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Al Schwimmer

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Al Schwimmer
Schwimmer in 1955
Born(1917-06-10)June 10, 1917
New York City, U.S.
DiedJune 10, 2011(2011-06-10) (aged 94)
Ramat Gan, Israel
Citizenship
  • United States
  • Israel
Occupation(s)Aerospace engineer, aerospace executive
Known forFounder of Israel Aerospace Industries (formerly Bedek Aviation Company)
SpouseRina Schwimmer
Children2
AwardsIsrael Prize (2006)

Adolph William Schwimmer (Hebrew: אל שווימר;‎ June 10, 1917 – June 10, 2011) was an American World War II veteran who was the founder and first CEO of Israel Aerospace Industries.

Early life

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In 1917, Schwimmer was born in New York City, the son of immigrants from Eastern Europe. Schwimmer never used his given birth name of Adolph, preferring the nickname "Al".[1]

Career

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In 1939, Schwimmer began his aerospace career at Lockheed Corporation as an engineer and also received his civilian pilot license. During World War II, he worked for TWA and assisted the U.S. Air Transport Command as a flight engineer.[2]

During the 1948 Arab–Israeli War, Schwimmer became a Mahal operative, using his World War II experience and his contacts to smuggle 30 surplus war planes to Israel in violation of an arms embargo imposed by President Harry S. Truman.[3][4][1] Schwimmer also recruited pilots and crew, mostly World War II veterans, to fly circuitous routes to land the planes in Israel.[1] The Boeing B-17 Flying Fortresses were smuggled by way of the Azores to Czechoslovakia, then to Israel.[5] Using the planes, the Israeli Air Force fought for and prevailed during the international phase of the 1948 Israeli War of Independence.[6][7][8]

Schwimmer reflected on what motivated these actions in an interview with Boaz Dvir. He described the alternative as allowing a "Second Holocaust" to happen, saying, "I believed those 600,000 Jews were going to die."[9]

In 1949, Schwimmer returned to the United States and, in 1950, he was convicted of violating the US Neutrality Acts for smuggling the planes into Israel. Schwimmer was stripped of his voting rights and veterans benefits and fined $10,000, but did not receive a prison sentence. Schwimmer refused to ask for a pardon, believing that smuggling weapons to help create Israel was the right moral decision to make. In 2001, President Bill Clinton gave Schwimmer a presidential pardon.[1]

In the early 1950s, Schwimmer, who was running an aircraft maintenance company in Burbank, California, was approached by David Ben-Gurion, Israel's then prime minister, who asked Schwimmer to return to Israel and establish an aircraft company for commercial and military purposes.[1] Schwimmer acceded to Ben Gurion's request and founded Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI), of which he became the first CEO.[2] When Schwimmer retired in 1988, IAI was the largest company in Israel, valued at $1 billion.[1] Sam Lewis, a former codefendant, worked for him as a pilot and consultant and helped set up several airlines in Europe, Asia, and South America.[10]

Schwimmer was one of the founders of Savyon, but later moved to Tel Aviv.[11]

Political activity

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In the mid-1980s, Schwimmer was a special adviser for technology and industry for Israel's then-Prime Minister Shimon Peres, who became a close friend. In this capacity, Schwimmer was an intermediary between the U.S. and Iran during the Lebanon hostage crisis to trade American and Israeli weapons to Iran for the release of American hostages held by pro-Iranian groups in Lebanon.

In the 1990s, Schwimmer was involved in the movement to codify Israel's constitution, together with a bill to give equality to all branches of Judaism.[1]

Personal life

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Schwimmer was married and had two children, Danny and Dafna, as well as four grandchildren, Orr, Ella, Sarah, and Avi. On June 10, 2011, Schwimmer died on his 94th birthday in a hospital in Ramat Gan, Tel Aviv District, Israel.[12]

Legacy

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Schwimmer has been called the father of the Israeli Air Force. David Ben-Gurion described his actions as the most important diaspora contribution to the survival of the state of Israel.[1]

In 2015, his exploits during 1948 Arab–Israeli War were depicted in the PBS documentary A Wing and a Prayer, written, directed, and produced by Boaz Dvir. The film contains the only public interview Schwimmer gave in light of these events.[13]

Awards

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  • In 1975, he was awarded the Herzl Prize for his contribution to Israel's security and economy.
  • In 2006, Schwimmer was awarded the Israel Prize for his lifetime achievement and special contribution to society and the State.[1][2][14]
  • In 2018, Schwimmer was posthumously honored by the Embassy of Israel in Washington, D.C., as one of the 70 most valuable American contributors to the strengthening of Israel and its alliance with the United States.[15][16]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i "Al Schwimmer, father of Israel's Air Force, dies". Jewish Telegraphic Agency. 12 June 2011. Archived from the original on 14 June 2011..
  2. ^ a b c "Israel Prize winner Al Schwimmer dies on 94th birthday", The Jerusalem Post, 11 June 2011.
  3. ^ Freeman-Maloy, Dan (2011). "Mahal and the Dispossession of the Palestinians". Journal of Palestine Studies. 40 (2): 43–61. doi:10.1525/jps.2011.xl.2.43. ISSN 0377-919X. JSTOR 10.1525/jps.2011.xl.2.43.
  4. ^ Kushner, David (24 March 2024). "He was an American war hero. Then he decided to smuggle arms to Israel. So he could help establish the Nakba and help the Zionists become who they are today". Business Insider. Retrieved 25 March 2024.
  5. ^ "Pictorial History: Acquiring Arms & Personnel - Aliyah Bet & Machal Virtual Museum". www.israelvets.com. Retrieved 22 November 2024.
  6. ^ Freeman-Maloy, Dan (2011). "Mahal and the Dispossession of the Palestinians". Journal of Palestine Studies. 40 (2): 43–61. doi:10.1525/jps.2011.xl.2.43. ISSN 0377-919X. JSTOR 10.1525/jps.2011.xl.2.43.
  7. ^ "CAIRO IS BOMBED BY ISRAEL FLIER; Arab Planes Counter With Air Blows at Jerusalem, Haifa -- Land Fronts Quiet". The New York Times. Retrieved 13 December 2023.
  8. ^ Beinin, Joel. Berkeley: University of California Press, c1998 1998. http://ark.cdlib.org/ark:/13030/ft2290045n/
  9. ^ Golan, Guy. "Putting Nazi Weapons in Jewish Hands | The Public Diplomat". Archived from the original on 3 June 2016. Retrieved 4 June 2016.
  10. ^ Lewis, Samuel, 1992-2009. Machal/Aliya Bet collection (I-501). Box 13, folder 13. Center for Jewish History, 15 West 16th St. NY. NY 10011
  11. ^ "Al Schwimmer, NY-born Father of Israel's Aerospace Industry, Dies at 94", Ha'aretz.
  12. ^ Oren, Amir (6 November 2011). "Al Schwimmer, founder of Israel Aircraft Industries, dies at 94". Haaretz.com. Retrieved 11 April 2019. (confirmed date of death as 10 June 2011).
  13. ^ "Israeli Air Force, particularly its scrappy beginnings, inspires 3 films". Jewish Telegraphic Agency. 12 May 2015. Retrieved 9 November 2015.
  14. ^ "Judges' Rationale for Grant to Recipient". Israel Prize (official site) (in Hebrew). Archived from the original on 25 June 2011.
  15. ^ "Adolph William 'Al' Schwimmer (1917–2011)". 26 March 2018.
  16. ^ "DC Embassy Holds Massive Celebration for Israel's 70th Anniversary & US Embassy Move to Jerusalem". 16 May 2018.
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