Quick Facts
Biography
Aluf Yair Golan (Hebrew: יאיר גולן) is a major general in the Israel Defense Forces and the former Deputy Chief of the General Staff of the Israel Defense Forces. He was succeeded by Aviv Kochavi as Deputy Chief of General Staff in November 2016.
Timeline of career
- 1980: enlisted in the Paratroopers Brigade (IDF)
- 1980s-90s: Commander of 'Orev' Company, Deputy Battalion Commander, Operations Branch Officer, and Commander of the 890 "Efe" (Echis) Paratroop Battalion
- 1993: Battalion Commander in IDF Officers' School
- 1994: Judea and Samaria Division's Operations Branch Officer
- 1996–1997: Commander of Eastern Division of Lebanon Liaison Unit
- 1998–2000: Head of Operations Directorate
- 2000–2002: Commander of Nahal Infantry Brigade
- 2003–2007: Commander of Judea and Samaria Division
- 2008–2011: Commander of Home Front Command
- July 2011–November 2014: Commander of Israeli Northern Command
- December 2014-May 2017: Deputy Chief of General Staff
Holocaust Day Speech
Golan made a speech on Holocaust Day in 2016 in which some say he draw a parallel between Germany in the 1930s and current day Israel, by saying "If there is one thing that is scary in remembering the Holocaust, it is noticing horrific processes which developed in Europe – particularly in Germany – 70, 80, and 90 years ago, and finding remnants of that here (in Israel) among us in the year 2016." He recognized that sometimes Israeli soldiers were harsh in dealing with Palestinians, and he highlighted the example of Sergeant Elor Azaria being tried over a Hebron shooting incident as evidence that the IDF investigates itself and has high moral standards. His comments drew significant criticism on social media, with Twitter users accusing Golan of "forgetting the lessons of the Holocaust." Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called the comments "outrageous" and said they "do injustice to Israeli society and create contempt for the Holocaust." Culture Minister Miri Regev called for his resignation, while opposition leader Isaac Herzog praised Golan for exhibiting "morality and responsibility." Later Golan retracted and said that he did not intend to compare Israel to Nazi Germany, releasing a statement in which he said "It is an absurd and baseless comparison and I had no intention whatsoever to draw any sort of parallel or to criticise the national leadership. The IDF is a moral army that respects the rules of engagement and protects human dignity."