Page 369 - עלי זית וחרב - כרך כ

Prof. Lilach Rosenberg-Friedman

“Dedicate Your Life to Valuable Activity”: The Story
of Avraham Ikar in the Hagana

The article presents landmarks in Avraham Ikar’s activities in the Hagana and
points to his personal characteristics and leadership qualities. Ikar’s activities in
the Hagana are a clear echo of historical events and their outcome. Ikar worked in
the Hagana from its inception and attended important intersections in its
development. Tracing Ikar's personal story in the Hagana in the 1920s and 1930s
sheds light on the organization from an unconventional angle. Furthermore, Ikar's
personal story represents the collective story of the first generation of the Hagana
commanders who formed a significant security organization.

The article presents Ikar’s story by division into significant landmarks in his
activities that are interwoven with the Hagana's development. It is based on Ikar's
testimonies given over the years that show his perspective on the historical events.

The article analyzes Ikar's leadership characteristics that led him to commanding
positions in the Hagana. These include charisma, a popular and warm attitude to
his subordinates, boldness and improvisation. These qualities are essential for any
commander in a military organization, but they are crucial to a security
organization that is in a development stage and that operates in a voluntary society
with limited enforcement measures. But Ikar was also impatient, independent and
tended to follow his inner conscience. These qualities were the basis of the many
conflicts that accompanied his activity. These conflicts may have also contributed
to his relative absence from public memory.

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