Yuval Ne`eman
Physics professor Yuval Ne`eman, born in 1925 in Tel Aviv, served,
among other posts, as the head of the IDF Maneuvers Branch in 1950 and
head of the General Staff's Planning Department at the rank of colonel
from 1951-1952; as the Chief Scientist in the Defense Ministry from
1974-1976; as the Science Minister and Vice Chairman of the Atomic Energy
Commission [1982-1984, 1990-1992] and as Energy Minister [1990-1992]. He
established the Israeli Space Agency and has served as its chairman ever
since. During the Six Day War he returned to the Intelligence Branch and
was responsible for Israel's political, image and technical aspects. This
was also the case during the Yom Kippur War during which he was
responsible for the strategic military-operational ties with the United
States. In 1969, he received the Israel Prize in the field of exact
sciences. In that same year he was granted the Einstein Medal for his
unique contribution in the field of physics. In 2003, he received the
Emet Prize for Arts Sciences and Culture, which was presented to him
by the Prime Minister for his pioneering contribution in the deciphering
of the atomic nucleus and its components and for his enormous scientific
contribution to the development of sub-atomic physics in Israel.