Allon, Yigal (1918–1980)

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ALLON, YIGAL (1918–1980)

Israeli soldier, politician, deputy prime minister. Born Yigal Paicovitch in Kfar Tabor, Palestine, he attended Hebrew University, then studied at St. Anthony's College in Oxford. Beginning in 1937 he served in the Haganah. With Moshe Dayan, he helped create the Palmach, the Haganah's commando unit, attaining the rank of commander in 1945. He Hebraized his name to Allon, meaning "oak," in 1948 to signify the strength of his commitment to Israel. A member of the Knesset during Israel's early years, Allon served as minister of labor from 1961 to 1967, then deputy prime minister from 1966 to 1974. A close adviser to Golda Meir, under whom he served from 1969 to 1974, he created what became known as the Allon Plan, which urged the annexation of the Gaza Strip by Israel and the return to Jordan of about 70 percent of the West Bank, while retaining for Israel the Jordan River valley as a security zone. Though the plan was neither formally adopted nor rejected, it has been cited as the inspiration for the idea of a belt of Jewish settlements along the Jordan.

SEE ALSO Dayan, Moshe;Haganah;Meir, Golda.