Orna Barbivai

Orna Barbivai (Hebrew: אוֹרְנָה בַּרְבִּיבַאי; born 5 September 1962) is the former Minister of Economy, a retired major general in the Israel Defense Forces, and the former head of its Manpower Directorate. She was the first woman to be made Major-general (Aluf), the IDF's second highest rank. On 1 January 2019, she announced that she would enter politics and seek a Knesset seat on the list of Yesh Atid,[2][3][4][5] which she won as part of the Blue and White slate. Her place in the Knesset was taken by Yasmin Fridman.

Orna Barbivai
Ministerial roles
2021–2022Minister of Economy
Faction represented in the Knesset
2019–2020Blue and White
2020–2021Yesh Atid
2022–2023Yesh Atid
Personal details
Born (1962-09-05) 5 September 1962
Ramla, Israel
Military service
Allegiance Israel
Branch/service Israel Defense Forces
Years of service1981–2014
Rank Aluf (Major general)
UnitManpower Directorate
Commands

Biography

Growing up in a family of eight children in Afula, Israel, Barbivai is the daughter of Tzila, a Jewish immigrant from Iraq, and Eli Shochetman, a Jewish immigrant from Romania. She was drafted into the IDF in 1981, and has spent her entire career as an officer in the Manpower Directorate.[3] Barbivai holds a bachelor's degree in Social Sciences and Humanities from Ben Gurion University, and a Master of Business Administration Degree from Haifa University. She is also the graduate of the "Turn-point" administration course for senior military officials.[1]

She is married to Moshe Barbivai, and they have three children. They live in Tel Aviv.[6]

Military career

Barbivai was the first female to hold the IDF positions of Chief Adjutant Officer of a Command, Chief Adjutant Officer, Head of the Ground Forces' manpower section, and head of the Individuals' Sector in the Manpower Directorate.[1] In June 2008, she was appointed chief of staff of the Manpower Directorate (AKA).[7]

On 26 May 2011, Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak approved her appointment as head of the IDF's Manpower Directorate, replacing Maj. Gen. Avi Zamir. The promotion of Barbivai, a mother of three, to the rank of Major General was praised by Israeli opposition leader Tzipi Livni, who said that "there is no rank that is too heavy for a woman's shoulders, and there is no doubt that Brig.-Gen. Barbivai was appointed because of her talents".[3] On 23 June, Barbivai received her Maj. Gen. ranks and the command of AKA during an official ceremony at the Chief of Staff headquarters in Camp Rabin.[8] In October 2014, after 33 years of active military service, Barbivai retired from the IDF.[9]

Political career

In January 2019, Barbivai announced her intention to enter politics, and she later joined Yesh Atid, where she announced that she will run for a Knesset seat in the upcoming April 2019 Knesset election.[5] Barbivai was number four on the party's list of candidates.[10] After Yesh Atid formed an alliance with the Israel Resilience Party and Telem, which came to be known as Blue and White, Barbivai was placed on the tenth spot of its list,[11] and was elected to the Knesset as a result. She remained on the tenth spot on the alliance's list in both the September election and the 2020 election, and retained her seat in both instances.[12][13][14]

In March of 2020, Yesh Atid and Telem split from Blue and White, forming their own faction.[15] After the two parties split in January of 2021,[16] Barbivai was given the second spot on Yesh Atid's list ahead of the March election, where Barbivai retained her seat.[17] following the inauguration of the twenty-fourth Knesset, Barbivai was appointed to chair the Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee, becoming the first woman to do so.[18] In June, following the formation of the Thirty-sixth government, Barbivai was sworn in as the Minister of Economy.[12]

On 1 August 2023, Barbivai resigned from the Knesset to run for Mayor of Tel Aviv.

References
  1. "ראש אגף כוח אדם - אלופה אורנה ברביבאי" [Head of Manpower Directorate - Maj. Gen. Orna Barbivai] (in Hebrew). IDF Spokesperson's Unit. 18 May 2011. Retrieved 14 August 2011.
  2. Greenberg, Hanan (26 May 2011). "IDF names first female major general". Ynet.
  3. Katz, Yaakov (26 May 2011). "IDF makes history: First woman to be made major general". The Jerusalem Post.
  4. "Brig. Gen. Orna Barbivay to be first woman major general in IDF" (Press release). Israel Defense Forces. 26 May 2011.
  5. Harkov, Lahav (1 January 2019). "IDF's First Female General Will Join Yesh Atid". The Jerusalem Post.
  6. "אורנה ברביבאי" [Orna Barbivai]. Gov.il (in Hebrew). Retrieved 2 September 2022.
  7. Dabrat, Nurit (6 October 2008). "תא"ל אורנה ברביבאי - ראש מטה אגף משאבי אנוש (אכ"א)" [Ta'al Orna Barbivai - Chief of staff of the Manpower Directorate (AKA)]. Globes. Retrieved 2 September 2022.
  8. Piotrkovsky, Shlomo (23 June 2011). "אורנה ברביבאי הועלתה לדרגת אלוף" [Orna Barbivai raised to Aluf rank]. Arutz Sheva (in Hebrew). Retrieved 14 August 2011.
  9. Zeiton, Yoav (9 September 2014). "מטכ"ל על טהרת הגברים: ברביבאי פרשה" [Matkal on the purity of men: Barbivai has retired]. Ynet (in Hebrew). Retrieved 2 September 2022.
  10. Athali, Amichai (18 February 2019). "לפיד: "האופציה לאיחוד עם גנץ נמצאת על השולחן ולא אוריד אותה עד הרגע האחרון"" [Lapid: "The option for a union with Gantz is on the table and will remain there until the last moment"]. Ynet (in Hebrew). Retrieved 2 September 2022.
  11. Wootliff, Raoul (21 February 2019). "United Gantz-Lapid party to be called 'Blue and White'; no women in top 6". The Times of Israel. Retrieved 21 February 2019.
  12. "חברת הכנסת אורנה ברביבאי" [Member of the Knesset Orna Barbivai]. main.knesset.gov.il. Retrieved 2 September 2022.
  13. "רשימת מועמדים" [List of Candidates]. CEC - 22nd Knesset. Retrieved 2 September 2022.
  14. "רשימת מועמדים" [List of Candidates]. CEC - 23rd Knesset. Retrieved 2 September 2022.
  15. Raoul Wootliff (29 March 2020). "Knesset panel okays breakup of Blue and White; Gantz keeps name". The Times of Israel. Retrieved 29 March 2020.
  16. "Ya'alon splits from Lapid's Yesh Atid, is expected to attempt independent run". The Times of Israel. 9 January 2021. Retrieved 11 January 2021.
  17. "רשימת מועמדים" [List of Candidates]. CEC - 24th Knesset.
  18. Bender, Arik. "היסטוריה: ח"כית בראש ועדת חוץ וביטחון; ומי היחיד שלא הצביע בעד?" [History: Female MK running Defense and Foreign Affairs committee, who's the only one to vote against it?]. Maariv. Retrieved 2 September 2022.

Orna Barbivai on the Knesset website

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