Moshe was born in Tel Aviv in Kerem HaTeimanim in July 15,1925, to Eliyahu and Leah. He finished elementary school and went to work at twelve. The family moved to Rehovot, and Moshe found odd jobs throughout the country. He was a guard in the Zikhron Yaakov vineyards and served in the Jewish Settlement Police. Once he could get a driver’s license, he pursued that career, giving his salary to his parents and family. In 1944, at the end of World War II, he joined the British Army and served two years in it. He then joined Lehi and received the nom de guerre “Ben David.”
As with most of the Lehi members, he left the underground enlisted in the IDF at Sheikh Munis two weeks after the State was established. Most ended up in the 8th Brigade (Armored), under the command of General Yitzhak Sadeh. Moshe was put in the commando Battalion 81, which was later renumbered Battalion 89. Moshe Dayan was the battalion commander, while the commander of Company A — in which Moshe was a squad commander — was Yaakov “Blond Dov” Granek.
Moshe was proud of his unit and his role. He was filled with energy and faith, and on his last leave, he encouraged his parents with the following: “I am going out to banish the enemy from the gates of the land.”
In Operation Danny, the 8th Brigade captured Tira, Qula and Der Tarif, and afterwards Beit Naballah, both the village and the base. Then most of the forces headed to capture the road to Lod and Ramleh, while in Der Tarif, Company A remained — without most of the vehicles and heavy weapons. The Arab Legion, a veteran and well-trained force which had had no success against the Israeli fighters, found its opportunity and launched a counterattack with armored vehicles, artillery and heavy machine guns. Even though the men of the company fought bravely, they had no chance. Five were killed and eighteen wounded, and they had to retreat. The date was July 11,1948.
Among those killed in action was Moshe, who was buried in the military section of the Nahalat Yitzhak Cemetery in his birthplace, Tel Aviv.
