Mordechai Maklef

Chief of Staff Mordechai Maklef
Official Medal 2009/5770
Eleventh in the IDF Chiefs of Staff Series

Mordechai Maklef was born in Israel in 1920 and was active in the Haganah while still a pupil at the Reali School in Haifa.
At age 19, he joined Orde Wingate's special night squads. When When World War II broke out, he volunteered for the British army and fought as commander of the Second Regiment in the North African and Italian campaigns and was released from the army with rank of major. Maklef helped in rescue operations and in acquiring arms within the framework of Aliyah Bet.
At the outbreak of the War of Independence, he was appointed brigade commander. At the end of the War Maklef, then Lieutenant Colonel, Head of the Northern Command, stood at the head of an Israeli delegation in talks with Lebanon and Syria.
On April 1, 1949, he was appointed Head of one of the General Command Departments. In November 1949, Yigal Yadin, Israel's second Chief of Staff, appointed him as his Deputy and Head of the Operations Division.
On December 7, 1952, he was appointed Chief of Staff, aged only 32. He accepted this position for one year only.
In the course of 1952 and at the beginning of 1953, infiltrations and attacks from Jordan and Egypt increased and retaliations by the regular IDF units failed. It was then that Maklef established Unit 101 under the command of Ariel Sharon. After his resignation on December 6, 1953, he fulfilled several principal roles in the Israeli economy.
He passed away in 1978.

Obverse:
Portrait of Lieutenant General Mordechai Maklef

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: Slovakia
Minting: Gold - ICMC Mint, Israel, Silver and Bronze - Slovakia