Herzi Halevi

Herzl "Herzi" Halevi (Hebrew: הרצל "הרצי" הלוי; born 17 December 1967) is the Chief of the General Staff of the Israel Defense Forces, having taken the oath of office on 16 January 2023.[1]

Herzi Halevi
Halevi in 2023
Birth nameHerzl Halevi
Born (1967-12-17) 17 December 1967
Jerusalem
Allegiance Israel
Service/branch Israel Defense Forces
Years of service1985–present
Rank Rav Aluf (Chief of Staff; highest rank)
UnitParatroopers Brigade
Commands held
Battles/wars
Alma mater
Spouse(s)Sharon
Children4

He previously served as the commander of the Israeli Southern Command,[2] the chief of the Military Intelligence Directorate, the commander of the 91st (Territorial) Division, the commander of the 35th Paratroopers Brigade, and the commander of the Sayeret Matkal. Halevi is the first observant Jew to serve as the head of Israeli military intelligence.[3]

Early life and education

Herzl (Herzi) Halevi was born in Jerusalem. His father Shlomo was the son of Haim Shalom Halevi (Gordin), a member of the Irgun and the "Battalion for the Defence of the Language",[4] and Tzila, the daughter of Rabbi Dov Baar HaCohen Kook and niece of Rabbi Abraham Isaac HaCohen Kook, the chief rabbi of Israel. He was named after his uncle who died in the battle for Jerusalem in the Six-Day War several months before his birth.[5] Halevi's mother's family lived in Jerusalem for 14 generations, while his father's parents immigrated from Russia.[5]

Halevi studied at Himmelfarb religious high school and was a member of the Tzofim religious scouts.

Military career
Halevi enlisting in the army, 1985

Halevi was drafted into the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) in 1985. He volunteered as a paratrooper in the Paratroopers Brigade. He served as a soldier and squad leader.[6] In 1987, he became an infantry officer after completing an officer candidate school and returned to the Paratroopers Brigade as a platoon leader. Halevi led the brigade's anti-tank company in counter-guerrilla operations during the South Lebanon conflict.[7] In 1993, he was assigned to Sayeret Matkal, the IDF's special forces unit, where he served as a company commander. Halevi later commanded the unit during the Second Intifada.[8]

Colonel roles

On 11 September 2005, he was appointed commander of the Menashe Regional Brigade and on 22 August 2007, he was appointed commander of the Paratroopers Brigade and led it during Operation Cast Lead and numerous other operations.[9]

Brigadier general roles

In September 2009, Halevi was promoted to the rank of brigadier general (Tat-Aluf) and appointed commander of the Operational Division in the Military Intelligence Directorate and served in that position until 11 October 2011.[8] On 6 November 2011, he was appointed as the commander of the 91st Division. On December 2012, the division won the "Chief of Staff's award for outstanding units" under his lead.[10] He finished his role there in November 2013 and in 2014 became the commander of the IDF Command and Staff College.[8]

Major general roles
Halevi with Defense Minister Yoav Gallant and U.S. National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan in January 2023

In September 2014, he was promoted to the rank of Major general (Aluf) and appointed as the chief of the Israeli Military Intelligence Directorate and served in that role until march 2018.[8] On 6 June 2018, Halevi became the commander of Israel's Southern Command, overseeing the IDF activity around the Gaza Strip.[11] In November 2019, Halevi commanded IDF's Southern Command forces in the Operation Black Belt, when it fought against the Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ), following the targeted killing of senior PIJ commander Baha Abu al-Ata in Gaza.[12]

Lieutenant general roles

On 11 July 2021, he was appointed the deputy chief of staff.[13][14] Halevi was nominated as the incoming chief of staff by the defense minister, Benny Gantz, on 4 September 2022.[15] The 36th Israeli government confirmed his appointment as the next Chief of Staff on 23 October 2022. He became the 23rd Chief of Staff on 16 January 2023, the role was handed over from Aviv Kohavi.[1]

Awards and decorations

Herzi Halevi was awarded three campaign ribbons for his service during three wars.

Second Lebanon War South Lebanon Security Zone Operation Protective Edge

Personal life

Halevi resides in Kfar HaOranim, an Israeli settlement in the West Bank.[16] He is married to Sharon and has four children. He grew up religious and still attends synagogue on the Sabbath.[5] He holds a bachelor's degree in philosophy and business management[17] from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem and a master's degree in international resource management from National Defense University in Washington, D.C., United States.

References
  1. Fabian, Emanuel (16 January 2023). "Herzi Halevi becomes IDF's 23rd chief of staff in handover ceremony". The Times of Israel. Archived from the original on 16 January 2023. Retrieved 16 January 2023.
  2. Bachner, Michael (7 June 2018). "IDF taps military intel head as new chief of volatile Southern Command". The Times of Israel. Archived from the original on 16 January 2023. Retrieved 7 June 2018.
  3. Goldberg, J.J. (8 October 2014). "A Kippah on the Head of Israel's Intelligence Chief". The Forward. Archived from the original on 4 December 2020. Retrieved 23 July 2015.
  4. Tidhar, David (1957). אנציקלופדיה לחלוצי הישוב ובוניו, כרך ח (in Hebrew). p. 3160.
  5. Rudoren, Jodi (15 November 2013). "To a Philosopher-General in Israel, Peace Is the Time to Prepare for War". The New York Times. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 4 June 2019.
  6. "הניו יורק טיימס מסמן את הרמטכ"ל הבא של ישראל". Haaretz (in Hebrew). Archived from the original on 27 July 2022. Retrieved 17 January 2023.
  7. Finkel, Gal Perl (18 June 2018). "IDF promotes officers who think outside the box, but still follow the line". The Jerusalem Post. Archived from the original on 30 May 2022. Retrieved 15 October 2023.
  8. Lev-Ram, Tal (4 September 2022). "נצר למשפחת קוק ו"מצביא מבצעים" בסיירת מטכ"ל: הרמטכ"ל הבא הרצי הלוי | פרופיל". Maariv. Archived from the original on 17 January 2023. Retrieved 17 January 2023.
  9. Finkel, Gal Perl (7 March 2017). "A new strategy against ISIS". The Jerusalem Post. Archived from the original on 9 April 2019. Retrieved 15 October 2023.
  10. "אתר צה"ל - צבא ההגנה לישראל". Israel Defense Forces. 4 March 2016. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 17 January 2023.
  11. Bachner, Michael (7 June 2018). "IDF taps military intel head as new chief of volatile Southern Command". The Times of Israel. Archived from the original on 16 January 2023. Retrieved 7 June 2018.
  12. Finkel, Gal Perl (26 December 2019). "IDF chief's promo for Israel's next major war". Ynetnews. Archived from the original on 18 May 2023. Retrieved 15 October 2023.
  13. "Maj. Gen. Herzi Halevi takes over as IDF's deputy chief of staff". The Times of Israel. 11 July 2021. Archived from the original on 19 July 2021. Retrieved 19 July 2021.
  14. Shoval, Lilach (12 July 2021). "'We will continue to build up the IDF's power,' Defense Minister Gantz says". Israel Hayom. Archived from the original on 23 July 2021. Retrieved 23 July 2021.
  15. Fabian, Emanuel (4 September 2022). "Herzi Halevi, Kohavi's deputy, named as next IDF chief of staff". The Times of Israel. Archived from the original on 4 September 2022. Retrieved 4 September 2022.
  16. "מלחמות הגנרלים ממודיעין". מודיעין ניוז (in Hebrew). 17 January 2016. Archived from the original on 27 July 2022. Retrieved 27 July 2022.
  17. "הניו יורק טיימס מסמן את הרמטכ"ל הבא של ישראל". הארץ (in Hebrew). Archived from the original on 27 July 2022. Retrieved 27 July 2022.
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