NAME: Kairouani, Ahiasaf

LEHI ALIAS: Uzi

DATE OF BIRTH: 1932

DATE FALLEN: July 25, 1948

Ahiasaf (Asaf) was born in Jerusalem to Avraham Shalom and Simcha. The family lived in Beit Shalom, the Yemenite section of Beit Israel. His father was a ritual scribe and the beadle of a local synagogue; he was a Lehi member, known as “Hillel.” Hillel was very influential, and he recruited many fighters for Lehi. It was only natural for his son Ahiasaf to join him (at a very young age).

He studied in Talmud Torah Bnei Zion, and from his youth he demonstrated an inclination for literary writing. Unfortunately, all of his writings were lost without a trace during the war. In the underground, he was put to work with the normal youth duties: putting up posters, observing and practicing with firearms.

After the Partition Plan, the Arabs attacked the Yishuv. Jerusalem was cut off, and as the Arabs took over Jewish neighborhoods, the Jewish residents had to flee to the west. Lehi in Jerusalem, under Yehoshua “Meir” Zattler, fought the Arabs at every opportunity and retook a number of these neighborhoods. Ahiasaf was on the frontlines, and he took part in the attempt to break into the Old City.

After Talbiyeh was captured, Lehi put its headquarters there. This became Camp Dror. On July 25,1948, Ahiasaf and four of his friends were taking apart artillery shells to remove the explosive material inside. An explosion (cause still unknown) occurred, and all five were killed on the spot.

Ahiasaf was buried in Sanehdria. On September 26,1951, he was re-interred at Mt. Herzl in Jerusalem.

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