Aharon Haliva

Haliva, the son of parents born in Meknes, Morocco, was born and raised in Haifa. Haliva was drafted into the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) in 1985. He volunteered as a paratrooper in the Paratroopers Brigade, and in 1985 became an infantry officer after completing Officer Candidate School. Haliva fought as a platoon leader at the 202 paratroop battalion in Operation Law and Order in Lebanon.Gal Perl Finkel, [https://www.jpost.com/Opinion/The-killing-of-Soleimani-and-the-Deal-of-the-Century-617741 Potential for strategic turns], The Jerusalem Post, February 16, 2020. Later on he led the 202nd Paratroopers Battalion in South Lebanon and during the Second Intifada.{{Cite web |last=Finkel |first=Gal Perl |date=2019-02-20 |title=Importance of IDF Ground Forces in new army appointments |url=https://www.jpost.com/opinion/importance-of-idf-ground-forces-in-new-army-appointments-581282 |access-date=2024-05-19 |website=The Jerusalem Post |language=en}} Afterwards he commanded the Paratroopers Brigade's training base and the 55th Paratroopers Brigade. Later on he led the Efraim Territorial Brigade in counter-terror operations and commanded the IDF's Officer Candidate School (Bahad 1). Then he was assigned as the commander of the Paratroopers Brigade.Amos Harel, [http://www.haaretz.com/israel-news/the-soldiers-charge-the-generals-quarrel-1.263184 The Soldiers Charge, the Generals Quarrel], Haaretz, February 11, 2010. On the May 18, 2011 he was promoted to the rank of Brigadier General (Tat Aluf) and was appointed commander of the 98th Paratroopers Division. At the beginning of 2012 he told reserve officers in a closed conversation (referring to the 2011 Israeli social justice protests) "Because you demonstrated in Tel Aviv, the IDF has no money for missiles".{{Cite news |last=Cohen |first=Gili |date=2012-02-13 |title=Israel's social protests undermined military training, says IDF reserve commander |url=https://www.haaretz.com/2012-02-13/ty-article/israels-social-protests-undermined-military-training-says-idf-reserve-commander/0000017f-db90-d3ff-a7ff-fbb084370000 |access-date=2024-05-19 |work=Haaretz |language=en}} In 2014, he was appointed head of the operations divisions in the Operations Directorate, and served in the position during, among other things, Operation Brother's Keeper and Operation Protective Edge.{{Cite news |title=ההיגיון של חמאס גבר על ההיגיון של צה"ל |language=he |work=הארץ |url=https://www.haaretz.co.il/news/politics/2014-08-01/ty-article/.premium/0000017f-db7e-df9c-a17f-ff7e08a90000 |access-date=2023-10-26}} He finished his role in 2016.{{Cite web |last=לימור |first=יואב |title=בלעדי: הצצה נדירה לבור של המטכ"ל |url=https://www.israelhayom.co.il/article/122719 |access-date=2023-10-26 |website=www.israelhayom.co.il}}

On March 28, 2016, he was promoted to the rank of Major General (Aluf), and on July 13, he assumed his position as head of the Technological and Logistics Directorate. In November 2017, he forbade the holding of Torah lessons that took place outside Camp Ariel Sharon, a move that drew protest from hundreds of soldiers who turned to the Chief of Staff, Gadi Eisenkot.{{Cite web |last=ברוך |first=עוזי |title=האלוף הפסיק את שיעור התורה בבסיס |url=https://www.inn.co.il/news/356483 |access-date=2023-10-26 |website=www.inn.co.il}}{{Cite web |date=2017-12-31 |title=ביטחוני - "לחדש שיעורי התורה בעיר הבה"דים" {{!}} רשת 13 |url=http://reshet.tv/item/news/politics/security/newsitem-674953/ |access-date=2023-10-26 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171231104015/http://reshet.tv/item/news/politics/security/newsitem-674953/ |archive-date=December 31, 2017 }} On May 2, 2018, he finished his post. On May 21, 2018, he was appointed head of the Operations Directorate.{{Cite web |title=אלוף אהרון חליוה מונה לראש אגף המבצעים |url=https://www.idf.il/%D7%9B%D7%AA%D7%91%D7%95%D7%AA-%D7%95%D7%A2%D7%93%D7%9B%D7%95%D7%A0%D7%99%D7%9D/2018/%D7%90%D7%9C%D7%95%D7%A3-%D7%90%D7%94%D7%A8%D7%95%D7%9F-%D7%97%D7%9C%D7%99%D7%95%D7%94-%D7%9E%D7%95%D7%A0%D7%94-%D7%9C%D7%A8%D7%90%D7%A9-%D7%90%D7%92%D7%A3-%D7%94%D7%9E%D7%91%D7%A6%D7%A2%D7%99%D7%9D/ |access-date=2023-10-26 |website=www.idf.il}} In January 2021, he appeared before the Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee for a discussion on the theft of weapons from the IDF, after many break-ins into IDF bases and thefts of weapons on a large scale.{{Cite news |date= |title=80 כלי נשק נגנבו מצה"ל ב-2020; גניבת אמצעי לחימה נוספים במגמת עליה |url=https://m.knesset.gov.il/news/pressreleases/pages/press25.01.21h.aspx}} He served in the role during, among other things, in Operation Guardian of the Walls. He finished his position on June 9, 2021.

On October 5, 2021, he was appointed head of the Military Intelligence Directorate.{{Cite web |title=רשימת המינויים החדשים במטה הכללי |url=https://www.idf.il/%D7%9B%D7%AA%D7%91%D7%95%D7%AA-%D7%95%D7%A2%D7%93%D7%9B%D7%95%D7%A0%D7%99%D7%9D/2021/%D7%9E%D7%99%D7%A0%D7%95%D7%99%D7%99%D7%9D-%D7%91%D7%9E%D7%98%D7%94-%D7%94%D7%9B%D7%9C%D7%9C%D7%99/ |access-date=2023-10-26 |website=www.idf.il}}{{Cite web |date=2021-11-18 |title=אלוף אהרון חליוה נכנס לתפקיד ראש אגף המודיעין. צפו בטקס |url=https://www.idf.il/%D7%90%D7%AA%D7%A8%D7%99%D7%9D/%D7%90%D7%92%D7%A3-%D7%94%D7%9E%D7%95%D7%93%D7%99%D7%A2%D7%99%D7%9F/2021/%D7%98%D7%A7%D7%A1-%D7%97%D7%99%D7%9C%D7%95%D7%A4%D7%99-%D7%A8%D7%90%D7%A9-%D7%90%D7%92%D7%A3-%D7%94%D7%9E%D7%95%D7%93%D7%99%D7%A2%D7%99%D7%9F-%D7%90%D7%9E%D7%9F |access-date=2023-10-26 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211118094531/https://www.idf.il/%D7%90%D7%AA%D7%A8%D7%99%D7%9D/%D7%90%D7%92%D7%A3-%D7%94%D7%9E%D7%95%D7%93%D7%99%D7%A2%D7%99%D7%9F/2021/%D7%98%D7%A7%D7%A1-%D7%97%D7%99%D7%9C%D7%95%D7%A4%D7%99-%D7%A8%D7%90%D7%A9-%D7%90%D7%92%D7%A3-%D7%94%D7%9E%D7%95%D7%93%D7%99%D7%A2%D7%99%D7%9F-%D7%90%D7%9E%D7%9F |archive-date=November 18, 2021 }}

In his new position, he claimed that the Abraham Accords stem from the need of the population of the countries in the Middle East to improve their standard of living and deal with the climate crisis. Accordingly, he suggested that Israel focus on raising the standard of living of populations in neighboring countries such as Lebanon in order to bring stability to the region and claimed that a Lebanese gas rig is in Israel's interest.{{Citation |title=שיחה אחד על אחד עם ראש אמ"ן, האלוף אהרן חליוה בכנס המכון למדיניות נגד טרור {{!}} אוניברסיטת רייכמן |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J_ZkWCjbESM |access-date=2023-10-26 |language=en}} Haliva also estimated that Israel has a security interest in stabilizing the Palestinian Authority in order to reduce terrorism and estimated that Operation Guardian of the walls would bring long-term peace in light of the economic stabilization processes he identified in the Gaza Strip.{{Cite news |last=יהושוע |first=יוסי |date=2022-09-14 |title=המסר של המעריך הלאומי על היום אחרי אבו מאזן |language=he |work=Ynet |url=https://www.ynet.co.il/news/article/bkxcu1y11i |access-date=2023-10-26}} Along with raising the standard of living of Israel's neighbors, he suggested focusing on precise, surgical damage to the enemies that need to be damaged, while avoiding damage to those not involved.

The night before the surprise attack on Israel by Hamas, which began on the morning of October 7, 2023, Haliva was updated with information about unusual activity by Hamas, but he estimated that it was an exercise and recommended waiting for the morning before taking action. About 1,400 Israeli soldiers and civilians were killed in the attack.{{Cite news |last=זיתון |first=יואב |date=2023-10-12 |title=צה"ל מאשר לראשונה: "היו סימנים מסוימים בלילה שלפני המלחמה" |language=he |work=Ynet |url=https://www.ynet.co.il/news/article/rybln5e11p |access-date=2023-10-26}}{{Cite news |last=יהושוע |first=יוסי |date=2023-10-12 |title=בלילה שלפני מתקפת הפתע: ראש השב"כ הוקפץ למטה |language=he |work=Ynet |url=https://www.ynet.co.il/news/article/rkznhfh11a |access-date=2023-10-26}}{{Cite news |title=בצמרת הביטחונית התקבל מידע מעורר חשש ערב המתקפה, אך לא ננקטו צעדים |language=he |work=הארץ |url=https://www.haaretz.co.il/news/politics/2023-10-12/ty-article/.highlight/0000018b-2460-d010-a59f-bd6145f90000 |access-date=2023-10-26}}

On October 17, 2023, he issued a letter to his soldiers in which he wrote about the failure to warn of the October 7 attack on Israel: "We failed in our most important mission, and as head of the IDF Intelligence Directorate I bear full responsibility for the failure."{{Cite news |last=זיתון |first=יואב |date=2023-10-17 |title=ראש אמ"ן: "לא עמדנו במשימה, אני נושא באחריות המלאה לכישלון" |language=he |work=Ynet |url=https://www.ynet.co.il/news/article/skitvzhbp |access-date=2023-10-26}} He has referred to the October 7 attack as a "Black Day".{{Cite news |last= |first= |date=22 April 2024 |title=Israeli intelligence chief resigns over October 7 Attack |url=https://www.voaafrica.com/a/israeli-intelligence-chief-resigns-over-october-7-attack/7580635.html |access-date=22 April 2024 |work=VOA |language=en}}

On April 22, 2024, he resigned as head of the IDF Intelligence Directorate.{{Cite web |last=Goldenberg |first=Tia |date=April 22, 2024 |title=Israeli military intelligence chief resigns over his role in failing to prevent Oct. 7 attack |url=https://apnews.com/article/israel-hamas-war-news-04-22-2024-85da1c989f71f8c3bf00d8b45a0ed7f1 |website=Associated Press}} Yair Lapid praised Haliva's decision to resign.{{Cite web |last= |first= |date=April 22, 2024 |title=Major General Aharon Haliva: Israeli intelligence chief quits IDF over 7 October attack |url=https://news.sky.com/story/major-general-aharon-haliva-israeli-intelligence-chief-quits-idf-over-7-october-attack-13120904 |website=Sky News}}

Haliva lives in North Tel Aviv, is married a second time and has five children, including two from his previous marriage. He has a bachelor's degree in social sciences from Bar-Ilan University, and a master's degree in social sciences from Haifa University.

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Category:1967 births

Category:Israeli generals

Category:Living people

Category:Military personnel from Haifa

Category:Bar-Ilan University alumni

Category:University of Haifa alumni

Category:Directors of the Military Intelligence Directorate (Israel)

Category:Israeli military personnel of the Israel–Hamas war

Category:Paratroopers

Category:Israeli people of Moroccan-Jewish descent