{{Short description|Israeli diplomat and businessman}} {{protection padlock|small=yes}} {{Infobox officeholder | name = David Ivry | native_name = {{Nobold|{{Script/Hebrew|דוד עברי}}}} | native_name_lang = he | image = David Ivry.jpg | caption = Ivry in October 2001 | office = Israeli Ambassador to the United States | term_start = 2000 | term_end = 2002 | predecessor = Zalman Shoval | successor = Daniel Ayalon | order1 = 1st | office1 = National Security Advisor (Israel) | term_start1 = March 1999 | term_end1 = January 2000 | predecessor1 = Inaugural holder | successor1 = Uzi Dayan | constituency = | majority = | office2 = | term_start2 = | term_end2 = | predecessor2 = | successor2 = | constituency2 = | majority2 = | birth_date = {{birth year and age|1934}} | birth_place = Tel Aviv, Mandate Palestine | death_date = | death_place = | party = | relations = | alma_mater = | occupation = | signature = | website = | footnotes = | module = {{Infobox military person | embed = yes | allegiance = {{flag|Israel|name=State of Israel}} | branch = 25px Israel Defense Forces | service_years = 1952–1982 | rank = 40px Aluf (Major General) | commands = Commander of the flight-instruction school at Tel Nof Airbase, Commander of the first Israeli squadron of the French Dassault Mirage, Commander of the Israeli Air Force | battles = Suez Crisis<br />Six-Day War<br />War of Attrition<br />1982 Lebanon War<br />South Lebanon conflict | other_work = Director of the Israeli National Security Council }} }} '''David Elkana Ivry''' ({{langx|he|דוד אלקנה עברי}}; born 1934) is a Major General (retired) in the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF). As commander of the Israeli Air Force (IAF) he played a key role in Operation Opera, the destruction of the Iraqi nuclear reactor located {{convert|990|mi|km}} from Israel, in 1981.<ref name="HZ">{{Cite news |title='Israel's Existential Threat Is From Within': David Ivry, a Pillar of Israeli Defense for Decades, Tells All |url=https://www.haaretz.com/israel-news/2024-02-23/ty-article-magazine/.highlight/israels-existential-threat-is-from-within-a-pillar-of-israeli-defense-tells-all/0000018d-d14b-d74b-addf-d77bd0250000 |access-date=2024-03-06 |work=Haaretz |language=en}}</ref> In 1999, Ivry was appointed first director of the Israeli National Security Council. From 2003 to 2021, he served as the Vice President of Boeing International and president of Boeing Israel.<ref name="auto">{{Cite web|url=http://www.boeing.com/company/key-orgs/boeing-international/david-ivry.page|title=Boeing: David Ivry|website=www.boeing.com}}</ref> Ivry was the Israeli Ambassador to the United States from 2000 to 2002.
==Early life== David Ivry was born in Tel Aviv to Abraham and Shoshana Kruiz, immigrants from Czechoslovakia. He grew up in Gedera.<ref name="HZ"/><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2000/09/18/us/public-lives-another-dangerous-mission-for-a-veteran-israeli-warrior.html|title=PUBLIC LIVES; Another Dangerous Mission for a Veteran Israeli Warrior|first=Philip|last=Shenon|date=2000-09-18|newspaper=The New York Times|access-date=2025-08-15}}</ref> In 1952 he was recruited to the Israeli Air Force to flight course No. 14, where he served as a pilot of a P-51 Mustang. Following the Czech-Egyptian arms deal, he decided to continue his service in the IAF.<ref name="JVL">{{Cite web|url=https://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/david-ivry|title=David Ivry|website=www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org}}</ref>
==Airforce career== In 1956 he was sent to a special flight-instructors course in the UK, and became an instructor in the IAF's academy in Tel Nof Airbase. During the Sinai Campaign he served as an Ouragan pilot. In 1957 he was appointed as deputy commander of the 113th squadron. In 1959 he ejected from his Dassault Super Mystère during an engagement with an Egyptian Mig-17.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.ejection-history.org.uk/Aircraft_by_Type/ISRAEL/Super%20Mystere%20B2.htm |title=Chronological Listing of Israel |access-date=2009-08-29 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091216164725/http://www.ejection-history.org.uk/Aircraft_by_Type/ISRAEL/Super%20Mystere%20B2.htm |archive-date=2009-12-16 |url-status=dead }}</ref>
In 1960 he was appointed commander of the basic squadron at the IAF academy, and in 1961 he was a member of the IAF delegation to France to onboard the IAF's Mirage III fighters. In 1962, he became the deputy commander of the first Israeli squadron of the French Dassault Mirage. In 1963 he was appointed as commander of the 109th Mystere squadron, and in 1964 he became commander of the 117th squadron, the first jet squadron in the IAF. In 1966 he became commander of the IAF academy and its first commander after the move from Tel Nof base to Hazerim base.
In the Six-Day War, Ivry served as a Mirage pilot and the commander of the Mystère squadron. In October 1968 he became head of the Air Division 3 and in 1969 was promoted to colonel. In 1970 he became commander of the Tel Nof base. In 1977 he was promoted to major general and from October 1977 to December 1982, he served as the ninth commander of the IAF. While he was in command, the IAI bases were moved from Sinai to the Negev, the air force took part in Operation Litani and Operation Opera. He was in command of Operation Mole Cricket 19 in the early stages of the 1982 Lebanon War.<ref name="grant">{{cite magazine|url=https://www.airandspaceforces.com/PDF/MagazineArchive/Documents/2002/June%202002/0602bekaa.pdf|title=The Bekaa Valley War|last=Grant|first=Rebecca|date=June 2002|magazine=Air & Space Forces Magazine|volume=85|issue=6|access-date=18 October 2008|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20251124112920/https://www.airandspaceforces.com/PDF/MagazineArchive/Documents/2002/June%202002/0602bekaa.pdf|archive-date=24 November 2025|url-status=live}}</ref>
==Public service and diplomatic career== In 1982 he left the service and became Chairman of the Israeli Aerospace Industry (IAI) for a short period. In 1983 he returned to service and become deputy Head of the General Staff and Head of the IDFs Operations Division. in 1985 he was appointed again as Chairman of the IAI and during 1986-1996 was the Director General of the Ministry of Defense. He served as head of the Israeli National Security Counsel between March 1999 - January 2000.
In 2002-2002, Ivry was Israel's ambassador to the United States.
On September 2, 2003, Boeing named Ivry as vice president of Boeing International and president of Boeing Israel. He represented the company’s business interests and coordinated company-wide business activities in Israel.<ref name="auto"/> He retired in 2021 and was succeeded by Ido Nehoshtan, who also served as the commander of the Israeli Air Force (2008-2012).<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.jpost.com/israel-news/boeing-israel-appoints-former-iaf-commander-ido-nehushtan-as-president-680613|title=Boeing Israel appoints former IAF commander Ido Nehushtan as president|newspaper=The Jerusalem Post|first=Aaron|last=Ahronheim|date=2021-09-29|access-date=2022-11-02}}</ref>
==Personal life== Ivry resides in Ramat Hasharon. He is married to Ofra, with whom he has 3 children.<ref name="HZ"/> His son, Gil Ivry, was an F-16 pilot who died in a training accident in 1987. In 2008 he was awarded honorary member of his home town, Ramat Hasharon.<ref>{{Cite web|title=יקירי רמת השרון לדורותיהם|url=https://ramat-hasharon.muni.il/יקירי-רמת-השרון-לדורותיהם/|access-date=2021-10-18|website=אתר עיריית רמת השרון|language=he-IL}}</ref>
==Awards and honors== ===Domestic=== {| style="margin:1em auto; text-align:center;"
|100px |100px |105px |105px |105px |105px |} {| class="wikitable" style="margin:1em auto; text-align:center;" |- |Brigade Commander citation |Sinai War |Six-Day War |War of Attrition |Yom Kippur War |First Lebanon War |} *Honorary doctorate from Technion (1996)<ref>{{cite web|url=https://ver2019.presidentsreport.technion.ac.il/honorary-doctors/|title=Honorary Doctors|newspaper=President's Report 2019|access-date=2025-08-15}}</ref> *Honorary doctorate from Bar-Ilan University<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.runi.ac.il/media/qv0dngej/speakerse2008.pdf|title=Herzliya Conference Speakers and Members of Board|newspaper=IDC Herzliya|access-date=2025-08-15}}</ref> *Amitai Distinction Award<ref name="JVL"/> *{{ill|Begin Prize|he|פרס בגין}} (2022)<ref>{{cite web|url=https://gederahayom.co.il/%D7%A4%D7%A8%D7%A1-%D7%91%D7%92%D7%99%D7%9F-%D7%9C%D7%A2%D7%91%D7%A8%D7%99/|title=דוד עברי, מפקד חיל האויר ומנכ”ל משרד הביטחון לשעבר, קיבל את פרס בגין|date=2022-12-22|newspaper=gederahayom.co.il|access-date=2025-08-15}}</ref>
===Foreign=== *{{flag|Singapore}}: **70px Recipient of the Darjah Utama Bakti Cemerlang (Tentera) (1999)<ref>{{cite web|url=https://eresources.nlb.gov.sg/newspapers/digitised/page/straitstimes19990318-1.1.36|title=The Straits Times, 18 March 1999, Page 36|newspaper=National Library of Singapore (Newspaper SG)|access-date=2025-08-15}}</ref> *{{flag|United States}}: **70px Commander of the Legion of Merit (1981)<ref>{{cite book|title=בטאון חיל האויר - Volumes 124-127|date=1981|page=4}}</ref>
==References== {{Reflist}}
{{Commons}}
{{Israeli ambassadors to the United States}} {{IAF Commanders}} {{Deputy Chiefs of Staff of the Israel Defense Forces}} {{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Ivry, David}} Category:1934 births Category:Living people Category:Israeli Jews Category:Israeli Air Force generals Category:Israeli aviators Category:Six-Day War pilots Category:Israeli people of the Yom Kippur War Category:Jews from Mandatory Palestine Category:Israeli people of Czechoslovak-Jewish descent Category:Ambassadors of Israel to the United States Category:Diplomats from Tel Aviv Category:Businesspeople from Tel Aviv Category:Commanders of the Legion of Merit Category:Recipients of the Darjah Utama Bakti Cemerlang (Tentera) Category:Boeing people Category:People from Ramat HaSharon