Golomb, Eliyahu

(1893-1945)

   Born in Volkovysk, Russia, he immigrated (see ALIYA) to Palestine as a youth and graduated from Her-zliya High School. He served with the Jewish Legion of British forces in Palestine during World War I and was active in the Zionist Labor Movement, serving as Mapai's chief spokesman on defense matters. One of the founders of the Hagana in 1921, he was a member of its Command Council and its informal leader until his death. In the 1920s and 1930s, he directed clandestine arms procurement operations for the Yishuv in contravention of the policies of the British mandatory authority. Together with Shaul Avigur and Berl Katznelson, Golomb participated in the foundation, organization, and financing of the Hagana's program of illegal Jewish immigration to Palestine (Aliya Bet) in 1938—10. He led Hagana activities and development during the Arab Revolt (1936-39), encouraging enlistment in the Jewish settlement policy and in the British army during World War II in order to lay a legal basis for the strengthening and improvement of the Hagana. In addition, he was an early advocate of Jewish air power and the establishment in 1940 of the Hehalutz flight school in the United States. Golomb died in Tel Aviv. His home in Tel Aviv was subsequently turned into the Hagana museum and archives, known as Beit Eliyahu.