Dayan, Moshe, << dy AHN, MOY shuh >> (1915-1981), was an Israeli military hero and political leader. He commanded the Israeli forces that won the Arab-Israeli war of 1956, and directed the Israeli victory in a six-day war fought against Egypt, Jordan, and Syria in June 1967. Dayan became Israel’s foreign minister in 1977. He resigned in 1979 because he believed that the government was not doing enough to bring about peace with the Arabs. He was minister of defense from 1967 to 1974, minister of agriculture from 1959 to 1964, and chief of staff from 1953 to 1958.
In 1939, the British who ruled Palestine imprisoned Dayan for his work with the outlawed Haganah, a Jewish militia group. He was released in 1941 to fight with the British against the Vichy French. Dayan was wounded during a battle in Lebanon, and he lost his left eye. Dayan also took part in the first Arab-Israeli war of 1948. Dayan was born on May 20, 1915, in Deganiya, Palestine. He died on Oct. 16, 1981.
