Militaryאסף אוריון

Assaf Orion

Assaf Orion is an Israeli brigadier general in the reserves who headed the IDF Strategic Planning Division and is a senior researcher at the Institute for National Security Studies.

born 1966Heading IDF Strategic Planning DivisionResearch at INSSChina in the Middle East program

Born: 26 March 1966
Occupation: military personnel, political scientist
Rank: tat aluf
Wars: 1982 Lebanon War

Assaf Orion was born in 1966

Assaf Orion was born on March 26, 1966. His father is the sculptor and poet Ezra Orion.

He holds a bachelor's degree in Arabic language and literature and Middle East history from Tel Aviv University. He earned a master's degree in public administration from the Harvard Kennedy School through the Wexner Foundation program.

He joined the IDF in 1984 and was posted to the Intelligence Corps, where he completed officers' course and held command and staff roles, including in Unit 8200. In the Planning Directorate he led a department that handled ties with the Lebanese army and UNIFIL, and he served on the IDF delegation to negotiations with the Palestinians. From 2010 to 2015 he headed the Strategic Planning Division.

He left the IDF in 2015 and joined the Institute for National Security Studies as a researcher on Syria and director of its China in the Middle East program. He is also a fellow at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy.

Assaf Orion's life in 4 milestones

1966
Born on March 26.
1984
Joined the IDF and was posted to the Intelligence Corps.
2010
Became head of the Strategic Planning Division.
2015
Left the IDF and joined the Institute for National Security Studies.

Assaf Orion served in Unit 8200

He served in the Intelligence Corps from 1984, including in Unit 8200, and later in the Planning Directorate. He headed the Strategic Planning Division from 2010 to 2015 and holds the reserve rank of brigadier general.

Unit 8200