The Medal of Valor (, Itur HaGvura) is the highest Israeli military decoration.
The medal was established in 1970 by the Knesset in an act of law as a replacement for the Hero of Israel military decoration that was awarded during the 1947-48 Civil War in Mandatory Palestine and the 1948 Arab–Israeli War. Awards of the medal were also made for actions prior to 1970, and all recipients of the Hero of Israel automatically received the Medal of Valor as well.
Recipients of the medal receive several privileges such as a tax reduction and invitations to official state ceremonies.
To this day, 40 medals have been awarded: 12 for actions in the War of Independence (Hero of Israel recipients automatically received the Medal of Valor), four for the Sinai War, 12 for the Six-Day War, one for the War of Attrition, eight for the Yom Kippur War, and three others for actions during specific operations.
Design The medal was designed by Dan Reisinger in the shape of a Star of David. A sword and olive branch decorate the left side, while the reverse is plain. The medal is attached to a yellow ribbon, a reference to the yellow star that Jews were forced to wear during the Holocaust. Two time recipients of the medal attach a small medal-shaped clasp to the ribbon.
The medal is minted by the Israel Government Coins and Medals Corporation. It is made of 25 gram silver/935 and the clasp is chrome plated.
Recipients Name Rank Conflict Place of action Date of action Reason for receiving medal Yair Racheli Private War of Independence Near Shefa-'Amr 19 January 1948 Destroyed an enemy positionEmmanuel Landau Private Kiryat Motzkin 17 March 1948 Captured an enemy supply truck Avraham Avigdorov Private Kiryat Motzkin 17 March 1948 Destroyed two enemy Bren machine gun positionsZerubavel Horowitz Second lieutenant Road to Jerusalem 27 March 1948 Covered the retreat of his comrades during an enemy attack Yizhar Armoni Private Nabi Yusha 20 April 1948 Covered the retreat of his comrades and the evacuation of wounded soldiersEmil Brig Sergeant Kibbutz Gesher area 14 May 1948 Destroyed a bridge and thus preventing the enemy from advancing Zvi Zibel Airman Ben Shemen 25 June 1948 Delivered supplies to the besieged Ben Shemen while under heavy enemy fireBen-Zion Leitner Private first class Iraq Suwaydan 19 October 1948 Destroyed enemy bunkers Ron Feller Sergeant Karatiyya 19 July 1948 Destroyed an enemy tankYohai Ben-Nun Captain Mediterranean Sea 22 October 1948 Sank the Egyptian Navy flagship Siman-Tov Ganeh Private Iraq Suwaydan 19 November 1948 Covered the retreat of his comradesArieh Atzmoni Master sergeant Rafah 4 November 1948 Rescued a cannon from enemy hands Yaakov Mizrachi Private Reprisal operations Kuntila 28 October 1955 Displayed great courage in charging the enemyPinchas "Aloush" Noy Lieutenant Qalqilyah 10 October 1956 Charged enemy positions and killed nine enemy soldiers Uzi Bar-Zur Corporal Sinai War Sinai 26 October-5 November 1956 Rescued wounded soldiers while under fireDan Ziv Second Lieutenant Sinai 1 November 1956 Rescued wounded soldiers while under fire Yehuda Ken-Dror Private Sinai 1 November 1956 Located enemy positions while under heavy enemy fireShlomo Nitzani Sergeant Sinai 26 October-5 November 1956 Rescued wounded soldiers and destroyed enemy positions while under heavy enemy fire Zvi Ofer Major Reprisal operations Nukaiv 16 March 1962 Charged enemy positions Moshe Drimmer Private Six-Day War Golan Heights 9 June 1967 Covered the retreat of his comradesDaniel Wordon Captain El-Arish 7 June 1967 Covered the rescue of wounded soldiers Uri Weisler Lieutenant Rafah 5 June 1967 Continued to engage the enemy while injuredShaul Vardi Sergeant Golan Heights 9 June 1967 Continued to engage the enemy while injured Moshe Tal Lieutenant Gaza Strip 5 June 1967 Commanded a force of half-tracksYosef Lapper Sergeant Khan Younis 5 June 1967 Fought for eight hours alone with his tank Eitan Neveh Private Jerusalem 6 June 1967 Covered his forces in the Battle of the Ammunition HillBeni Inbar Staff sergeant Rafah 5 June 1967 Destroyed eight tanks Mordechai Friedman Lieutenant Jerusalem 6 June 1967 Destroyed an enemy positionGad Refen Lieutenant West Bank 6 June 1967 Commanded the conquest of an enemy position near Jenin David Shirazi Private Golan Heights 9 June 1967 Charged an enemy positionNatanel Horovitz Lieutenant Golan Heights 9 June 1967 Charged an enemy position Ami Ayalon Lieutenant War of Attrition Green Island 19 July 1969 Heroic action during Operation Bulmus 6 Oded Amir Captain Yom Kippur War Port Said 6–24 October 1973 Commanded a force which damaged three enemy ships in Port Said harbourGideon Giladi Major Egypt 15 October 1973 Commanded an armour battle Zvika Greengold Captain Golan Heights 6 October 1973 Delayed an enemy armour columnMoshe Levy Sergeant Sinai 15 October 1973 Destroyed an enemy position Yuval Neria Captain Sinai 6–18 October 1973 Excellent conduct during numerous armoured battlesShlomo Arman Second lieutenant Sinai 6–8 October 1973 Excellent conduct during numerous armoured battlesAsa Kadmoni Major Sinai 18 October 1973 Fought a large enemy force while surroundedAvigdor Kahalani Lieutenant colonel Golan Heights 9 October 1973 Excellent conduct during numerous armoured battles
References
John D. Clarke, Gallantry Medals & Awards of the World, p. 108