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Monday, 13 September 2010

Godspeed Major General Israel Tal

Israel Tal, a decorated war hero and the creator of Israel's renowned "Merkava" tank, died in Rehovot Israel on Wednesday. He was age 86.



Born in the small Zionist settlement of Beer Tuvia in Palestine in 1924, General Tal, also known as Talik, fought in the British Army’s Jewish Brigade as a teen in World War II, later he helped lay the foundations of the IDF and held a series of important posts in the course of an illustrious military career, leaving the IDF as deputy chief of staff.

He is considered one of the best five armor commanders in history, alongside U.S. Gen. George S. Patton, Gen. Creighton Abrams, German Field Marshal Erwin Rommel and Israeli Maj. Gen. Moshe Peled, according to the Patton Museum in Fort Knox Kentucky, where he is commemorated.

Tal oversaw the design of the Merkava tank _ Hebrew for "chariot" _ which is widely seen as one of the best Tanks of its time. The Merkava Tank was created to ensure the safety of its crew by placing the engine at the front, allowing crew and medics to enter and exit from behind, even under fire...

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