Half the blame for the Yom Kippur omission was aimed at General Gorodish.

It is possible that he is just a victim in the confrontation with Sharon

The Agrant Committee determined that Gorodish, who was the commander of the Southern Command, "did not fulfill his duties properly".

Public criticism did not spare the champion, who until that fight was tyrannized by the crowd.

In new documents that are now being revealed, he explains what the lines were that guided him in his leadership and blames one officer "who didn't know how to follow orders"

Eli Ashkenazi

03/10/2022

Monday, October 3, 2022, 4:00 p.m

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In the video: The IDF archive at the Ministry of Defense reveals the sounds of the communication network from Operation "Kinah" to the occupation of Hermon (Ministry of Defense Spokesperson)

In July 1973, Major General Shmuel Gonen (Gorodish) was appointed to the position of commander of the Southern Command.

He replaced Major Ariel Sharon, who was in the position for three and a half years.

Three months later, the Yom Kippur War broke out.

Gorodish is considered a legend because he led the Seventh Brigade to achievements in the Six Day War, but after the Yom Kippur War, half the blame for the failure was directed at him.

Very shortly after the war, Dayan was transferred by the Minister of Defense from the important position of commander of the Southern Command, to head a negligible and unimportant command - Merhav Shlomo (Marshall). In

the interim report of the Agrant Committee, which investigated the reasons for the outbreak of the war and the conduct of the battles until the enemy was contained, it was assigned Gorodish bears a heavy responsibility. The committee determined that "he did not adequately fulfill his duties and that he bears a significant part of the responsibility for the dangerous situation in which our forces were caught." He was suspended, then returned to service and retired from the IDF in 1976, bitter and painful.

For years he tried to clear his name, without success.

In 1991, in Italy, he suffered a cardiac arrest and died at the age of 61.

The IDF Archives at the Ministry of Defense are publishing today (Monday) a kind of interim summary that Gorodish submitted in writing to the Agrant Committee, after testifying before it several times. In the document, he explains to the committee what were the principles and plans that guided him in the conduct of the war on the southern front. He mentions that he had no warning of 48 hours for the enemy's attack - based on which the IDF's plans were built, the lack of an orderly plan for evacuating the strongholds, the absence of an air force, and more.

"Until that battle, the public adored him."

Major General Shmuel Gonen (Gorodish) (Photo: Government Press Office)

In addition, he also refers in the document to "factors that made it difficult to achieve the goals we presented to us in the Southern Command".

His main intention is actually to one factor - his predecessor in the position of General Sharon.

Gorodish devotes a section in the document called "Discipline and Loyalty" which deals with the open conflict between him and Sharon.

"I was a young general, two months I served in the position of Southern Command general. Under my command, four officers with the rank of general (Abraham Aden - "Bern", Ariel Sharon, Albert Mandler, Kalman Magen. AA) operated in the war.

In theoretical laboratory conditions there should be no problem with the command structure.

There is a champion and there are subordinates to him and there is unity of purpose which is the central, the only and determining factor.

There is a clear definition of authority and subordination.

There is loyalty."

Gorodish said that he felt that "it is not in the spirit of General 'Bern' to be my command".

Bern was the commander of Gurodish for many years.

According to him, Baran did the opposite of an order he gave him, and only after a while did he begin to fulfill his orders.

"This was not the case with General Sharon when he refused and attacked, despite my express order, without need and without success, the 'device' and 'television' (Names of the Temples, AA)." Gorodish points out that in view of that "serious phenomenon of disobeying an order" he asked From Chief of Staff David (Dado) Elazar "you drew conclusions up to the point of replacing him (of Sharon. AA)". This did not happen. "From this point on the matter went from bad to worse and this was reflected in my headquarters, which was in fact Arik's headquarters." Gorodish writes about a case Which illustrates his claim: "Before the war, he called my KSHLP (commanding triad officer) and called him a 'traitor' because he was loyal to me."

According to him, Sharon's behavior "divided the command headquarters" and "

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Pointing an accusing finger at Sharon.

Major General Shmuel Gonen (Gorodish) (Photo: Walla! NEWS system, courtesy of the IDF Archives at the Ministry of Defense)

The "Wars of the Generals" in the south kept the Chief of Staff busy. The IDF Archives at the Ministry of Defense also published the diary of Avner Shalio, Chief of the Chief of Staff's office, Elazar. The diary was approved for publication by the government committee under Chief Justice (retired) Prof. Yitzchak Englerd On

the

fourth day of the war, on October 9 in the evening, the Chief of Staff said to his assistant Rehavam Ze'avi and to the head of the AMN Eli Zaira: "I intend to put Chaim (Bar-Lev) over Gorodish in the Southern Command."

They discussed the problematic situation that had arisen between the generals In the south, Gandhi thought that Sharon should be removed. He made it clear that "Gorodish does not have the ability to give orders" and suggested that "Gorodish be brought down to Arik's division - and remove Arik." Shalev writes that the Chief of Staff informed Defense Minister Dayan "with three eyes" of his desire to place Bar-Lev at the head of the southern front.

Then he talked about it with the Prime Minister, Golda Meir, who gave her blessing.

Dedo Lebar-Lev: "

Put on a uniform, show up.

We'll talk and come downstairs."

The "Wars of the Generals" in the south occupied the General Staff. Major General Shmuel Gonen (Gorodish) (Photo: Government Press Office)

The day before, an IDF counterattack in the southern sector failed, and then the cracks between the generals in the south also deepened. Dado's chief of staff said that the Chief of Staff asked Bar-Lev "to check on the spot what happened to Arik, if he attacked against the order, he lied." In response Defense Minister Dayan said: "Chaim will deal with it according to his understanding." However, Chief of Staff Dado insisted and said: "If Eric lied, pushed the division into the water, brought a roller bridge (and when he was already in the water) asked for permission to succeed.... Shachaim will decide to kick him, to judge after the war," and Dayan replied: "What Chaim decides, he will do."

At half past ten at night, the Chief of Staff called Gorodish. He quotes the conversation: "Shmulik, I have an unpleasant message for you.

Haim Bar Lev descends on you and above you.

He will also look into all of Eric's affairs, today he will talk to you and decide and hear... if he wants you to take A (Division) 143 and Eric will go or you will remain his deputy and Eric will remain in the decision of the Prime Minister and the Minister of Defense.

I want you to take it well.

If you're together it's even better... If it was a general I wouldn't do it, but it's a lieutenant colonel, chief of staff, and you two together would be great. This is not for a conversation with trembling voices, there is no expression of distrust. So far it has been good and it will be good. Since this is a lieutenant colonel, former chief of staff, it will not hurt you. It will not hurt the perspective and it would be great if you were a lieutenant."

"One champion who did not follow orders"

Back to the Gorodish document for the Agrant Committee;

In summing up his words, he opposes the process of his transfer from Southern Command after the war: "My transfer was made by an announcement I heard on the news on the radio, without prior notice, without coordination and approval by the Chief of Staff at the time.

Powerful tools were used against me, agitated public opinion - rumors, the military censorship, the press, which described me as if I had collapsed, was confused, that my orders were not being heard.

All these stories are complete lies.

I never collapsed and the difficulties I had in making conversions did not stem from my very skills, abilities and talents - but were mainly with one general who did not carry out orders, not mine, not the Chief of Staff's, not his other superiors."

Gorodish attached many appendices to the document he wrote for the Agrant Committee, some of which are backed up by recordings he kept from the war.

He also attached a letter that Haim Bar-Lev sent him after the war.

As mentioned, on the fourth day of the war, Chief of Staff Elazar was sent to the southern front and served as the senior commander, over Gorodish. In the letter, Bar-Lev expresses his appreciation for Gorodish's work "during this fateful period". He thanks him for sharing operations between them during the war. Your thorough knowledge of armored warfare and your correct assessment of the Egyptian enemy contributed greatly to the conduct of the war and for that I wish to express my appreciation to you.

I am relieved with the feeling that the command remains in firm hands and I wish you continued successful service," wrote Bar-Lev.

Two weeks later, Dayan removed Gorodish from the Southern Command and exiled him to the Marshal.

It was recommended that he no longer hold a multi-design command post.

Major General Shmuel Gonen (Gorodish) (Photo: Government Press Office)

The final report of the Agrant Commission (1975) recommended that Gorodish no longer hold a multi-design command post.

He continued a little longer in the army and finished his career.

He was left alone and felt like a scapegoat.

Only nine years before they looked up to him in admiration.

His speech to his soldiers after the Six Day War was then heard by everyone: "Brothers, heroes of glory, look up to death and he looked down."

Gorodish was born in Lithuania, grew up in a religious-Orthodox home and studied in yeshivas.

He was a strict and very tough officer.

Journalist Rino Tzrur wrote about him that "since Bar Kochba and the Hasmoneans there has not been a yeshiva boy who became a champion."

Adam Baruch wrote about him: "During the Six Day War, and he was 37 years old, Gorodish, later General Shmuel Gonen, was the new Judah Maccabi. He was a hero, he called the sparrow, the whole nation loved him."

At the end of the eighties, Baruch conducted an interview with him in his exile in the Central African Republic, where he was unsuccessfully searching for diamonds.

Later, Adam Baruch wrote: "The committee convicted Gurodish. They removed him from his life as a soldier. They attached to him the failure of the Kippur War. From that day until his death, Cain lived among us."

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