Aviezer Yaari
1930–2026Aviezer Yaari was an Israeli major general who held senior IDF command and intelligence positions and later oversaw defense establishment oversight at the State Comptroller’s Office.
Particulars
Aviezer Yaari was born in a kibbutz in 1930 to Anda and Meir Yaari, the longtime leader of the left‑wing Mapam party. He began his military career in the Palmach, the elite strike force of the pre‑state Haganah, and served for 39 years in the Israel Defense Forces. Over his career he held a series of senior command and staff roles, including head of Branch 5 in Military Intelligence, where he warned of the impending 1973 Yom Kippur War days before it began.
After the war, Yaari continued to shape IDF operations, serving as commander of the National Defense College from 1983 to 1986 before retiring in 1987 with the rank of major general. Following his military service, he joined the State Comptroller’s Office, leading defense establishment oversight from 1987 to 2000 and publishing major reports on security matters such as the 1992 Tze’elim training disaster and Israel’s preparedness for chemical weapons.
Yaari remained a respected figure in Israel’s security community until his death at the age of 96 in 2026. He was buried in Kibbutz Merhavia, leaving a legacy as one of the IDF’s most distinguished intelligence officers and a key contributor to Israel’s defense oversight.
Compiled from source reports. Automated record.