The Medal of Valor ( he, עיטור הגבורה, ''Itur HaGvura'') is the highest
Israeli military decoration.
The medal was established in 1970 by the
Knesset
The Knesset ( he, הַכְּנֶסֶת ; "gathering" or "assembly") is the unicameral legislature of Israel. As the supreme state body, the Knesset is sovereign and thus has complete control of the entirety of the Israeli government (with th ...
in an act of law as a replacement for the ''
Hero of Israel''
military decoration
Military awards and decorations are distinctions given as a mark of honor for military heroism, meritorious or outstanding service or achievement. DoD Manual 1348.33, 2010, Vol. 3 A decoration is often a medal consisting of a ribbon and a medal ...
that was awarded during the
1947-48 Civil War in Mandatory Palestine and the
1948 Arab–Israeli War
The 1948 (or First) Arab–Israeli War was the second and final stage of the 1948 Palestine war. It formally began following the end of the British Mandate for Palestine at midnight on 14 May 1948; the Israeli Declaration of Independence had ...
. 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
The War of Attrition ( ar, حرب الاستنزاف, Ḥarb al-Istinzāf; he, מלחמת ההתשה, Milhemet haHatashah) involved fighting between Israel and Egypt, Jordan, the Palestine Liberation Organisation (PLO) and their allies from ...
, eight for the
Yom Kippur War
The Yom Kippur War, also known as the Ramadan War, the October War, the 1973 Arab–Israeli War, or the Fourth Arab–Israeli War, was an armed conflict fought from October 6 to 25, 1973 between Israel and a coalition of Arab world, Arab state ...
, 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
References
* John D. Clarke, ''Gallantry Medals & Awards of the World'', p. 108
{{Highest Awards for gallantry
Military awards and decorations of Israel
Awards established in 1970
1970 establishments in Israel