Erez Gerstein

Erez Gerstein
Native name	ארז גרשטיין
Born	March 13, 1960 Afula, Israel
Died	March 2, 1999 (aged 38) South Lebanon
Allegiance	Israel
Service / branch	Israel Defense Forces
Years of service	1979–1999
Rank	Tat aluf (Brigadier General)
Unit	Golani Brigade
Commands	Golani Brigade's 51 battalion, Regional Brigade in South Lebanon, Golani Brigade, the Lebanon of Israel Defense Forces
Battles / wars	1982 Lebanon War South Lebanon conflict (1985–2000)

Erez Gerstein (Hebrew: ארז גרשטיין; March 13, 1960 – March 2, 1999) was an Israeli Brigadier General (Tat Aluf) who commanded the Israel Defense Forces Lebanon Liaison Unit and was killed in the South Lebanon conflict (1985–2000) with Hezbollah and Lebanese proxy militias.^[1]

Gerstain was born in Emek Hospital in Afula to Shula (Kishik), who emigrated from Syria, and Rafael Gerstein, who emigrated from Argentina. He was the eldest of three children. He grew up and was educated in Kibbutz Reshafim, and as a child, he showed interest in nature, archaeology, and the geography of Israel. He studied at the elementary school in Reshafim and attended the Gilboa educational institution for high school, living in dormitories with students from other kibbutzim. As a teenager, Gerstein worked in the kibbutz’s fishery.^[2] Before his enlistment, he volunteered for a half year of Service Year at Kibbutz Harel.

In January 1979, Gerstein enlisted in the IDF and volunteered to serve in Shayetet 13 (the Israeli Navy's special forces). After a year, he was dismissed from Shayetet 13 and transferred to serve in the Golani Brigade.^[3] During his first three months, he served in Golani's anti-tank unit, and afterward, he moved to the Golani Brigade's reconnaissance unit.^[4] In the unit, he completed training as a combat soldier, underwent an infantry commander's course, and participated in training and operations within the unit and brigade. After excelling in the infantry officer’s course, he was appointed a platoon commander in the Golani Brigade's reconnaissance unit and led it during Operation Peace for Galilee. Gerstein led the unit during the Battle of the Beaufort.^[5] He was lightly wounded in his arm but continued to fight. After the battle, he was evacuated to a hospital, but after two days, he insisted on returning to his unit in Lebanon. In February 1983, he was discharged from the IDF as a deputy company commander. During his civilian life, he worked in the kibbutz and became a vehicle scheduler. In June 1983, he went backpacking in North America and South America with his girlfriend, returning after a year. He joined Shin Bet, but during the training, he decided that this was not the field he wanted to pursue.

In August 1985, following an appeal by the commander of the Golani Brigade, Zvi Polg, Gerstein returned to permanent service and commanded a company in Battalion 12 of Golani. In this position, he worked on improving the unit's combat abilities and physical fitness, turning the company into one of the best in the brigade. His next role was as the Golani Brigade's operations officer.^[6] In 1987, he was appointed the commander of the Golani reconnaissance unit, where he led daring operations in the security zone in Lebanon.^[7] In one of the operations, a force under the command of the Golani Brigade's commander, Colonel Gabi Ashkenazi, carried out a raid on a Hezbollah base located on a farm known as Mazraat al-Hamra in southern Lebanon. The reconnaissance unit, commanded by Gerstein, moved stealthily until it was close to the terrorists and killed them.^[8] Under Gerstein's command, the reconnaissance unit participated in Operation Blue and Brown, where it was the only unit to complete its mission.^[9] It inflicted significant casualties on the terrorists without sustaining any of their own.^[10]

In 1989, Gerstein was appointed commander of Battalion 51 of Golani and led it in operational activities in Lebanon.^[11] During his command of the battalion, he prioritized education, particularly teaching the soldiers to love and appreciate the Land of Israel. In 1993, Gerstein was promoted to the rank of Colonel and appointed commander of the Eastern Brigade of the Liaison Unit to Lebanon (Yakal), where he also handled issues related to the civilian population alongside combating terrorists. He studied Arabic and developed good relations with the locals.

In August 1995, Gerstein was appointed commander of the Golani Brigade. That same year, he married Hertel and built his home in Hayoogev. As commander of the Golani Brigade, he implemented unique operational methods using the brigade's reconnaissance unit in special operations against Hezbollah in Lebanon.^[12] Shortly before completing his role as brigade commander,^[13] the Wadi Saluki fire disaster occurred, in which five soldiers from the brigade were killed, and five others were injured.^[14]

In February 1999, Gerstein was killed by a Hezbollah roadside bomb while traveling in an armored Mercedes vehicle near the Kaokaba outpost in the security zone. The explosion overturned the vehicle, killing Gerstein, his driver Master Sergeant Imad Abu Rish, his communications officer Sergeant Major Omar El-Kabatz, and Kol Israel journalist Ilan Roeh, who was accompanying Gerstein on a reporting assignment. In February 2018, the "Al-Manar" network released a video allegedly showing the explosion that killed Gerstein.^[15]

Throughout his IDF service, Gerstein was known for never using a strap for his weapon, always holding it in his hand, ready for action. As a company commander in Battalion 12, he required all his soldiers to carry their weapons around their necks, in a position of combat readiness. Gerstein deeply valued knowing the land of Israel. Wherever he went with his soldiers, he would explain the area and the settlements nearby. Sometimes, he was willing to sacrifice military exercises to teach about a particular region, famously saying, "Education is training." When his company was deployed to missions in Golan Heights, he promised a week’s leave to any soldier who could memorize all the Jewish settlements in the Golan.

As commander of the Golani Brigade, he forbade his soldiers from prostrating themselves on the graves of their comrades, insisting that standing in respect was the proper way to honor their memory. He encouraged soldiers to visit and comfort the bereaved families instead of lying on graves. He educated his soldiers to strive for contact, stating that those who charged always won. Many officers attested to his persistence in completing tasks, even when conditions were challenging and others were tempted to give up. Gerstein was considered a symbol and model for soldiers who served in Lebanon. Many officers, including Brigadier General Moshe "Chico" Tamir,^[16] attested to how deeply he impacted them, dedicating a chapter in the book War without a Medal.^[17]

Several memorial projects were established in his honor, including an ecological village "Neve Erez" near Maale Mikhmas, the restoration of a hiking trail in Nahal Yitzpor in Mount Gilboa, and the youth and young adult department building in the Jezreel Valley Regional Council named after him.

Each year, the Jezreel Valley youth organization holds a commemorative hike in his memory.

In August 2017, his family donated a rescue off-road vehicle to the United Hatzalah branch in Yokneam in his memory.

In June 2021, during a ceremony honoring soldiers who fell in the Security Zone in Lebanon campaign, IDF Chief of Staff Aviv Kochavi awarded the Security Zone Campaign Ribbon to Gerstein's family, as he was one of the highest-ranking officers killed during the conflict.^[18]