Shalom Nagar

Shalom Nagar (Hebrew: שלום נגר; 1936 or 1938 – 26 November 2024) was a Yemeni-born Israeli prison guard best known for executing Nazi war criminal Adolf Eichmann by hanging.

Nagar immigrated to Israel in 1948 and served in the Israel Defense Forces' Paratroopers Brigade. At this time he abandoned his traditional Jewish beliefs and became secular. After leaving the army, Nagar worked for the Israel Border Police and subsequently joined the Israel Prison Service, where he was stationed at Ramla Prison. Here he became one of 22 guards assigned to Eichmann during his trial and imprisonment. He was selected to carry out Eichmann's execution, reportedly through a lottery, though this has been questioned by later commentators. Afterwards he suffered from post-traumatic stress disorder and nightmares. This led him to return to religion. His role as executioner was kept secret for 30 years due to security concerns and was revealed only in 1992.

Later, Nagar worked as a prison guard in Hebron and as a kosher butcher. He helped establish the Kiryat Arba settlement and was present at the Cave of the Patriarchs massacre, at which 29 Palestinians were killed. He left Kiryat Arba soon afterwards. His story was featured in the 2010 documentary The Hangman (התליין) and inspired the novel Eichmann's Executioner.