Shmuel Tolidano (photo: screenshot, Wikipedia)
Former Mossad senior Shmuel Tolidano passed away tonight (Friday) at his home in Jerusalem, aged 102 at the time of his death.
Tolidano fought in the Haganah, served as an officer in the War of Independence, commanded the unit for immigrating immigrants from Arab countries and Muslim countries, and took part in politics as a member of the Knesset in the ninth Knesset.
Among other things, Tolando was also the adviser on Arab affairs to the Prime Ministers: Levi Eshkol, Golda Meir and Yitzhak Rabin.
His funeral is expected to take place on Sunday at 12.00 on the Mount of Comfort in Givat Shaul Shem Yatman in Jerusalem.
Toledano dedicated his whole life to the security of the country.
He started his journey even before it was established, when he was active in the Haganah and was even arrested and imprisoned in the Latrun detention camp.
Later, he served as an officer in the War of Independence and after the establishment of the state he continued military service in the intelligence department and established the unit for gathering intelligence from visible sources and was its commander in 1951-1948.
In 1952 he was released with the rank of major.
So, he joined the Mossad, and served there between 1953-1965.
Among his duties, he commanded the "Bitzur" unit which was responsible for evacuating Jews from Arab countries and other Muslim countries and securing Jewish institutions around the world.
Then, in the 1960s, he was appointed head of the "Junction" division, which was responsible for recruiting and operating agents.
And he later advanced to the senior position - deputy head of the Mossad.
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The obituary of Mossad senior Shmuel Tolidano (Photo: Courtesy of the family)
In 1965, Toledano decided to retire from the Mossad and was appointed advisor to the Prime Minister for Arab affairs under Prime Minister Levi Eshkol.
By virtue of his position, he was responsible for the concentration and guidance of the Israeli government's policy for the integration and development of the Israeli Arab sector.
He continued in office during Golda Meir's term as well as most of Yitzhak Rabin's first term in office.
In 1977, he resigned from the position of advisor and retired from MAPI to join the Democratic Movement for Change (DS) in preparation for the elections to the Ninth Knesset.
He was elected and received the position of chairman of the State Audit Committee and also served as a member of the Foreign Affairs and Security Committee.
With the dissolution of DS he was a member of the "Movement for Change and Initiative", which changed its name to Change and operated as a faction in the Knesset headed by Amnon Rubinstein.
Toledano was not re-elected to the Knesset in the 1981 elections, but continued his political activities and in 1983 moved to MPAM and was a member of its Peace and Security Council. In 2004 he claimed that the IDF had lost its morality.
Later, in 1998, he was awarded the Speaker of the Knesset's Quality of Life Award, for "deepening understanding and coexistence between Jews and Arabs".
Appointed Advisor to the Prime Minister for Arab Affairs under Prime Minister Levy Eshkol.
Levi Eshkol (Photo: Government Press Office, Moshe Milner, Government Press Office)
Tolidano was born in Tiberias to Rabbi Baruch Tolidano, son of Rabbi Yehuda Tolidano who came to Tiberias from Meknes in Morocco in 1862.
Also, he is the nephew of Rabbi Yaakov Moshe Tolidano, brother-in-law of Gideon Fat and uncle of Ehud Tolidano.
His wife, Shula Tolidano, was the daughter of Yehuda Ze'ev and Haya Fat, who owned Cafe Fat in Jerusalem.
In 2020, Toledano became the oldest living male Knesset member and in 2022 became the oldest living Knesset member overall.
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