David Ivry

David Ivry trained as an air force pilot and rose through operational and command assignments to lead the Israeli Air Force from 1977 to 1982. He directed the 1981 attack on Iraq's Osirak reactor and the air campaign against Syrian missile batteries in Lebanon's Bekaa Valley in 1982. He subsequently served as deputy chief of staff, director general of the Defense Ministry, and Israel's first national security adviser. ¹

Ivry's work before Washington included leadership of the strategic dialogue with the United States and Israeli participation in multilateral arms control talks. As ambassador from 2000 to 2002, he drew on this military experience in discussing joint exercises, missile defense, and arms export disputes. In a June 2001 briefing for American defense correspondents, he defended cooperation on the Arrow missile while explaining Israel's commitment not to transfer American technology without permission. ^{1, 2, 3}

After his embassy assignment, Ivry moved into the aerospace business. Boeing appointed him president of its Israeli operations in September 2003. The company announced his retirement and replacement after eighteen years in the role in 2021. ^{3, 4}