14 Facts About Avigdor Kahalani

Tat Aluf Avigdor Kahalani is a former Israeli soldier and politician.

Avigdor Kahalani was born in Ness Ziona during the Mandate era.

Avigdor Kahalani attended the Command and General Staff College at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, and graduated from Israel's National Defense College.

Avigdor Kahalani started as a regular soldier, but later completed a tank commander's course with honors.

Avigdor Kahalani then completed an officer's course with honors at Bahad 1, and became a career officer in the IDF.

Avigdor Kahalani was awarded the Medal of Distinguished Service for his service during the war, where he was badly wounded when his M-48 Patton caught fire.

Avigdor Kahalani served as commander of the Centurion-equipped 77th Armored Battalion of the 7th Brigade on the Golan Heights.

Avigdor Kahalani served as Deputy Mayor of Tel Aviv, and was elected to the Knesset as a member of the Labor Party in the 1992 election.

Avigdor Kahalani served on the Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense and the Education and Culture Committees.

Avigdor Kahalani was active in the Committee for the Rescue of Jews from Yemen and Chairman of the Golan Lobby in the Knesset, and was chairman of the Friends of LIBI Foundation and president of the Israeli Association for Drug Rehabilitation.

The new party won four seats in the 1996 elections, and joined Benjamin Netanyahu's coalition, with Avigdor Kahalani made Minister of Internal Security.

However, in the 1999 elections the party failed to cross the electoral threshold and Avigdor Kahalani lost his seat.

Avigdor Kahalani later joined Likud, and was placed 43rd on the party's list for the 2003 elections, but missed out on a seat when the party won only 38.

From 2007 to 2015, Avigdor Kahalani served as chairman of the Association for Wellbeing of Israeli Soldiers.