Chaim Nadel, Paratrooper Brigade Commander and Yom Kippur War Hero, Dies at 92

Major General (Res.) Chaim Nadel, a prominent commander in the Paratroopers Brigade and a decorated veteran, passed away on Thursday at the age of 92. Nadel, who was born in Lviv, Poland, in 1933 and immigrated to Israel in 1946, had a distinguished military career that began with his enlistment in the IDF in 1952. He served in the 890th Paratrooper Battalion and rose through the ranks, participating in reprisal operations in the 1950s and fighting in the Battle of Mitla during Operation Kadesh, where he received a commendation. Nadel commanded the Paratroopers Brigade from 1969 through the War of Attrition, during which the brigade conducted daring operations, including Operation Rooster 53. In the Yom Kippur War, he led the reserve 317th Paratrooper Brigade in Operation Dessert, which involved helicopter-borne assaults to capture the Syrian Hermon. Nadel was wounded during these battles. His post-war roles included head of the Southern Command staff and commander of the armored "HaMapatz" division. In 1979, he was promoted to Major General and served as president of the military court of appeals until 1983. After his military retirement in 1985, Nadel held a senior position at Tadiran and later served on the Winograd Commission, which investigated the Second Lebanon War. He also held a doctorate from the University of Haifa and authored books on IDF history. Nadel, who was named an honorary citizen of Ramat Gan in 2012, is survived by his wife and three children. His funeral will be held Friday with full military honors at the Kiryat Shaul military cemetery.