| David Zini | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Native name | דוד זיני |
| Born | (1974-01-09) 9 January 1974 (age 50) Jerusalem, Israel |
| Allegiance | Israel Defence Forces |
| Years of service | 1992–Onwards |
| Rank | Major General (aluf) |
| Battles / wars | |
David Zini (Hebrew: דוד זיני; born 9 January 1974) is an Israel Defense Forces major general, currently serving as head of Training Command and the commander of the General Staff Corps. Previously, he held positions such as the commander of Malach, the commander of the Company and Battalion Commanders Course, the commander of the Idan Formation, the founder and commander of the Oz Brigade, the commander of the Fire Training Center at Malach, the commander of the Alexandroni Brigade, and the commander of the Egoz Unit.
Biography
Zini was born in Jerusalem and raised in Ashdod. He is the son of Rabbi Yosef and Pnina Zini, with his father later becoming the rabbi of District D in Ashdod. He is the eldest of ten children. His uncle is Rabbi Dr. Eliahu Rahamim Zini and his grandfather is Rabbi Meir Zini. In his youth, he studied at Morasha Talmud Torah, Hispin Yeshiva High School, Shavei Hebron Yeshiva, and the Keshet Yehuda Pre-Military Academy.
He enlisted in the IDF in 1992 and volunteered for the Sayeret Matkal unit. After basic training with the Paratroopers Brigade, he completed the unit's training program as a combat soldier. After finishing the course, he served for a year in an operational company within the unit. After completing the Infantry Officers Course, he transferred to the Golani Brigade, where he was assigned as a platoon commander in the 12th Battalion. Later, he became the commander of the 3rd spearhead company in the 12th Battalion, leading it during the fighting in southern Lebanon. He then commanded Company A in the Egoz Unit. During Operation Defensive Shield, he was on a study break. He interrupted his studies and returned to the brigade until the end of the operation. Later, he became the deputy commander of the 51st Battalion. Afterward, he was the commander of the advanced training cycle at the Golani Training Base. During the Second Lebanon War, he served as the commander of the Golani Brigade's operational command post.
In 2006, he was promoted to the rank of lieutenant colonel and appointed commander of the 51st Battalion, a position he held until 2008. In March 2007, he dealt with a mutiny of battalion soldiers after he stopped negative norms related to the differences between veterans and new recruits. In July 2007, under his command, the battalion launched operations in Gaza that continued until February 2008. During this period, he led the battalion in the fighting in the Gaza Strip from the Disengagement to Operation Cast Lead, involving dozens of operations in which numerous militants were killed, weapon caches were discovered, and terror infrastructures were destroyed. For its prolonged and determined combat efforts, the battalion received a unit citation on April 27, 2008, from the commander of the Southern Command, Yoav Galant. In 2008, he was appointed commander of the Egoz Unit, leading it during Operation Cast Lead. In 2010, he completed his role and went for further studies.
In 2011, he was promoted to the rank of colonel and appointed commander of the Alexandroni Brigade, and a division head in the Company and Battalion Commanders Course. In 2013, he simultaneously served as the commander of the Fire Training Center at Malach. During Operation Protective Edge, following the injury of the Golani Brigade commander, Rasan Alian, Zini was temporarily appointed as his replacement, leading the brigade during the continued Battle of Shuja'iyya in eastern Gaza. He completed these roles in 2014. He then served as the operations officer of the Central Command from 2014 to 2015. On July 6, 2015, he was tasked with establishing the Oz Brigade, and assumed his role as its first commander on December 27. He completed his tenure on August 17, 2017. He then attended the National Defense College (class 45, 2017–2018).
On January 29, 2018, he was promoted to the rank of brigadier general, and on January 31, he assumed command of the Idan Formation. While simultaneously serving as the commander of the Company and Battalion Commanders Course from 2019 to 2020. He served as the commander of the Idan Formation until September 10, 2020. On June 24, 2020, he was appointed commander of Malach, and he held the position until October 27, 2022.
On June 1, 2023, he was promoted to the rank of Aluf, and on July 5, he assumed his roles as the commander of the Training and Doctrine Command and the commander of the General Staff Corps. On October 7, 2023, immediately upon learning of the surprise attack on Israel, he rushed from his home in the Golan Heights to the south, fighting alongside forces on the ground and neutralizing terrorist cells that had infiltrated from the Gaza Strip into the area near Kibbutz Mefalsim, participating in the Battle of Mefalsim. During Operation Iron Swords, it was revealed that in May 2023, he authored a classified document following a comprehensive, multi-system review he conducted on IDF activities along the fence with the Gaza Strip in response to various scenarios. At the request of Gaza Division Commander Brigadier General Avi Rosenfeld, Zini outlined extreme scenarios, including the infiltration of terrorists under complete intelligence surprise, and recommended the necessary responses, concluding with remarks about the "concept" formed around the fence.
Following the departure of Major General Avi Gil from the role of military secretary to the prime minister, Zini's name was raised as a candidate, and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu even interviewed him for the possibility. Amid the possibility of new draft legislation during Operation Iron Swords, Zini was involved in the initiative to establish a new Haredi brigade, enabling ultra-Orthodox integration into the IDF while maintaining their values and subject to the rulings of the Haredi leadership. To this end, he met with Rabbi David Leibel in Bnei Brak, and upon leaving the meeting, his vehicle was attacked by extremists.
Personal life
Zini resides in the moshav Keshet in the Golan Heights. He is married to Naomi and is the father of eleven children. He holds a bachelor's degree in Education and a master's degree in National Security and Public Administration from the National Defense College.
References
- "Gallant approves new appointments for IDF General Staff". The Jerusalem Post | JPost.com. 2023-05-03. Retrieved 2023-10-09.
- Maia Polak, "Daring and Tough: Meet the Commander of the New Commando Brigade," nrg, September 13, 2015.
- Avihai Becker, "Eisen Patton," Haaretz, September 10, 1999, as archived on Fresh [he].
- Avihai Becker, "My Golani, Their Golani," Haaretz, October 8, 1998, as archived on Fresh [he].
- Amos Harel, "During the Operation Command Post in Ramallah, the Soldiers Listened to Reports from the North," Haaretz, March 12, 2002.
- Asael Lubotzky, "From the Desert and the Lebanon," Yedioth Books, 2008.
- Amos Harel, "A Golani Soldier Fell Asleep During an Operation in Gaza, the Force Returned to Israel Without Him," Haaretz, July 30, 2007.
- Maia Polak, "Daring and Tough: Meet the Commander of the New Commando Brigade," nrg, September 13, 2015.
- Yossi Yehoshua, "The Former Battalion Commanders Who Fought in Gaza," Yedioth Ahronoth, March 3, 2008.
- Unit Citation - 51st Battalion (First Breakthrough) from Golani, Courage Website.
- Kipa [he] 10 Things You Didn't Know About the New Religious Major General: Studied in a Talmud Torah and Is a Father of 11 Children," May 3, 2023.
- Amir Bohbot, "Who Will Be Appointed as the Commander of Golani? Struggles at the Top and a Druze Candidate," Walla!, October 21, 2013.
- Yoav Zitun, Elior Levy, and Noam Dvir, "The General Staff Salutes Sharon: 'A Brave Warrior and Leader,'" Ynet, January 13, 2014.
- Shay Levi, "One Command – A Thousand Men Spring into Action," mako, January 24, 2013.
- Yossi Yehoshua, "During the Battle, the Daring Officer Was Appointed as the Acting Golani Commander," Ynet, July 20, 2014.
- Amir Bohbot, "Heavy Bombing in Shuja'iyya: 100 Targets, One-Ton Bombs," Walla!, July 23, 2014.
- IDF Spokesperson, "Chief of Staff Orders the Establishment of a Commando Brigade," July 6, 2015.
- Amir Bohbot, "Appointments in the IDF: The Military Secretary to the Government Will Be Appointed Commander of the Gaza Division," Walla!, July 3, 2017.
- Yoni Kampinski, "Round of Appointments for Brigadier General Positions in the IDF," Arutz7, July 3, 2017.
- "Brigadier General Avi Rosenfeld Assumes Command of the Idan Formation," IDF Website, September 10, 2020.
- Ido Ben Porat, "David Zini and Nimrod Aloni Promoted to Major General. Gallant: 'There Is Someone to Rely On and Someone to Be Proud Of,'" Arutz7, June 1, 2023.
- "Major General David Zini Assumes His Role as Commander of the Training and Doctrine Command and the General Staff Corps," IDF Website, July 7, 2023.
- Yoav Zitun, Eitan Glickman, "Veteran Officers Stormed Terrorists During the Massacre in the South – and Neutralized Them," Ynet, October 8, 2023.
- Amir Bohbot, "The Major General Who Highlighted the Weak Points on the Gaza Border as Early as May: 'A Painful Document That Turns the Stomach,'" Walla!, January 15, 2024.
- "Looking for a Military Secretary: Netanyahu Interviewed Barak Hiram and David Zini," Arutz7, March 24, 2024.
- Itzik Brandwein, "The New Haredi Brigade in the IDF: The Directive to Be Given to Commanders from Religious Zionism," Arutz7, July 12, 2024.
- Hillel Bitton Rosen, Elhanan Mazuz, "The Dramatic Meeting Between Major General Zini and Representatives of the Haredi Sector in Bnei Brak," Channel 14, July 10, 2024.
- Kipa, "10 Things You Didn't Know About the New Religious Major General: Studied in a Talmud Torah and Is a Father of 11 Children," May 3, 2023.