Ben-Yaakov Tzvi (née Jakobson) (1905, Riga – 1956, Netanya) – prominent figure in the Haganah and the Israel Defense Forces (IDF).
Tzvi Ben-Yaakov completed his education at a Realschule in Riga and was a member of the youth organisation Histadrut Trumpeldor. In 1925, he was admitted as a candidate for studies at the University of Toulouse (France), but he did not begin his studies and instead moved to Palestine.
He settled in the village of Binyamina, founded in 1922. In 1926, he became actively involved in the Haganah. A man of exceptional technical talent, he contributed significantly to the repair and restoration of weapons.
At the end of 1926, Tzvi Ben-Yaakov moved to Haifa and became responsible for arms storage in the north of the country, particularly in the Haifa region. In 1929, he officially became a member of the Haganah.
In 1933, he moved with his family to Moshav Avihayil (north of Netanya), founded in 1932 by immigrants from the USA, Canada, and Argentina. In 1938, he was appointed commander of the Haganah in the Hefer Valley region (the central part of the Sharon Valley, between Hadera and Netanya), and later that year, commander of the entire Galilee.
From 1940 until the establishment of the State of Israel, Ben-Yaakov was responsible for receiving and distributing arms brought by ships to Kfar Vitkin, Netanya, and other locations. He also facilitated the reception and resettlement of illegal immigrants. A significant number of ships carrying arms—including those from Czechoslovakia—arrived in 1947–1948, during the War of Independence.
In 1942, he organised weapons training courses in Ein HaShofet in northern Samaria. In 1944, he established similar courses in Ruhama, in the northern Negev. From 1946, he headed the Haganah’s armament department.
With the establishment of the State of Israel, Tzvi Ben-Yaakov joined the IDF’s technical forces. From 1 December 1948 to 1 January 1950, he headed the army’s Technical and Ordnance Corps.
In 1952, he retired with the rank of lieutenant colonel and opened a weapons store in Netanya, which became a social hub for hunters and firearm enthusiasts.
Tzvi Ben-Yaakov’son Eliezer Ben-Yaakov graduated from the Technion in Haifa and followed in his father’s footsteps, becoming a professional military officer. He served in the IDF’s Ordnance Corps and was involved in the development of the Merkava tank. He retired with the rank of colonel.
Literature:
• Shaul Avigur. With the Generation of the Haganah (translated from Hebrew). Aliyah Library – Jerusalem, 1976.
• Tzvi Ben-Yaakov // Hebrew Wikipedia (Electronic Encyclopedia).