Orna Barbivai

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Orna Barbivai
Orna Barbivai.jpg
Ministerial roles
2021–Minister of Economy
Faction represented in the Knesset
2019–2020Blue and White
2020–2021Yesh Atid
Personal details
Born (1962-09-05) 5 September 1962 (age 59)
Ramla, Israel
Military service
Allegiance Israel
Branch/serviceFlag of the Israel Defense Forces.svg Israel Defense Forces
Years of service1981–2014
RankIDF aluf rotated.svg Aluf (Major general)
UnitManpower Directorate
Commands
  • Beersheba recruitment office (1995–1997)
  • Adjutant Officer in a reserve division (1997–1999)
  • Head of staff of the Ground Forces manpower section (2000–2003)
  • Adjutant Officer of the Central Command (2003–2005)
  • Chief Officer of the Adjutant Corps (2005–2006)
  • Head of the Ground Forces' manpower section (2006–2008)
  • Human Resources Directorate Administrator and Individuals' Sector head in the Manpower Directorate (2008–2011)
  • Head of the Manpower Directorate (2011–2014)[1]

Orna Barbivai (Hebrew: אוֹרְנָה בַּרְבִּיבַאי‎; born 5 September 1962) is the current Minister of Economy, a retired Major General in the Israel Defense Forces, and the former head of its Manpower Directorate. She was the first woman to be made Major-general (Aluf), the IDF's second highest rank. On 1 January 2019, she announced that she would enter politics and seek a Knesset seat on the list of Yesh Atid,[2][3][4][5] which she won as part of the Blue and White slate. Her place in the Knesset was taken by Yasmin Fridman.

Biography[]

Growing up in a family of eight children in Afula, Israel, Barbivai is the daughter of Tzila, a Jewish immigrant from Iraq, and Eli Shochetman, a Jewish immigrant from Romania. She was drafted into the IDF in 1981, and has spent her entire career as an officer in the Manpower Directorate.[3] Barbivai holds a bachelor's degree in Social Sciences and Humanities from Ben Gurion University, and a Master of Business Administration Degree from Haifa University. She is also the graduate of the "Turn-point" administration course for senior military officials.[1]

She is married to Moshe Barbivai, and they have three children. They live in Tel Aviv.

Military career[]

Barbivai was the first female to hold the IDF positions of Chief Adjutant Officer of a Command, Chief Adjutant Officer, Head of the Ground Forces' manpower section, and head of the Individuals' Sector in the Manpower Directorate.[1]

On 26 May 2011, Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak approved her appointment as head of the IDF's Manpower Directorate, replacing Maj. Gen. Avi Zamir. The promotion of Barbivai, a mother of three, to the rank of Major General was praised by Israeli opposition leader Tzipi Livni, who said that "there is no rank that is too heavy for a woman's shoulders, and there is no doubt that Brig.-Gen. Barbivai was appointed because of her talents".[3]

On 23 June 2011, Barbivai received her Maj. Gen. ranks and the Manpower Directorate (AKA) command during an official ceremony at the Chief of Staff headquarters in Camp Rabin.[6] In October 2014, after 33 years of active military service, Barbivai retired from the IDF.

Political career[]

In January 2019, the general announced her intention to enter politics, and she later joined Yesh Atid, where she announced that she will run for a Knesset seat in the upcoming April 2019 Knesset election.[5] She is number ten on the Knesset list of candidates for the "Blue and White" party, the united slate of the Israel Resilience Party, Yesh Atid, and Telem.[7] On 30 March 2020 M.K. Barbivai criticized M.K. Gantz, "[your] entering a government under Netanyahu 'went against every promise you gave voters, against every promise you gave us, against the alternative [we offered] to the Israeli public that you broke up single-handedly'."[8]

References[]

  1. ^ Jump up to: a b c "ראש אגף כוח אדם - אלופה אורנה ברביבאי" [Head of Manpower Directorate - Maj. Gen. Orna Barbivai] (in Hebrew). IDF Spokesperson's Unit. 18 May 2011. Retrieved 14 August 2011.
  2. ^ Greenberg, Hanan (26 May 2011). "IDF names first female major general". Ynet.
  3. ^ Jump up to: a b c Katz, Yaakov (26 May 2011). "IDF makes history: First woman to be made major general". The Jerusalem Post.
  4. ^ "Brig. Gen. Orna Barbivay to be first woman major general in IDF" (Press release). Israel Defense Forces. 26 May 2011.
  5. ^ Jump up to: a b Harkov, Lahav (1 January 2019). "IDF's First Female General Will Join Yesh Atid". The Jerusalem Post.
  6. ^ Piotrkovsky, Shlomo (23 June 2011). "אורנה ברביבאי הועלתה לדרגת אלוף" [Orna Barbivai raised to Aluf rank]. Arutz Sheva (in Hebrew). Retrieved 14 August 2011.
  7. ^ T. O. I. staff; Wootliff, Raoul. "United Gantz-Lapid party to be called 'Blue and White'; no women in top 6". The Times of Israel. Retrieved 21 February 2019.
  8. ^ "Chairing his first full Knesset session, Gantz faces assaults from former allies". The Times of Israel. 31 March 2020.
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