10 — THE BULLETIN — Thursday, September 14. 1978
PROFILES
FEATURE
JWB staff
An impression of the intense spirit of the men of the Israel Defense Forces was evident during a recent interview with Col. Yehuda Levy, the new Jewish National Fund Shaliach in Vancouver.
Col. Levy has taken part in three major wars affecting the survival of the' Jewish State: the 1956 Sinai Campaign; the Six-Day War of 1967; and the 1973 Yom Kippur battles. Additionally, he trained units of the Ugandan army in Kampala for three years, between 1968 and 19^71.
With what one can surmise is the same enthusiasm he showed nearly 25 years ago when he first entered the Army, Col. Levy stated shortly after his arrival in Vancouver: "Due to the situation in Israel in the 1950s and the sway I was brought/up, it was obvious to me, right from the beginning, that I was going to serve in the, army for a long time."
In the 1956 conflict. Col. Levy served as an infantry second lieutenant, fighting in the main cities of the Gaza Strip, under Col. David Elazar. He was part of the unit which cleared the Gaza Strip of Fedayin, the forerunners of the Palestine Liberation Organization.
"These battles were special to me — it was my first war,*' Col. Levy said in recalling that he entered that conflict just a few mbiiths after completing officers training school.
In the Six Day War, as a major
(paratroopers) in the Sinai, he participated in the famous battles of Um-Kattef and El Arish.
Col. Levy said that the capture of Um-Kattef was specially significant, allowing Israel tank units access to . fiirther penetration within Egypt. Israel obtained this vital area during an,encounter from 1 a.m. to 7 a.m. on the second day of the war.
How was it done? "We marched at night in sand dunes to Um-Kattef. The Egyptians had — for years ahead/— prepared fortifications in the area, based on the Russian concept of three straight lines of trenches, with minefields, tanks, artillery in between.
"We attacked in two lines, on one side.- Our tanks crossed first, followed by soldiers on buses who alighted with arms and attacked."
Col. Levy stated that the battle was fierce because Un-Kattef^as "especially fortified." He added that the Egyptians "had to fight" in these particular circumstances^ Twelve _ Israelis were killed and .38 wounded in the hand-to-hand fighting.
The general in charge wasTekiitil Adarii, now Deputy Chief of StafT^ Arik Sharon was division commander-/ ■ : -.'■■^■■^^
Fallowing the capture of Um-Kattef, Israeli units moved oh to El Arish, again by buses^ This region had already been cleared by the tank units, but niany Egyptians from the G^za Strip were/brought iitto fight the:Isra.elis... - ...y
It took three days to capture El Arish, but not before the Jewish
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State counted 25 casualties and some 75 wounded.
Col; Levy recalled that Jordan began its involvement in the war on its own initiative. "The Israelis asked then! not to do so but they insisted," he said. These battles resulted in Israel's capture of Jerusalem.
The hew Vancouver JNF Shaliach was busy in other areas at the time and heard the news on the r^dio; >yhat was his reaction and that of the other soldiers in his unit? "When we heard we captured Jerusalem — when we heard we reached the Kotel -— yve all wept,** he explained with deep emption, adding that as soon as he was able, he visited tlie Western Wall —^ ind; there he also cried!
In the 1973 war. Col. Levjrsei^ as a paratrooper lieutenant colonel in Sinai and Egypt. He noted that at the start of the cbriflict, he waS at headquarters, planning operations. Headquarters were moved to Sinai after the wiar started, withv his unit crossing the canal and fighting on its other side in what was the Biblical land of CJoshen,
On Oct. 23, 1973, his unit was amoiig those surroundihg 25,000 Egyptian troops of the Third Army, cutting them off and capturing kilometre lOI. He noted that the 1967 ;Cohflict had shown the importance of improving cooperation between infantry and tank ^c6rps.V.<-
Coi: Levy's involvements with Uganda and its present leader, the infamous Idi Amin, were wide-ranging over a period of time. He first met the "very big" Ugandan Tiead of state when Amin visited Israel as Chief of Staff of the Ugandan Army in 1968. Amin was in the Jewish State to observe the progress of Ugandan troops being trained at a Paratrooper School in Israel. ^
Later that year. Col. Levy went to Uganda to begin three years of service as head.of one of three Israeli teams training special forces. In charge of that overall mission was Col. Baruch (Borka) Bar-Lev.
*We were part of the Ugandans
living with them, doing everything with them. However, Ugandans wereVt" capable of becoming first class officers and didn't want to be first-class officers."
Col. Levy added: **It's a beautiful, green country. The Ugandans are very^nice people — if you don't have to work with them."
What aboiit Amin? "Amin took a beautiful country and ruined it," he exclaimed.
Col; Levy recalled when, some
MILITARY MEN on Western Bank of Suez Canal, in *Africa\ (top left), following Yom Kippur War,stand beside Egyptians from surrounded Third Army carrying supplies to their beleaguered soldiers; Left to right are E. Brydon of Philadelphia, visiting reserve Jewish Colonel of U.Si Marine Corps; Col. Levy; and his deputy. Lieutenant Colonel' AvramBinyamin. Photo at left centre was taken in city of :Suez after Yom Kippur War and shows (left to right). Col. LevyvLt. CoL Binyamin^and Levy's: driver, *David'< Suez was a city divided between surrounded;- T.hird' Egyptian Army and Paratroopers Division of the Israeli Army. At historic Kilomehre 101 on Suez-Cairo road^ (bottom left). Col. Levy stands with U.S. Colonel Brydon. Israeli and Egyptian military met after Yom kippur War to negotiate a truce in tent seen in background.
COL. YEHUDA LEVY
yeiars later, the Ugandan Minister of Defense, Obot Ofumbi, at Amin's request, went to Israel to see Chief of Staff Chaim Bar-Lev. Levy escorted the Ugandan when he requested Israel's sale of Phantom jets and other artillery to the African nation.
Bar-Lev asked Gen. Motti Hod, head of Israel's Air Force, to attend the meeting and the latter said: "I don't think you need them." pfuiiibi insisted and Israel said it would think the matter over.
But Uganda didn't want to take *rio' for an answer and Leyy next escorted Ofumbi as he called upon Gen. Mbshe Dayan, who stated, "This is the final desk you're coming
tor-: r
"On the spot, Dayan said *no'," Levy stated. "Although it wasn't mentioned what the planes were for, Israel kriew tha:t Uganda wantei^ to attack her neighboring countries."
Dayan, reading a letter frqm Amin handed to him by Ofumbi, told the Ugandan Minister of Defense that Israel itself does not have the Phantoms, but has to buy them from the United States. He additionally pointed out that requests for Mirages couldn't be granted as these were stilj- in the hands of France whb had hot lived up to their contract to provide them to Israel.
The letter also requested that Bar-Lev remain in Uganda for another year, and this was granted.
"However, this was the beginning of the end of the relationship between Israel and Uganda," Col. Levy explained. In April 1972, Amin ordered; IsraeHs to leave Uganda on 24 hours notice.
And what happened to Ofumbi? Amin killed him some nine months ago.
During the famous Entebbe incidentV Bar-Lev, feeling he had established a relationship of frieiidship with Amin, (jailed the
Ugandan leader for information.
Col. Yehuda Levy was visibly saddened as he recalled the death of his close friend, Yoni (Yonatan) Netanyahu, the young officer who was the only Israeli killed in the Entebbe raid.
Col. Levy had himself taken a key part in that event but was not able to divulge any further information on his personal role.
The new JNF Shaliach's last posting was with • the central cbmmand i)ear Jerusalem. With fervor he points out that though he is now retired ifrom the Arniy, he can nevertheless be called iip at any time for service in the reserves.
BRIDGE (top photo) bmit by Israel Army during Yom Kippur War to cross Suez Canal and defeat Egyptians is crossed by Col. Levy and his driver. In picture above. General Dan Shomron (right), planner and commander of Israel's famous Entebbe raid, together with Col. Levy, promote officer Rami Zaitzov from Major to Lieutenant-Colonel. Shomron was also Levy's direct commander