The Missile Boats of Cherbourg and Lieutenant Y Shapir (today a Retired Colonel from the Israeli Navy)
NAJEX is hosting a talk by a senior Israeli Naval Officer who in 1969, participated in a daring and successful naval operation that had great military significance both for Israel and for naval warfare generally.
As a young lieutenant, Ygal Shapir was part of the plan to take delivery of 5 missile boats that had been commissioned by Israel from a French ship builder and paid for in full. However the completed (but unarmed) boats became subject to an arms embargo which President de Gaulle had imposed. They were desperately needed by the Israelis and so the Israeli Navy devised a plan to ensure they were delivered.
Come and hear a senior member of the crew of one of these small warships (and currently the State Executive Director and Jerusalem Emissary of JNF NSW) speak about the operation and its eventual military significance for Israel and naval history.