Al Schwimmer, founder of Israel Aircraft Industries, dies at 94
Schwimmer, an American citizen born in New York, was convicted in 1950 of violating the Neutrality Act for smuggling planes to Israel during the 1948 War of Independence.
By Amir Oren and Haaretz Service Tags: Israel USAdolph William ("Al") Schwimmer, founder of Israel Aircraft Industries and winner of the Israel Prize died on Friday at Tel Hashomer hospital on his 94th birthday.
He is survived by his wife, Rena, a son, Danny, his daughter, Daphna and grandchildren. His funeral will be held on Monday.
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Al Schwimmer |
| Photo by: Reli Avrahami |
Schwimmer, an American citizen born in New York, was convicted in 1950 of violating the Neutrality Act for smuggling planes to Israel during the 1948 War of Independence. He was stripped of his civil rights, but not imprisoned.
The American Jew was able to covertly bring the aircrafts to Israel by establishing false companies, one of which was purportedly the official airline of Panama. Schwimmer was in the Air Transport Command in World War II, providing him with many contacts that were pilots and in the airplane industry. He was able to use his contacts to transport the planes to Israel.
Schwimmer was pardoned in 2001 by then outgoing U.S. President Bill Clinton. The pardon was awarded without any formal request from Schwimmer.
In an interview with the Jerusalem Report in 2001, Schwimmer said he never applied for a pardon, calling it is a "complicated process". The expatriate added that "you have to express regret for what you did, and I didn't feel that way."
However, the eldest son of Hank Greenspun, a close friend of Schwimmer's who worked with him when he was smuggling arms into Israel during the Independence War, is an attorney and a friend of Clinton.
The younger Greenspun sent all the paperwork to the Justice Department and told Schwimmer, "I'm not asking you. I'm telling you, I sent in your application for a pardon."
After the establishment of the State of Israel in 1948, Schwimmer joined the nascent Israel Air Force, after which he established an aircraft company that evolved to become the Israel Aircraft Industries during the 50's. Schwimmer ran the aircraft company for over 20 years, during which he became close with current President Shimon Peres.
After disagreements with former Defense Ministers Moshe Dayan and Ezer Weizman, Schwimmer left Israel Aircradt Industries, becoming a "special adviser" for the Israeli government for which he was paid a symbolic one shekel a year.
Schwimmer was awarded the Israel Prize for his contributions to Israeli society in 2006.
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This man along with others less famous did what they knew was right ....In those days things were different ...I admire this man and see G-d blessed him with a long happy life for performing such mitzfahs
A monument should be constructed to honor this man.
for some he will always be remembered as the founder of IAI for others he was just another illegal arms trader. One mans freedom fighter is another man's terrorist.
he won't be missed by many.
Was a Great Man & true patriot. People yet unborn will sing his praise, They will be filled with emotion,knowing how one man was able to achieve so much. His inspiration will will show ambitious men & women to blaze new paths for Israel's achievements.
The way Israelis always call traitors and criminals "great men". Doesn't say much for Israelis when you look at those they admire.
A close friend of Al Schwimmer and the Jewish people, Charlie Winters, spent 18 months in prison and was fined $5,000 in 1948 for his part in the operation. At the request of his son, James, Charles Winters, was posthumously pardoned by President Bush in 2008, the second ever in US history.
Without Al Schwimmer, Israel would have lost the 1948 war. He was a great man, a true patriot,and had a mission to make a permanent place for the Jewish nation
Sleep well
Israel has a funny way of always honoring THIEVES ! TATA
"Israel has a funny way of honouring...." Like e.g., those White Settlers who stole an entire continent from the Red Indians,or The White man that stole another Continent Australia from the Aborigines.Or the entire South America & Canada ? In comparison ISRAEL has returned to it's ancient Land. But even if we were to compare with the above robbers of whole continents,Israel would be considered "small fry"
Israelis condemn Iran and Syria for arming Hizbollah and Hamas. This is the flip side of that coin.
You can hate Israel but there is no equivalency between a war for freedom and independence and terror for domination and genocide.
No one is threatening to wipe Iran and/or Syria off the map and throw their people into the sea. That is how it has been for Israel since 1948 and until today.
Like saying England and Germany in WW2 were flip side of same coin because both used bombs. You just do not get it...
If you draw this connection, does this mean you also view Hamas and Hezbollah as smugglers, warmongers and profiteers? Probably not. Regardless, you can't compare trying to arm a new Israel to fend off multiple Islamic states bent on genocide, with arming two terrorist organizations bent on terrorizing, shelling and killing as many jews as possible. He's a hero, you know it, but you're too prideful to admit. It's quite childish to attempt to demonize the other side.
Yes, Al Schwimmer was a 'smuggler' and proud of it. He was no warmonger, and any profits he earned in his later life were honest reward. Al Schwimmer was a TWA flight engineer who put his freedom, and eventually life, on the line to help Israel avoid extermination in the War of Independence. He gave up a good job for a lot of thankless effort overseeing the acquisition and modification of military transport aircraft. He then worked hard for virtually nothing to unlawfully export those aircraft from the USA to Israel. He and the others involved in Service Airways paid in many ways for their efforts. Most had seen service in WW II and were not eager to see more war. The war which they ended up being a part of, perhaps a decisive part, was ongoing for a decade when they were drawn in to save Jews in Palestine from extermination at the hands of Arabs in a civil war which few Palestinian Jews sought. (Don't whine about the Irgun and Lehi terrorists, I know all about that small minority.) Al Schwimmer was a noble man, not a monster.
Al Schwimmer smuggled weapons which were used to kill innocent peope. From where you set, this may make him noble, but you will surely forgive the victims of those weapons if they do not agree with you.
Yeah, invading Arab armies were "innocent peoples".
and the defended many more than they killed. By your reasoning the people sell arms to the US milityar are monsters because those arms sometimes kill innocent people.
and the defended many more than they killed. By your reasoning the people sell arms to the US milityar are monsters because those arms sometimes kill innocent people.
Thank you Al, you are A True Gift From God
There is a lot not in this brief article. Mr, Schwimmer working with Ivin Shindler, arranged the purchase and modification to commercial standards 3 C-69 Constellations and 10 C-46 cargo aircraft though Service Airways. Moved through the a Panamanian front LAPSA airlines the aircraft carried Israel's first fighters from Czechoslovakia to Israel. The air bridge they flew was essential in Israel's survival. Mr. Schwimmer was also involved in flying Israel's first bombers, 3 B-17s across the atlantic and to Zatec Czechoslovakia thence to Israel. Mr. Schwimmer was instrumental in giving Israel wings and recruiting many of the men who flew for Israel in the War of independence and later El Al.
His memory will be for a blessing.