17 Facts About Meir Zorea

Meir "Zarro" Zorea MC was a general in the Israel Defense Forces and later a member of the Knesset.

Meir Zorea earned distinction through his combat actions in World War II and in the 1948 Arab-Israeli War.

Meir Zorea was a founder of Democratic Movement for Change, an initially successful but short-lived centrist party.

Meir Zorea joined the Haganah at age 16, and was a member of the Special Night Squads and Notrim.

Later, Meir Zorea served on the General Staff as the head of the training department.

Meir Zorea served as commander of the IDF Officer School.

Meir Zorea retired from the army in 1953, and he was later recommissioned in 1956.

Meir Zorea went on to positions as Deputy Commander and later commander of Israel's tank corps, and Director of Operations.

At the time, Meir Zorea was considered a candidate for eventual appointment as Chief of General Staff, the highest position in the IDF.

In 1959, after the Night of the Ducks scandal that brought Israel to domestic and foreign crisis, Meir Zorea was removed from his position as director of operations.

Meir Zorea was reassigned as commander of Northern Command, succeeding Yitzhak Rabin, who in turn replaced Zorea as the new director of operations.

In 1962, Meir Zorea retired from the IDF as a major-general.

Meir Zorea participated in the Israeli capture of Adolf Eichmann, who stood trial and was later executed.

Later on, during the 1967 Six-Day War, Meir Zorea led his tank corps into the Sinai Peninsula to capture Sharm el-Sheikh from Egyptian forces.

Meir Zorea remained active in service of the State of Israel well after retirement from the military.

Meir Zorea was elected to the Knesset in the 1977 elections in which Dash won 15 seats, and the party joined Menachem Begin's coalition government.

However, the party began to disintegrate and Meir Zorea resigned from the Knesset in 1978, less than a year after entering it.