Stella Levy

Born in Syria in 1924, Levy emigrated to Mandatory Palestine in 1929.^[1] She attended the Hebrew Reali School in Haifa and later studied psychology at the University of Haifa and political science and art at Tel Aviv University.^[1]

Levy joined the Haganah during her youth and during World War II served in the Communications Corps of the British Army between 1942 and 1946.^[1] After Israeli independence in 1948 she completed the first IDF officers' training course, and commanded the Women's Corps platoon of the Carmel Brigade between 1948 and 1949.^[1] She completed a battalion commanders course in 1949 and in 1951 became head of the Women's Corps in the Northern Command.^[1] From 1964 until 1970 she served as commander of the Women's Corps.^[1] Between 1970 and 1974 she worked as a military emissary to the United States, before being demobilised with the rank of colonel in 1974.^[1]

In 1974 she helped form the Civil Guard subdivision of Israel Police and served in it until 1976.^[1] The following year she joined the Democratic Movement for Change.^[1] She was seventeenth on the party's list for the 1977 Knesset elections,^[2] but the party won only 15 seats. However, she entered the Knesset on 20 February 1981 as a replacement for Stef Wertheimer,^[3] and chose to join the Shinui faction (the Democratic Movement of Change had split into several parties in 1978).^[1] She was placed fifth on the Shinui list for the June 1981 elections,^[4] but the party won only two seats. She remained active in the party and was eleventh on the party's list for the 1984 elections.^[5]

Outside politics Levy was also a member of the Zionist Executive Committee and on the board of the Israeli branch of the World Jewish Congress.^[1] She died in July 1999.^[1]