Dr. Ephraim ben Eliyahu, older brother of Rabbi Mordechai Eliyahu, dies at 104
Ephraim was exiled to Eritrea because of his part in the struggle as an Etzel fighter against the British Mandate.
After the establishment of Israel, he served for many years in security positions, and his extensive knowledge of the Middle East was used by the IDF in the first years of the state.
In 1964, he accompanied Pope Paul VI during his visit to the State of Israel.
His nephew Rabbi Shmuel Eliyahu, spoke about the tour during which Dr. Ephraim escorted the Pope and described the Christian leader's anger that so many Jewish settlements had been built: "My uncle told him that: 'The great majority were built by Jews who made the Jezreel Valley blossom.' And pointing to various places, he went on to say: 'This is Afula, which has a modern hospital. It is a new city that started from nothing and is now home to tens of thousands of Jewish residents. This is a kibbutz that grows fruit, and this is another kibbutz that specializes in raising cattle. This way, he listed the names of the Jewish settlements that could be seen from the top of Mount Tabor."
"The Pope was shocked, became emotional, and to everyone's surprise, he raised his hands and said to God: 'I see that you have renewed the covenant with your beloved people. You love them as you loved them in ancient times,'" Rabbi Shmuel Eliyahu also said about his uncle: "Reluctantly, the Pope had to admit that G-d loves the people of Israel and wants what is best for them. All this thanks to the fact that he saw the Land of Israel bearing abundant fruit for his sons."