Alexandroni Brigade
The Alexandroni Brigade (3rd Brigade) is an Israel Defense Forces brigade that has fought in multiple Israeli wars.[1]
| Alexandroni Brigade | |
|---|---|
 Brigade insignia | |
| Active | 1948–present |
| Country |  Israel |
| Allegiance | Israel Defense Forces |
| Branch | Infantry |
| Type | Reserves |
| Size | Brigade |
| Engagements | 1948 Arab–Israeli War
Yom Kippur War |
During the 1948 Arab–Israeli War, the Alexandroni Brigade was involved in the Tantura massacre of around 40-200 Palestinian villagers.[2]
History
Along with the 7th Armoured Brigade both units had 139 killed during the first battle of Latrun (1948), Operation Ben Nun Alef. The commanding officer was Dan Even.
Today the unit is a reserve unit.
Role in Tantura massacre
During the 1948 Arab–Israeli War, around 40-200 Palestinian Arab villagers from Tantura were massacred by the Israeli Defense Force's Alexandroni Brigade. The massacre, which took place on the night of 22–23 May 1948, occurred following the surrender of Tantura, a village of roughly 1,500 people in 1945 located near Haifa. The bodies of the victims were buried in mass graves, one of which was later covered and a carpark constructed above it.[2][3]
After an Israeli researcher Teddy Katz produced a master's degree thesis in the 1990s claiming Israeli units committed a massacre of Palestinians at Tantura, the Alexandroni Brigade's veterans sued him for defamation. However, in 2023, an Israeli documentary was published on the Tantura massacre, which managed to interview and film many veterans who agreed to talk about the massacre.[4]
Units
- 31st Battalion
- 32nd Battalion
- 33rd Battalion
- 34th Battalion
- 37th Battalion
Gallery
.JPG.webp)
Alexandroni Brigade memorial overlooking Latrun police station
Alexandroni Brigade memorial in Netanya
Mass grave of 87 Alexandroni soldiers fallen in the "Faluja Pocket" during the War of Independence, buried by the Egyptians and reburied in 1949 in Kiryat Gat
Memorial in Qaqun with Bible citation from Zephaniah 3:19
Dan Even (Epstein), commander of the Alexandroni Brigade
References
- "The Alexandroni Brigade". Retrieved 9 September 2023.
- "UK study of 1948 Israeli massacre of Palestinian village reveals mass grave sites". The Guardian. Retrieved 9 September 2023.
- "Executions and Mass Graves in Tantura". Forensic Architecture. Retrieved 9 September 2023.
- "'Tantura' director: Israelis have been lied to for years about alleged 1948 massacre". Times of Israel. 27 January 2022. Retrieved 9 September 2023.
External links
- Official website (in Hebrew)