Ori Orr

Ori Orr (Hebrew: אורי אור‎, born 22 April 1939) is an Israeli retired general and politician. During his service with the Israel Defense Forces, he headed the Central and Northern Commands. Afterward, he was elected to the Knesset twice for the Labor Party. He chaired the Foreign Affairs and Defence Committee and was appointed Deputy Minister of Defence.

Early life

Orr was born in Kfar Haim, Mandatory Palestine, in 1939. He was awarded a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science & History from Tel Aviv University.

Military career

He was drafted into the Israel Defense Forces in 1957, serving with the Armored Corps. During the Six-Day War, then Captain Orr commanded the Recon Company of the 7th Brigade, which advanced through the northern shore of the Sinai Peninsula. In the War of Attrition, he commanded an armored battalion in the Sinai and the Jordan Valley. He was promoted to lieutenant colonel in August 1973, becoming the commander of the newly formed 679th (reserve) Armored Brigade, which he led during the Yom Kippur War. His Centurion-equipped unit played a major role in stemming the Syrian attack in the Golan Heights. One of the first reserve units to arrive, it helped save the Israeli headquarters at Nafakh from being overrun. Northern Front commander General Yitzhak Hofi stated, "Ori saved us today."