Peli, Gideon
The only son of Rachel and son of-Zion was born on July 11, 1923 in Jerusalem. When he was four months old, his parents moved to Kiryat Anavim. Where he was educated and continued his studies at the Kadouri Agricultural School in Kfar Tavor. In February 1944, he was arrested with a group of his Palmach comrades during training exercises near Beit Ha’arava and sentenced by a British military court to seven years in prison. The sentence was later commuted and reduced to five and a half years. He was imprisoned in Jerusalem and then transferred to Acre Prison as one of the severe measures taken by the Mandatory government against the Jewish Yishuv in response to the Haganah’s actions. Until on June 15, 1947 he was pardoned and released after being imprisoned for 28 months. In prison he was active as a liaison between Haganah prisoners and Irgun and Lehi prisoners. He organized the prisoners’ war on their rights. Gideon returned home. He worked for a few months in the farm, preparing land for planting, but with the outbreak of the War of Independence following the UN General Assembly resolution, he was called again for battle. He served as a guide for recruits and later participated with his platoon in the battles on the way to Jerusalem, and was admired by his friends as he was admired by the kibbutz members. 6 Adar II 5708 (17.3.1948). The next day he was laid to rest at the military cemetery in Kiryat Anavim. In his memory, Haim Guri composed the song “Johnny”.
