Yair Rahli, one of the heroes of the 1948 War of Independence and the last recipient of the Medal of Valor from that war, has passed away

Yair Rahli, the last surviving recipient of the Medal of Valor from the War of Independence, has passed away at the age of 97. Rahli, a Palmach fighter, received the award for his action in the battle of Shefa-Amr in 1948, served in the Shin Bet and Mossad, and became an author.

Yair Rahli, the last surviving recipient of the 'Hero of Israel Medal' from the War of Independence, has passed away at the age of 97. Rahli, a former Palmach fighter, received the highest IDF decoration following a battle on January 19, 1948, in Shefa-Amr, where he eliminated an enemy position under fire and enabled his comrades to escape an ambush. The medal was awarded to him in 1949, and he was one of only 12 fighters to receive it during the war, out of 40 in total in the history of the state. Rahli objected to being defined as a 'hero' and claimed in his book that the award was given due to an exaggerated description by his commander. After the war, he was seriously wounded in the battle of Malakiya, served in the Shin Bet and Mossad for about 17 years, and later pursued a civilian and literary career. His funeral was held yesterday with his family.