, Jerusalem, in the military section.
The famous Israeli actor, Yossi Yadin, was his brother.

Obverse:
Portrait of Lieutenant General Yigael Yadin

Reverse:
Inscription in the center “Chiefs of Staff of the Israel Defense Force" in English and Hebrew,
above the emblem of the Israel Defense Force, to the right, emblem of the Chief of Staff

Edge:
Smooth

Designer:
Igal Gabay

Engraving: Tidhar Dagan
Minting: Gold - ICMC Mint, Israel, Silver and Bronze - Hecht Products, Israel