JERUSALEM — Assi Dayan, a celebrated Israeli filmmaker, actor and cultural icon, died in Tel Aviv on Thursday, his family said. He was 68.
The same year that his father, legendary military leader Moshe Dayan, led Israeli forces to swift triumph in the 1967 Six-Day War, Dayan began his career in film.
Dayan played Uri, the embodiment of the new emerging sabra, or Jewish people born in Israel, in the film based on Moshe Shamir’s novel “He Walked Through the Fields.”
Dayan directed 16 films and starred in dozens more.
Many of his works became classics of Israeli film and culture, such as the 1976 cult movie “Givat Halfon Doesn’t Answer,” a spoof on Israeli army reservists in a forsaken post in the Sinai Desert – a far cry from the stoic, heroic image of Uri.
In Israeli terms, the Dayans held near-aristocratic status, with several members of the extended family holding key positions in government and the military over the years.
Besides his sister, Yael Dayan, a former politician and author, Dayan’s survivors include his 97-year-old mother, Ruth Dayan; a brother, Udi (Ehud), a sculptor; and four children. His father died in 1981.
Copy the Story LinkSend questions/comments to the editors.
Success. Please wait for the page to reload. If the page does not reload within 5 seconds, please refresh the page.
Enter your email and password to access comments.
Hi, to comment on stories you must . This profile is in addition to your subscription and website login.
Already have a commenting profile? .
Invalid username/password.
Please check your email to confirm and complete your registration.
Only subscribers are eligible to post comments. Please subscribe or login first for digital access. Here’s why.
Use the form below to reset your password. When you've submitted your account email, we will send an email with a reset code.