Medal of Valor

Recipients of the medal receive several privileges such as a tax reduction and invitations to official state ceremonies. To this day, 40 medals have been awarded: 12 for actions in the War of Independence (Hero of Israel recipients automatically received the Medal of Valor), four for the Sinai War, 12 for the Six-Day War, one for the War of Attrition, eight for the Yom Kippur War, and three others for actions during specific operations.

• Name — עיטור הגבורה • Presenter — Israel • Type — Military decoration • Eligibility — Soldiers of the Israel Defense Forces • Awarded For — "Performing a supreme act of valor while facing the enemy and risking one's life" • Status — Currently awarded • Lastawarded — 1975 • Total Recipients — 40 • Lower — Medal of Courage

The medal was designed by Dan Reisinger in the shape of a Star of David. A sword and olive branch decorate the left side, while the reverse is plain. The medal is attached to a yellow ribbon, a reference to the yellow star that Jews were forced to wear during the Holocaust. Two time recipients of the medal attach a small medal-shaped clasp to the ribbon. The medal is minted by the Israel Government Coins and Medals Corporation. It is made of 25 gram silver/935 and the clasp is chrome plated.

• Name — Rank — Conflict — Place of action — Date of action — Reason for receiving medal • Yair Racheli — Private — War of Independence — Near Shefa-'Amr — 19 January 1948 — Destroyed an enemy position • Emmanuel Landau — Private — Kiryat Motzkin — 17 March 1948 — Captured an enemy supply truck • Avraham Avigdorov — Private — Kiryat Motzkin — 17 March 1948 — Destroyed two enemy Bren machine gun positions • Zerubavel Horowitz — Second lieutenant — Road to Jerusalem — 27 March 1948 — Covered the retreat of his comrades during an enemy attack • Yizhar Armoni — Private — Nabi Yusha — 20 April 1948 — Covered the retreat of his comrades and the evacuation of wounded soldiers • Emil Brig — Sergeant — Kibbutz Gesher area — 14 May 1948 — Destroyed a bridge and thus preventing the enemy from advancing • Zvi Zibel — Airman — Ben Shemen — 25 June 1948 — Delivered supplies to the besieged Ben Shemen while under heavy enemy fire • Ben-Zion Leitner — Private first class — Iraq Suwaydan — 19 October 1948 — Destroyed enemy bunkers • Ron Feller — Sergeant — Karatiyya — 19 July 1948 — Destroyed an enemy tank • Yohai Ben-Nun — Captain — Mediterranean Sea — 22 October 1948 — Sank the Egyptian Navy flagship • Siman-Tov Ganeh — Private — Iraq Suwaydan — 19 November 1948 — Covered the retreat of his comrades • Arieh Atzmoni — Master sergeant — Rafah — 4 November 1948 — Rescued a cannon from enemy hands • Yaakov Mizrachi — Private — Reprisal operations — Kuntila — 28 October 1955 — Displayed great courage in charging the enemy • Pinchas "Aloush" Noy — Lieutenant — Qalqilyah — 10 October 1956 — Charged enemy positions and killed nine enemy soldiers • Uzi Bar-Zur — Corporal — Sinai War — Sinai — 26 October-5 November 1956 — Rescued wounded soldiers while under fire • Dan Ziv — Second Lieutenant — Sinai — 1 November 1956 — Rescued wounded soldiers while under fire • Yehuda Ken-Dror — Private — Sinai — 1 November 1956 — Located enemy positions while under heavy enemy fire • Shlomo Nitzani — Sergeant — Sinai — 26 October-5 November 1956 — Rescued wounded soldiers and destroyed enemy positions while under heavy enemy fire • Zvi Ofer — Major — Reprisal operations — Nukaiv — 16 March 1962 — Charged enemy positions • Moshe Drimmer — Private — Six-Day War — Golan Heights — 9 June 1967 — Covered the retreat of his comrades • Daniel Wordon — Captain — El-Arish — 7 June 1967 — Covered the rescue of wounded soldiers • Uri Weisler — Lieutenant — Rafah — 5 June 1967 — Continued to engage the enemy while injured • Shaul Vardi — Sergeant — Golan Heights — 9 June 1967 — Continued to engage the enemy while injured • Moshe Tal — Lieutenant — Gaza Strip — 5 June 1967 — Commanded a force of half-tracks • Yosef Lapper — Sergeant — Khan Younis — 5 June 1967 — Fought for eight hours alone with his tank • Eitan Neveh — Private — Jerusalem — 6 June 1967 — Covered his forces in the Battle of the Ammunition Hill • Beni Inbar — Staff sergeant — Rafah — 5 June 1967 — Destroyed eight tanks • Mordechai Friedman — Lieutenant — Jerusalem — 6 June 1967 — Destroyed an enemy position • Gad Refen — Lieutenant — West Bank — 6 June 1967 — Commanded the conquest of an enemy position near Jenin • David Shirazi — Private — Golan Heights — 9 June 1967 — Charged an enemy position • Natanel Horovitz — Lieutenant — Golan Heights — 9 June 1967 — Charged an enemy position • Ami Ayalon — Lieutenant — War of Attrition — Green Island — 19 July 1969 — Heroic action during Operation Bulmus 6 • Oded Amir — Captain — Yom Kippur War — Port Said — 6–24 October 1973 — Commanded a force which damaged three enemy ships in Port Said harbour • Gideon Giladi — Major — Egypt — 15 October 1973 — Commanded an armour battle • Zvika Greengold — Captain — Golan Heights — 6 October 1973 — Delayed an enemy armour column • Moshe Levy — Sergeant — Sinai — 15 October 1973 — Destroyed an enemy position • Yuval Neria — Captain — Sinai — 6–18 October 1973 — Excellent conduct during numerous armoured battles • Shlomo Arman — Second lieutenant — Sinai — 6–8 October 1973 — Excellent conduct during numerous armoured battles • Asa Kadmoni — Major — Sinai — 18 October 1973 — Fought a large enemy force while surrounded • Avigdor Kahalani — Lieutenant colonel — Golan Heights — 9 October 1973 — Excellent conduct during numerous armoured battles