herzl shafir was born in tel aviv in 1929. he is the younger brother of avraham shekhterman, a former member of the knesset for gahal and likud between 1969 and 1977. shafir attended the tachkemoni school at mikveh israel and the maritime school at the technion in haifa. in 1947 shafir enlisted in the palmach and took part in numerous activities with its third battalion, including the assault on metzudat koach.