Full Breakdown
Yohanan Elishuv, Last Survivor of Israel’s Ink Flag Raising, Dies at 95
By Drooid · · How we work
Core Event
Yohanan Elishuv, the final living participant in the historic raising of the improvised “Ink Flag” at Umm Rashrash (now Eilat) that marked the end of Israel’s 1948 War of Independence, died at age 95 in his Petah Tikva home. Elishuv, a Palmach fighter who served as a runner, driver, and later as a personal driver for Southern Front commander Yigal Allon, was among the first troops to reach the abandoned police station on March 10, 1949, when the flag was hoisted.
Background & Context
The Ink Flag—created from a sheet of cloth on which a clerk painted a Star of David—became one of the most recognizable symbols of Israel’s founding. Its raising concluded Operation Uvda, the final campaign of the 1948 war, and signaled the capture of the Red Sea port that would become Eilat. The event was photographed and later celebrated as a defining moment of the nascent state.
Timeline
- Late 1947 – Elishuv enlists in the Palmach, training under Rafael Eitan.
- April 1948 – Serves as personal runner for Haim Poznanski during the Battle of Nabi Samuel.
- June 1948 – During the first truce, transferred to the southern front under Uzi Narkiss.
- March 10, 1949 – Participates in the Ink Flag raising at Umm Rashrash.
- 1956 – Serves in the Sinai Campaign.
- 1967 – Takes part in the Six-Day War.
- 1973 – Fights in the Yom Kippur War.
- 1982 – Serves in the First Lebanon War.
- 2023 (Monday) – Passes away in Petah Tikva at age 95.
Data & Statistics
- Age at death: 95.
- Children: Three—Ofer (physician at Hadassah), Yoav (staff at Ichilov Hospital), and Merav (lawyer).
- Military service: Active combat in the 1948 war, followed by reserve duty in four subsequent wars (1956, 1967, 1973, 1982).
- Civilian career: Approximately 30 years as a heavy-vehicle driver for Solel Boneh, contributing to road construction in southern Israel, the Dead Sea area, and the Negev crater region; later a purchasing agent in the company’s industrial division.
Official Statements & Responses
Family members recalled Elishuv’s modest upbringing and his lifelong commitment to national service. His sons noted that, despite severe dyslexia and limited formal education, he chose to join the Palmach at age 16 and remained actively engaged in community volunteering, including work with the Israel Diabetes Association.
Verbatim Quotes
- “When my father raised the Ink Flag, he didn’t understand the magnitude of the event,” — Operation Yoav, the capture of Beersheba, Operation Lot, Operation Horev, and finally Operation Uvda — Yoav Elishuv, son
- “People like my father were people with straightforward values,” — Yuval — Yuval Elishuv, son
What’s Next
Elishuv had warned, years earlier, that Israel’s army lacked sufficient soldiers. According to his son Yuval, this warning was expected to be validated after the scheduled October 7 event. The family’s recollection underscores the enduring relevance of his perspective on national security.