1. Efraim "Effi" Eitam is an Israeli brigadier general, former commander of the 91st Division, and politician.
22 Facts About Effi Eitam
1. 2.
Effi Eitam served as a member of the Knesset between 2003 and 2009.
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When he was old enough, Eitam joined the Israeli Defense Forces.
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Effi Eitam is a former student of the Mercaz HaRav yeshiva, and the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst.
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Effi Eitam was drafted into the Israel Defense Forces in 1971 and volunteered for the Shayetet 13 naval commando force, but was dismissed after a year, and did his military service in the Golani Brigade.
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Effi Eitam was sent to Officer Candidate School, and in 1973, he was commissioned as an infantry officer and returned to the Golani Brigade.
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Later on, Effi Eitam led the brigade's reconnaissance company during Operation Entebbe.
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Effi Eitam was heard over a radio telling his troops to beat and break the bones of a 21-year-old Palestinian prisoner named Ayyad Aqel.
9.
The Military Advocate General severely reprimanded Effi Eitam and recommended that he never be promoted.
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In 2002, Effi Eitam called for Yasser Arafat to be killed.
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Effi Eitam claimed Sharon was promoting the disengagement plan by threatening and firing objectors, and by making corrupt deals.
12.
Effi Eitam claimed that the left was running an incitement campaign against the settlers, which include provocations and calls to spill their blood, in order to delegitimize that right-wing campaign against the disengagement plan.
13.
In March 2005, after the Israeli Southern Command issued a decree forbidding relocation to the Gaza Strip, Effi Eitam announced his intention to go and live in Gush Katif in order to reinforce the settlers and help prevent their eviction.
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Left-wing members of the Knesset denounced Effi Eitam's move, but the speaker of the house, Reuven Rivlin, said that the move fell under the immunity members of the Knesset have.
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Effi Eitam arranged a massive weapons recall in all the settlement due to be removed, in order to prevent any chance of bullets being fired by accident or the heat of the moment.
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Effi Eitam declared that the settlers would not use violence against Israeli security officers.
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In July 2005, Effi Eitam initiated a "struggle treaty", and got members of the Knesset and rabbis to sign it.
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On 25 August 2005, Effi Eitam was quoted as explaining that the reason there was no violence was not the security forces, but the settlers' own restraint and decision not to use violence.
19.
On 2 February 2006, Effi Eitam was injured when Israeli police tried to disperse a protest of thousands of Israeli settlers who were blocking the demolition of nine homes in the Israeli settlement of Amona in the West Bank.
20.
The protest became violent, and Effi Eitam, who was one of three Israeli nationalist MKs amongst the crowds, was knocked down.
21.
In October 2005, Effi Eitam opposed a Supreme Court of Israel ruling that banned the IDF from using Palestinians as human shields, stating that, "Supreme court judges demonstrated today that their pity for the cruel will prove cruel to the merciful and will expose Israeli soldiers to more danger".
22.
Effi Eitam has called on the US to attack Iran and destroy its suspected nuclear weapons program, adding that Israel was well-prepared to take such action alone, as "a nuclear Iran is not an option for Israel".