# Medal of Valor (Israel)

The Medal of Valor (Hebrew: עיטור הגבורה,Hebrew pronunciation: 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 position |
| Emmanuel Landau | Private | War of Independence | Kiryat Motzkin | 17 March 1948 | Captured an enemy supply truck |
| Avraham Avigdorov | Private | War of Independence | Kiryat Motzkin | 17 March 1948 | Destroyed two enemy Bren machine gun positions |
| Zerubavel Horowitz | Second lieutenant | War of Independence | Road to Jerusalem | 27 March 1948 | Covered the retreat of his comrades during an enemy attack |
| Yizhar Armoni | Private | War of Independence | Nabi Yusha | 20 April 1948 | Covered the retreat of his comrades and the evacuation of wounded soldiers |
| Emil Brig | Sergeant | War of Independence | Kibbutz Gesher area | 14 May 1948 | Destroyed a bridge and thus preventing the enemy from advancing |
| Zvi Zibel | Airman | War of Independence | Ben Shemen | 25 June 1948 | Delivered supplies to the besieged Ben Shemen while under heavy enemy fire |
| Ben-Zion Leitner | Private first class | War of Independence | Iraq Suwaydan | 19 October 1948 | Destroyed enemy bunkers |
| Ron Feller | Sergeant | War of Independence | Karatiyya | 19 July 1948 | Destroyed an enemy tank |
| Yohai Ben-Nun | Captain | War of Independence | Mediterranean Sea | 22 October 1948 | Sank the Egyptian Navy flagship |
| Siman-Tov Ganeh | Private | War of Independence | Iraq Suwaydan | 19 November 1948 | Covered the retreat of his comrades |
| Arieh Atzmoni | Master sergeant | War of Independence | 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 enemy |
| Pinchas "Aloush" Noy | Lieutenant | Reprisal operations | 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 fire |
| Dan Ziv | Second lieutenant | Sinai War | Sinai | 1 November 1956 | Rescued wounded soldiers while under fire |
| Yehuda Ken-Dror | Private | Sinai War | Sinai | 1 November 1956 | Located enemy positions while under heavy enemy fire |
| Shlomo Nitzani | Sergeant | Sinai War | 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 comrades |
| Daniel Wordon | Captain | Six-Day War | El-Arish | 7 June 1967 | Covered the rescue of wounded soldiers |
| Uri Weisler | Lieutenant | Six-Day War | Rafah | 5 June 1967 | Continued to engage the enemy while injured |
| Shaul Vardi | Sergeant | Six-Day War | Golan Heights | 9 June 1967 | Continued to engage the enemy while injured |
| Moshe Tal | Lieutenant | Six-Day War | Gaza Strip | 5 June 1967 | Commanded a force of half-tracks |
| Yosef Lapper | Sergeant | Six-Day War | Khan Younis | 5 June 1967 | Fought for eight hours alone with his tank |
| Eitan Neveh | Private | Six-Day War | Jerusalem | 6 June 1967 | Covered his forces in the Battle of the Ammunition Hill |
| Beni Inbar | Staff sergeant | Six-Day War | Rafah | 5 June 1967 | Destroyed eight tanks |
| Mordechai Friedman | Lieutenant | Six-Day War | Jerusalem | 6 June 1967 | Destroyed an enemy position |
| Gad Refen | Lieutenant | Six-Day War | West Bank | 6 June 1967 | Commanded the conquest of an enemy position near Jenin |
| David Shirazi | Private | Six-Day War | Golan Heights | 9 June 1967 | Charged an enemy position |
| Natanel Horovitz | Lieutenant | Six-Day War | 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 harbour |
| Gideon Giladi | Major | Yom Kippur War | Egypt | 15 October 1973 | Commanded an armour battle |
| Zvika Greengold | Captain | Yom Kippur War | Golan Heights | 6 October 1973 | Delayed an enemy armour column |
| Moshe Levy | Sergeant | Yom Kippur War | Sinai | 15 October 1973 | Destroyed an enemy position |
| Yuval Neria | Captain | Yom Kippur War | Sinai | 6–18 October 1973 | Excellent conduct during numerous armoured battles |
| Shlomo Arman | Second lieutenant | Yom Kippur War | Sinai | 6–8 October 1973 | Excellent conduct during numerous armoured battles |
| Asa Kadmoni | Major | Yom Kippur War | Sinai | 18 October 1973 | Fought a large enemy force while surrounded |
| Avigdor Kahalani | Lieutenant colonel | Yom Kippur War | Golan Heights | 9 October 1973 | Excellent conduct during numerous armoured battles |