Eliezer Kashani
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Eliezer Kashani | |
|---|---|
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| Native name | אליעזר קשאני |
| Born | March 13, 1923 |
| Died | April 16, 1947 (aged 24) |
| Cause of death | Execution by hanging |
| Allegiance | Irgun  |
| Battles / wars | Jewish insurgency in Mandatory Palestine |
Eliezer Kashani (Hebrew: אליעזר קשאני; March 13, 1923 – April 16, 1947) was an Irgun member in Mandatory Palestine and one of the 12 Olei Hagardom.
Kashani was born in Petah Tikva to an impoverished Persian-Jewish family with 4 brothers and 3 sisters. In his youth he was a part of the Maccabi movement, and he worked in a factory at age 13.[1]
On August 23, 1944, Kashani was arrested by the British on suspicions of belonging to the Irgun and sent to Latrun. He was eventually relocated to Eritrea alongside 250 other Jewish prisoners.[2] While in Africa, Kashani insisted on joining the Underground, although at first they would not accept him for being in detention. While in Eritrea, he learned English fluently. When he returned to Palestine, he became a prominent fighter for the Irgun Zvai Leumi, despite the risk of being reported to the British police for being a suspect.[3]
Activity in the Underground
In the Underground he dealt with intelligence, weapons, and military operations. He even began a course to become a commander, however he died before he could finish. On December 29, 1946, Kashani and four other Irgun fighters, Mordechai Alkahi, Yehiel Dresner, Haim Gilad and Avraham Mizrahi, set out for action on what would be known as the Night of the Beatings. At the Tayyasim Junction, the five of them encountered a police roadblock from which they opened fire. The driver, Mizrahi, died of his wounds. Eliezer and the three remaining fighters were caught and transferred to a nearby military camp, where they went through a series of torture. For 20 hours straight they were beaten. After five days in which they were humiliated and beaten, the fighters were transferred to Jerusalem.