IDF Brig. Gen. (res.) Tzuri Sagiv, Paratrooper Commander Who Aided Kurds Against Iraqi Army, Passes Away
Brigadier General (res.) Tzuri Sagiv, one of the most senior paratrooper commanders and the secret military advisor to the Kurdish rebels in Iraq, passed away at the age of 92. Sagiv, nicknamed "Shankin," left behind a military career spanning over three decades, from reprisal operations in the 1950s to secret missions in Ethiopia, Iran, and Kurdistan.
Brigadier General (res.) Tzuri Sagiv, one of the most senior former commanders of the Paratroopers Brigade and best known for his secret activities as the military advisor to the Kurdish rebels in Iraq, passed away at the age of 92. Sagiv, nicknamed "Shankin" by his friends, was one of the veteran paratroopers and left behind a military career spanning more than three decades: from the reprisal operations of the 1950s, through the Sinai War, the Six-Day War, and the Yom Kippur War, to secret missions in Ethiopia, Iran, and Kurdistan. He was born in Herzliya and grew up in Moshav Ein Vered. In 1952, he enlisted in the IDF and volunteered for the paratroopers. During the Sinai War, he commanded Company C of Battalion 890 and participated in the Battle of Mitla Pass. From 1963 to 1965, he commanded Battalion 890. During the Six-Day War, he was part of the airborne force tasked with capturing Sharm el-Sheikh. The chapter most associated with him occurred far from Israel's borders: Sagiv was sent to Iraqi Kurdistan as part of the secret Israeli aid to the Kurdish rebels led by Mustafa Barzani. He helped develop combat methods, expanded sniper training, and was involved in training a reserve force of two assault battalions. Later, he returned to Kurdistan again and led the rebels to historic victories over the Iraqi army. During the Yom Kippur War, he was placed in charge of forces in the Mount Dov area and the Meron district on the Lebanese border, and later was appointed commander of Brigade 317, a reserve paratrooper brigade that fought on the Syrian front. Sagiv was a resident of the Paratroopers neighborhood in Ramat Gan, and in 2012 the city awarded him the title of Yakir Ha'ir (Worthy Citizen). He is survived by his wife Tzipa and their only son Yair, who served as a press photographer for Yedioth Ahronoth.