Jerusalem Brigade
| Etzioni Brigade | |
|---|---|
Emblem of the Etzioni Brigade
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| Active | 1948–1949 1955– |
| Country | Israel |
| Branch | Army |
| Type | Reserve |
| Part of | Southern Command |
| Engagements | |
| Commanders | |
| Notable commanders |
Yisrael Amir David Shaltiel |
The Etzioni Brigade (Hebrew: חֲטִיבַת עֶצְיוֹנִי, Hativat Etzyoni), also 6th Brigade and Jerusalem Brigade, was an infantry brigade in the Haganah and Israel Defense Forces in the 1948 Arab–Israeli War. It was founded in late 1947 as the Field Corps unit responsible for the defense of Jerusalem and its surroundings, where it operated during the war along with the Harel Brigade. Its first commander was Yisrael Amir, who was replaced by David Shaltiel.
The brigade participated in operations in the city of Jerusalem itself, including Yevusi, Kilshon, the battles of Ramat Rachel, Kedem and Yekev.
The Etzioni Brigade was founded as part of the Haganah command's November 7, 1947 decision to create four infantry brigades based on the HISH—Levanoni, Alexandroni, Givati and Etzioni. In all, three battalions were envisioned and two initially deployed: the 61st "Moriah" Battalion, and the 63rd "Mikhmas" Battalion. The 62nd "Beit Horon" Battalion was added in May 1948, and the 63rd was disbanded during the same month. Guard Corps and Gadna units in the Jerusalem area, totaling five battalions, were also subordinated to the brigade. Altogether, on May 15, Moshe Zadok of the Manpower Directorate reported the strength of the brigade to be 3,166.
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