• Founder of the Haganah Eliyahu Golomb, 1893

 

Golomb made aliyah to Palestine, then part of the Ottoman Empire, from his home in Vawkavysk in the Russian Empire (today in Belarus) in 1909. He initially organized agricultural training courses and worked in kibbutz Degania Alef. When World War I broke out in 1914, Golomb opposed the enlistment of Jews as officers in the Ottoman Army and instead insisted on the creation of an independent Jewish defense force. In 1917 he headed the volunteers for the Jewish Legion which he hoped would form the basis of a permanent official Jewish militia and successfully opposed the plans of the British commander to send the volunteers to fight outside the country. After his demobilization he became a member of the committee entrusted with organizing the Haganah and in 1920 was active in sending aid to the defenders of the northern outpost of Tel Hai.

Golomb was instrumental in the development of Jewish self defense forces. He claimed that the Jewish masses must be mobilized into fighting units capable of defending Zionist goals. Golomb was a founding member of the Haganah and served on its Command Council. He traveled extensively, purchasing arms for Haganah fighters. The organization and financing of illegal Jewish immigration in the late 1930s was in large part directed by Golomb.

Golomb saw the Haganah as an integral part of the Zionist movement, and thus objected to the existence of more radical defense organizations, such as the Irgun. He strongly disagreed with those who supported indiscriminate attacks against Arabs. At the same time, he did advocate active confrontation with Arab aggressors. Along with Berl Katznelson, Golomb spent much time working with Ze'ev Jabotinsky of the Revisionist party trying to unify defense efforts among Jews. Golomb's home in Tel Aviv was later converted into a museum of the Haganah named Beit Eliayahu.

Golomb opposed the view that defense should depend on a small elite, and instead insisted that it was the concern of the Jewish population at large. In 1922, he was sent abroad to purchase weapons for the Haganah and until 1924 organized pioneering youth in Europe. During the Arab riots of 1936 - 39, Golomb was one of the initiators of the Fosh, units that confronted Arab fighters in combat.

Although supporting Jewish enlistment in the British Army during World War II and the parachuting of Jewish agents into Nazi occupied Europe, Golomb never forgot the necessity for the removal of the British mandatory power from Palestine. He became a founder of the Palmach, the commando arm of the Haganah and foundation of the Israel Defense Forces, and trained many of its future commanders.

He died in June 11,1945 at the age of 52. His son David later served as a member of the Knesset.