The Negev Brigade (Hebrew: חטיבת הנגב, Hativat HaNegev), originally the 12th Brigade is an Israeli reserve infantry brigade under the Sinai Division, that originally served in the 1948 Arab-Israeli war.
History
Founding and organization
Yitzak Rabin in the background, with Nachum Sarig on the rightThe Negev Brigade parading prior to Operation Horev
The brigade was founded in March 1948 with two battalions, the 2nd and 8th. The 7th Battalion was created in April, with the 9th Battalion being the last of the four.[1]Yisrael Galili, the Haganah Chief of Staff, and Yigal Allon, the Palmach commander, chose Nachum Sarig to command the brigade in December 1947. The residents of the Negev and David Ben-Gurion appointed Shaul Avigur instead, without Sarig's knowledge. After Avigur toured the Negev, he told Ben-Gurion that he would not be able to command the brigade, citing deteriorating health, and praised Sarig.[2]
It was commanded by Nahum "Sergei" Sarig, which is why it was also called Sergei Brigade. It consisted of four Palmach battalions. The Negev Brigade participated in many operations in the Negev Desert, including Operation Yoav in the latter part of the war. Sarig decided to divide the Negev into two sectors, divided by the Beersheba–Gaza road, later Highway 25. Yigal Allon then named Haim Bar-Lev as the commander of the southern sector—the 8th Battalion.[2]
The Palmach memorial website records the names of 312 of its members who died while in the Negev Brigade.[3]
