Eytan Ben-David (; born in 1963) is a former senior

Israel Security Agency Israel, officially the State of Israel, is a country in West Asia. It Borders of Israel, shares borders with Lebanon to the north, Syria to the north-east, Jordan to the east, Egypt to the south-west, and the Mediterranean Sea to the west. Isr ...

official, currently serving as Acting National Security Advisor and Head of the National Security Council in the Office of the Prime Minister of Israel.

Biography

Ben-David, son of Aliza and the late Azaria Witihovsky, was raised in

Kiryat Ono Kiryat Ono () is a city in the Tel Aviv District of Israel. It is located east of Tel Aviv. In it had a population of . Modern Kiryat Ono is adjacent to the biblical Ono, which was located in what is now the area of Or Yehuda. The city also ...

. He was drafted into the IDF in 1982. He volunteered as a paratrooper in the

Paratroopers Brigade The 35th Paratroopers Brigade (, ''Hativat HaTzanhanim'') is an Israeli military airborne infantry brigade. It is a selective unit, which accepts new recruits following physical tryouts and interviews, and consists of volunteers. It forms a m ...

. He served as a soldier and a

squad leader ''Squad Leader'' is a tactical level board war game originally published by Avalon Hill in 1977. It was designed by John Hill and simulates on infantry combat in Europe during World War II. One of the most complex war games of its time, ''Squ ...

. In 1983, he became an

infantry Infantry, or infantryman are a type of soldier who specialize in ground combat, typically fighting dismounted. Historically the term was used to describe foot soldiers, i.e. those who march and fight on foot. In modern usage, the term broadl ...

officer after completing

Officer Candidate School An officer candidate school (OCS) is a military school which trains civilians and Enlisted rank, enlisted personnel in order for them to gain a Commission (document), commission as Commissioned officer, officers in the armed forces of a country. H ...

and served as a

platoon leader A platoon leader (NATO) or platoon commander (more common in Commonwealth militaries and the US Marine Corps) is the officer in charge of a platoon. This person is usually a junior officer – a second or first lieutenant or an equivalent rank ...

and company commander in the

Bislamach Brigade The Bislamach () is the Israel Defense Forces body responsible for the training of all Infantry Corps squad commanders and platoon sergeants. Established in 1974 under the command of , the school comprises three operative battalions (17th, 90 ...

and fought in the

first Lebanon War The 1982 Lebanon War, also called the Second Israeli invasion of Lebanon, began on 6 June 1982, when Israel invaded southern Lebanon. The invasion followed a series of attacks and counter-attacks between the Palestine Liberation Organization ...

. In 1986, he retired from the IDF and joined the Israel Security Agency (then the General Security Service). Ben-David began his career in the ISA Protection and Security Division and served in a number of command posts, including Regional Security Director for Europe between 2002 and 2005, Deputy Head of

El Al EL AL Israel Airlines Ltd. (), trading as EL AL (, "Upwards", "To the Skies", or "Skywards", stylized as ELAL; ) is the flag carrier of Israel. Since its inaugural flight from Geneva to Tel Aviv in September 1948, the airline has grown to serve ...

's Aviation Security Division (on loan from the ISA) between 2005 and 2006, Head of the Dignitary Protection Unit between 2006–2010 and Deputy Head of the Protection and Security Division. In 2012, he retired from the ISA and was appointed Chief of the Counterterrorism Bureau and Deputy Head of the National Security Council in the Prime Minister's Office, until his appointment as Acting National Security Adviser and Head of the National Security Council in 2017.

Personal life

Ben-David holds a BA in History of the Middle East and Geography from

Tel Aviv University Tel Aviv University (TAU) is a Public university, public research university in Tel Aviv, Israel. With over 30,000 students, it is the largest university in the country. Located in northwest Tel Aviv, the university is the center of teaching and ...

and a MA in Administration and Public Policy from the Herzlia Interdisciplinary Center. He is married to Ella and the father of three.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Ben-David, Eytan 1963 births Living people Israeli Jews Israeli soldiers People of the Shin Bet Tel Aviv University alumni