Herzi Halevi

Herzl "Herzi" Halevi (Hebrew: הרצי (הרצל) הלוי‎) is a major general in the Israel Defense Forces and the current chief of the Israeli Southern Command.[1] Halevi is the first Orthodox Jew to serve as head of Israeli military intelligence.[2]

Herzi Halevi
Herzi Halevi
Born (1967-12-17) December 17, 1967
Jerusalem, Israel
AllegianceIsrael
Service/branchIsrael Defense Forces
Years of service1985–
UnitParatroopers Brigade
Commands held
Battles/wars

Personal life

Halevi was born in Jerusalem in 1967 and was named for an uncle who died in the Six-Day War several months before his birth.[3] Halevi's mother's family lived in Jerusalem for 14 generations, while his father's parents emigrated from Russia.[3]

Halevi has four children.[3]

Military service

Halevi was drafted into the IDF in 1985. He volunteered as a paratrooper in the Paratroopers Brigade. He served as a soldier and a squad leader. In 1987 he became an infantry officer after completing Officer Candidate School and return to the Paratroopers Brigade as a platoon leader. Halevi led the Brigade's Anti-tank company in counter-guerrilla operations in South Lebanon.[4] Afterwards he was assigned to Sayeret Matkal, the IDF's special forces unit, where he served as a company commander. Halevi later commanded Sayeret Matkal, during the Second Intifada. His next command was the Menashe Regional Brigade. During Operation Cast Lead Halevi commanded the 35th Paratroopers Brigade.[5] He later commanded the 91st Division.[3]

In September 2014 he was appointed as the chief of the Israeli Military Intelligence Directorate. Halevi visited the United States for the second time since being named major general in March 2015.[6]

On 6 June 2018, Halevi became the commander of Israel's Southern Command, overseeing IDF activity around the Gaza Strip.[1] In November 2019 Halevi commanded IDF's Southern Command forces in 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.[7]

References
  1. Bachner, Michael (June 7, 2018). "IDF taps military intel head as new chief of volatile Southern Command". The Times of Israel. Retrieved June 7, 2018.
  2. Goldberg, J.J. (8 October 2014). "A Kippah on the Head of Israel's Intelligence Chief". The Forward. Retrieved 23 July 2015.
  3. Rudoren, Jodi (15 November 2013). "To a Philosopher-General in Israel, Peace Is the Time to Prepare for War". The New York Times. Retrieved 4 June 2019.
  4. Gal Perl Finkel, IDF promotes officers who think outside the box, but still follow the line, The Jerusalem Post, June 18, 2018.
  5. Gal Perl Finkel, A NEW STRATEGY AGAINST ISIS, The Jerusalem Post, March 7, 2017.
  6. Israel's intelligence chief visits United States, Ynetnews, August 03, 2015.
  7. Gal Perl Finkel IDF chief's promo for Israel's next major war, YnetNews, December 26, 2019.
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