Alei Zait, I

Throughout the year 1955, Syrian gun emplacements on the northeastern shore of the Sea of Galilee fired randomly and haphazardly into the water, often damaging civilian fishing boats. By the close of the year, the Israeli government had decided that it had had enough, and entrusted one of its most ambitious missions to Arik and his commandos, now part of Paratroop Battalion 890. This was Operation Alei Zait (Olive Leaves), conducted on 11-12 December 1955.

The objective of the mission was to inflict deterrent damage on the gun emplacements and capture Syrian soldiers. The outcome of the mission was successful; the unit captured 30 prisoners and inflicted heavy damage on the enemy.

The raid was emblematic of many of Arik's operations, as he himself relates:

"By the time we arrived in the prime minister's office (the morning after the raid), Dayan looked very worried. I happened to walk in first; and looking up from his chair, Ben-Gurion caught my eye. 'So, Arik,' he said, 'how did it go?' 'I think it was succssful,' I said. There was a short silence while Ben-Gurion glowered at us. 'Too successful!' he said.

Source: Sharon, Ariel, and Chanoff, David. Warrior: an Autobiography. Simon & Schuster, New York, 2001.