How I lost my eye: Moshe Dayan report revealed
After over 70 years, IDF archives reveal Dayan’s injury report wherein he describes how his eye was hit during combat against French forces in Syria resulting in his trademark eye patch.
Dayan and the report. Photography: Channel 2
On the first of June 1941 commander of the “Hagana” Moshe Dayan was asked to join a unit that would operate together with the British army – and so he left for Syria. The command was to obtain strategic bridges in the area of Iskenderun village, this as part of the British invasion into Lebanon and Syria against the French. There, during an exchange of fire, he lost his left eye. 72 years later, the report of the injury has been revealed by Channel 2 online News.
In documents permitted for publication by the IDF archives as part of digitalization process, Dayan recreates that battle in a report given right after the fact clarifying that he wishes to continue serving in the British military forces.
On the 7th of June, Dayan went on mission together with his men. “At 01:00 we arrived at a bridge located about half a kilometer north of Iskenderun, and according to the information we had this bridge was being guarded sentries… we did not find anyone on watch and we rested by it” Dayan wrote. “At 04:00 we decided to walk to Iskenderun, in order to help the rest of the British forces”.
A determined fighter, Dayan in his youth
During his “Hagana” service. Photography: IDF and Defense System Archives
“I lost action fitness” Photography: IDF and Defense System Archives
“I lost action fitness”
When they arrived at a building, one that they were meant to takeover, the force encountered French soldiers who began firing at them. “I threw a bomb towards the firing machine… I saw that moment as suitable for taking over the building and asked the soldiers to shoot into the building’s windows”, Dayan in recreating the battle. “When the bomb exploded we burst into the building”. A French officer and a Senegalese solider were killed by the bomb, and two French soldiers were injured, raising their hands in submission.
Afterwards, they moved to a different building, and on the way French forces fired at them. “Another officer and I had to leave the motorcycle that was hit by bullets behind and return to the building via the beach, as did others who went to check the orchard and announcing that a strong French force was at the foot of the southern hill”, Dayan described. “At the same time the French who were over there opened fire on us”. Then comes the moment that will be most influential in his life: “I aimed the French firing machine I had at them and I looked through the scope in order to determine their exact location, at that moment a bullet they fired hit my eye and arm and I lost action fitness”.
Part of Dayan’s report. Photography: Hagana history archive
Thanks to Dayan’s fire: the French forces retreated
As a result of Dayan’s fire, the French forces were warded off. After a few hours, more British forces arrived and the French retreated entirely. “My arm and eye were hurt”, Dayan wrote. “I hereby give you a full report of my aforementioned actions and express my wish to continue serving the British forces, to the best of my ability”.
In the document, “Operation number 1”, which summarizes the tasks and the battle development, Dayan noted that he was returned to Israel after his injury. The day after, he was brought to “Hadasa” hospital in Haifa. “The test proves that he had a wound on the inner side of his left eye as a result of a bullet penetrating” described Dr. Z. Rabinovich, a doctor at “Hadasa”, in a document. “There was no exit wound. The bullet was removed before he was brought to the hospital. The forehead cavity was swollen and his nose bones broken”.
Asked to continue serving. Photography: IDF and Defense System Archives
The hospital’s announcement. Photography: Hagana history archive
The Dr. wrote: “will remain blind in his left eye”
Dayan was hospitalized for a week, until June 15. “He will remain blind in his left eye, and he needs extended healing for his nose bones’ fractures, as well as his three injured fingers” the Dr. wrote. As a result of the eye loss, Dayan chose to wear an eye patch over his left eye, which became his trademark from that moment onwards.
On the 31st of August 1972, while Dayan was serving as minister of Defense, head of the intelligence branch at the time sent him an article from a Lebanese paper that had been translated by a unit that followed foreign press, the article dealt with “the different versions accounting for Minister Dayan’s eye injury”.
Dayan as Chief of General Staff. Photography: Reuters
Head of the intelligence branch joked: “what is occupying our friends!!!”
“Many stories were told about the date, place and circumstances of Dayan’s eye injury and so far no version of the many has been proved, and the blinded man has not said a word!” was written in the translated article. “The truth of his blinding will remain a riddle like story that will embarrass historians”.
Among others, several versions arose over there. In one of them, Dayan was injured while sitting in a local café in Halab Syria with former Chief of General Staff Haim Bar-Lev, when a fight broke out amongst the locals causing his injury. Another story describes a man by the name of Jean Natzer Allah Halliq, who claims he was the one who blinded Dayan, and he brought witnesses as evidence.
The article sent to Dayan by head of the intelligence branch. Photography: Hagana history archive
No eye patch, Dayan. Photography: Hagana history archive
Head of the Intelligence Branch, who sent the translated article to Dayan, joked about the Lebanese reporter’s ridiculous speculations. “What is occupying our friends!!!” he wrote to Dayan.
Dayan passed away in October of 1981, and was buried in Nehalal. He served as 4th Chief of General Staff, was a diplomat, a minister in Israeli government and a member of the 4th through to the 12th Knesset.
