David Beeri

David Beeri was born in 1953 in Ramat Gan

David Beeri was born in 1953 in Ramat Gan. His parents, Avraham and Rivka Handler, were born in Poland and survived Auschwitz. As a young man he studied at the Netiv Meir yeshiva and at Mercaz HaRav.

He joined the IDF in 1973 and later served in Sayeret Matkal until 1979. From 1979 to 1985 he studied at Mercaz HaRav while serving as a reserve officer. In 1988 he returned to active duty as deputy commander of the Duvdevan Unit and was discharged in 1990.

In 1983 he began researching Jewish-owned property in the City of David. He worked with the Jewish National Fund to recover land once bought by Baron Rothschild, with compensation to the Arab residents. This work became the basis for the City of David National Park, and in 1986 he founded the Elad association, which he still heads.

In 2006 the Shin Bet caught a Palestinian militant who planned to kill him. In 2010 his car was hit by stones near the City of David, and one attacker was sentenced to 8 months in prison. He received the Jerusalem Prize in 2007 and the Israel Prize for Lifetime Achievement in 2017, an award criticized by left-wing circles.

He lives in the City of David in Jerusalem with his wife Michal, and they have 6 children.