Erez Gerstein
{{Short description|Israeli general (1960–1999)}}
{{Infobox military person
| name = Erez Gerstein
| native_name = ארז גרשטיין
| native_name_lang = he
| birth_date = March 13, 1960
| death_date = February 28, 1999 (aged 38)
| death_place = South Lebanon
| placeofburial =
| placeofburial_label = Place of burial
| image = ארז גרשטיין.jpg
| caption =
| nickname =
| allegiance = {{flag|Israel}}
| serviceyears = 1979–1999
| rank = Tat Aluf (Brigadier general)
| branch = Israel Defense Forces
| commands = Golani Brigade's 51 battalion, Regional Brigade in South Lebanon, Golani Brigade, the Lebanon of Israel Defense Forces
| unit = Golani Brigade
| battles = * 1982 Lebanon War
| awards =
| relations =
| laterwork =
}}
Erez Gerstein ({{langx|he|ארז גרשטיין}}; March 13, 1960 – February 28, 1999) was an Israeli Brigadier General (Tat Aluf) who commanded the Israel Defense Forces Lebanon Liaison Unit and died in the South Lebanon conflict (1985–2000) with Hezbollah and Lebanese proxy militias.Amir Oren, [http://www.haaretz.com/rewriting-history-is-easy-1.123987 Rewriting History Is Easy], Haaretz, June 01, 2004.
Early life
Gerstein was born in Afula, and was the eldest of three children. His mother, Shula Kishik, was an immigrant from Syria, and his father, Rafael Gerstein, was from Argentina. He was raised in kibbutz Reshafim, where he attended elementary and high school. He spent a Service Year volunteering on kibbutz Harel before his military service.
Gerstein had a son named Omer, who would eventually follow in his footsteps and become an officer in the IDF.{{Cite web|title=בשם האב – סגן עומר גרשטיין הניח זר לזכר אביו, תא"ל ארז גרשטיין והנופלים בלבנון|url=http://kibbutz.org.il/he/articles/%D7%91%D7%A9%D7%9D-%D7%94%D7%90%D7%91-%E2%80%93-%D7%A1%D7%92%D7%9F-%D7%A2%D7%95%D7%9E%D7%A8-%D7%92%D7%A8%D7%A9%D7%98%D7%99%D7%99%D7%9F-%D7%94%D7%A0%D7%99%D7%97-%D7%96%D7%A8-%D7%9C%D7%96%D7%9B%D7%A8-%D7%90%D7%91%D7%99%D7%95-%D7%AA%D7%90%D7%9C-%D7%90%D7%A8%D7%96-%D7%92%D7%A8%D7%A9%D7%98%D7%99%D7%99%D7%9F-%D7%95%D7%94%D7%A0%D7%95%D7%A4%D7%9C%D7%99%D7%9D-%D7%91%D7%9C%D7%91%D7%A0%D7%95%D7%9F|access-date=2021-01-06|website=אתר הקיבוצים|language=he}}
Military service
Gerstein was drafted into the IDF in 1979, and volunteered for the Shayetet 13 naval commando force, but was dismissed after a year, and did his military service in the Golani Brigade. He served as a soldier, a squad leader in the brigade's reconnaissance company. In 1981 he became an infantry officer after completing Officer Candidate School and return to the Golani Brigade. In the 1982 Lebanon War he served as a platoon leader in the reconnaissance company and fought at the Battle of the Beaufort. Gerstein was injured during the battle but stayed on until the fighting was done. In February 1983, he left the army as a company commander, and in June of that year, he left Israel with his girlfriend on a backpacking trip throughout the Americas. He returned to Israel after a year, and joined Shin Bet, but during his training, he dropped out.
In 1985, Gerstein returned to active military service. He led the Brigade's Reconnaissance company and Golani Brigade's 51 battalion in counter-guerrilla operations in South Lebanon. Afterwards, he commanded a battalion in squad leader course and a Regional Brigade in South Lebanon.
In 1995 he was appointed as the commander of the Golani Brigade.[http://www.irishtimes.com/news/uneasy-days-for-irish-as-israel-pondered-revenge-1.160483 Uneasy days for Irish as Israel pondered revenge], The Irish Times, March 8, 1999. He married his girlfriend that same year, and their son Omer was born in 1997. During this time, Gerstein led the brigade in a series of operations in southern Lebanon that resulted a great number of Hezbollah operatives killed. Afterwards he commanded the Lebanon Liaison Unit.Amir Oren, [http://www.haaretz.com/israel-news/ready-to-pay-the-price-1.213116 Ready to Pay the Price], Haaretz, February 15, 2007.
On March 2, 1999 Gerstein and two Israeli soldiers, Warrant Officer Imad Abu-Rish and Staff-Sergeant Omer El-Kabetz, had been accompanying Kol Israel reporter Ilan Roeh during a brief foray into South Lebanon in an armored vehicle. An IED laid by Hezbollah on the road between Ibl al-Saqi and KaukabaMiddle East International No 597, 9 April 1999; Michael Jansen p.10 exploded, killing everyone inside.Avihai Becker, [http://www.haaretz.com/generally-sensitive-1.46966 Generally Sensitive], Haaretz, April 24, 2002.{{Cite web |url=http://mfa.gov.il/MFA/PressRoom/1999/Pages/Commander%20of%20IDF%20Lebanon-Liaison%20Unit%20and%20Three%20Ot.aspx |title=Archived copy |access-date=2016-11-18 |archive-date=2016-11-19 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161119055138/http://mfa.gov.il/MFA/PressRoom/1999/Pages/Commander%20of%20IDF%20Lebanon-Liaison%20Unit%20and%20Three%20Ot.aspx |url-status=dead }}Middle East International No 595, 13 March 1999; Michael Jansen pp.7-8. gives date of death as 2 March In February 2018, the "Al-Manar" network released a video allegedly showing the explosion that killed Gerstein.Video of Major General Gerstein's Assassination Revealed, Mako, 28 February 2018
References
{{Reflist}}
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Gerstein, Erez}}
Category:Deaths by improvised explosive device
Category:Israeli military personnel killed in action