IDF MG (ret) Yaacov Ayish Joins JINSA as Gemunder Center Distinguished Fellow and Senior Director of Israeli Affairs in Israel

Washington, D.C. – The Jewish Institute for National Security of America (JINSA) today announced that IDF Major General (ret) Yaacov Ayish has joined the organization to serve as a Distinguished Fellow of its Gemunder Center for Defense & Strategy and as Senior Director of Israeli Affairs in Israel. The Gemunder Center performs innovative research and advocacy on vital U.S. defense, strategic and national security issues. JINSA’s Israeli Affairs office in Israel coordinates all of JINSA’s Israeli issues.

Recently, MG Ayish served as the Israeli Defense and Armed Forces Attaché to the U.S and Canada in the U.S.A. Prior to serving as the defense attaché he previously served as head of IDF operations (J3). His efforts were instrumental in helping to improve the policy and educational programs of JINSA.

“I’m thrilled to have MG Ayish join JINSA in such a senior role. He’s a highly respected expert in military matters, the regional security situation, the Israeli security establishment, and the U.S.-Israel security relationship. And he’s a terrific person and an absolute pleasure to work with. His joining JINSA makes the organization even more effective, relevant and impactful in our programs and policy work related to Israel and the U.S.-Israel security relationship.”said Dr. Michael Makovsky, President & CEO of the Jewish Institute for National Security of America.

Major General Yaacov Ayish was born in December 1962 in Kiryat Tiv’on, Israel. In 1981 he was drafted to the Armour Corps, served as a combat fighter, officer and a company commander. In 1990, he was appointed commander of the 82 ‘Gaash’ armour Battalion of ‘Saar Mi-Golan’ 7th Brigade, and was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant Colonel. Between the Years of 1991-1994, Ayish served as a deputy brigade commander and afterwards as an operations officer of the 36 ‘Gaash’ Division in the Northern Command. In 1996, he was promoted to the rank of Colonel and was appointed the commander of a reserve armour brigade and commander of the Armour and Engineering Training Centre at the IDF NTC. In 1999, Ayish was appointed commander of the 7th Brigade, in the Golan Heights – Northern Command. Between the years of 2002-2004, during the Second Intifada, he served as the head of the Operations Department in the Operations Branch at the General Staff.

In 2004, he was promoted to the rank of Brigadier General and served as the commander of the ‘Mapatz’ 319 Division of the Northern Command. From 2005-2008, during the Second Lebanon War, Ayish served as the Ground Forces Command Chief of Staff. In 2008, Ayish served as the head of the ‘Et Ha’asif’, an IDF Defense efficiency program. This program was implemented with McKinsey & Company which is a global management consulting firm.

In October 2010, Ayish was promoted to the rank of Major General and was appointed as the Head of the Operations Branch (J3) in the General Staff. In September 2012, Maj. Gen. Ayish was appointed to the position of the Israeli Defense and Armed Forces Attaché to the U.S and Canada in the U.S.A. until his retirement.

Maj. Gen. Ayish has a B.A. in Political Science from the Haifa University; he is graduated of the Joined Staff and Command course in the British Army. Ayish has a M.A in Business Administration from the Tel-Aviv University.

Maj. Gen. Ayish is married to Dalia, and is the father of a daughter and three sons.