tion defining Zionism as racism in 1975 and defended the 1976
Yehonathan Operation, the rescue of Israeli hostages in Uganda. He
served as ambassador to the United Nations until 1978. His book The
Arab-Israeli Wars (1982) was widely praised. In 1981 he became a La-
bor party member of Israel’s parliament, the Knesset. Highly respected
by both major political parties, Herzog was elected to two consecutive
five-year terms as Israel’s president in 1983 and 1988.
After the presidency Herzog returned to private life. He devoted
himself primarily to speaking tours, journalistic commentary, board
memberships, and writing his autobiography. Herzog was actively in-
volved in developing the Center for Middle East Studies and Diplo-
macy at Ben-Gurion University in Beer Sheba, which today carries
his name. He died on 17 April 1997. Several educational institutions
in Israel are dedicated to his memory. Yad Chaim Herzog was estab-
lished by his family to perpetuate his memory and legacy.HILLEL, SHLOMO (1923– ).Born in Baghdad, Hillel immigrated
with his family to Palestine in 1933. In 1946 he returned to Baghdad
on an Iraqi passport where he remained for a year to participate in un-
derground Zionist activity on behalf of the Mossad Le’Aliyah Beth.
Back in Israel, in 1949–1950 Hillel engaged in organizing Jewish mi-
gration to that country from Iraq, Lebanon, and Syria. He returned to
Baghdad once more in 1950 to negotiate the mass migration to Israel
of the Jews of Iraq in the historic Ezra and Nehemia Operation. In
1951 Hillel was sent on secret missions to Egypt. After resigning from
the secret service, he became Israeli ambassador to Guinea
(1959–1961) and to the Ivory Coast, Upper Volta, Dahomey, and Niger
(1961–1963); he was a member of Israel’s permanent delegation to the
United Nations (1963–1967), deputy director-general of the Foreign
Ministry for Middle East issues (1967–1969), and chairman of the
world board of Keren Hayesod (1989). During his public career, he
was several times elected a member of the Knesset, serving as Speaker
of the Knesset from 1984 to 1988. He also served as Israel’s minister
of police and the interior.HILMI, ABBAS.In 1964 Captain Hilmi, a pilot in the Egyptian Air
Force dissatisfied with the Nasserist regime, defected to Israel fly-
ing his Soviet-made Yak trainer aircraft. Israel was more interestedHILMI, ABBAS• 11306-102 (03) H-P.qxd 3/24/06 7:24 AM Page 113