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Cohen, Yitzhak (Zaki)

Cohen, Yitzhak (Zaki)


Yitzhak (Zaki), son of Mazal and Eliyahu Cohen, was born in 1928 in Cairo, Egypt and made aliyah with his parents in 1934. He joined the Palmach, completed various courses and reached the rank of MP. He participated in the transfer of Ma’apilim to the Tel Aviv beach during the “Wingate Night”. He was a Gadna counselor in Kfar Vitkin. During the War of Independence he served in the Alexandroni Brigade and attained the rank of sergeant. Yitzhak participated in escorting convoys to Jerusalem. He was wounded by a hand grenade and before his complete recovery and despite the doctor’s request to wait, he volunteered again for the campaign and participated in the occupation of Salameh, Yehudia and the surrounding area, and finally in the Latrun sector. When the Arab Legion joined the fighting, the situation in Jerusalem worsened and the road to it was cut off by the legion of Latrun. The “son of-Nun A” operation was planned for the breakthrough, for its battalion to reinforce the 7th Brigade for this operation. The forces that set out to conquer Latrun encountered stronger enemy forces and had to retreat. Zaki fell in this battle on the 17th of Iyar 5708 (May 26, 1948). On 17.11.1949, he was laid to rest in the military cemetery on Mount Herzl in Jerusalem.

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