Gadi Shamni

Gadi Shamni was born in 1959 in Jerusalem

Gadi Shamni was born in Jerusalem in 1959 to Simantov and Simcha Shamni. He went to the Rene Cassin high school in his home city.

He holds a BA in economics and political science from Bar-Ilan University and an MA in national security from the University of Haifa. He graduated from the IDF Command and Staff College, a US Special Forces course in North Carolina, and the US Army War College.

Shamni joined the paratroopers in 1977 and led a company in Beirut during the First Lebanon War. He later commanded the paratroopers reconnaissance unit, the Paratroopers Brigade, the Gaza Division and the Central Command. He was military secretary to 2 prime ministers and then the IDF attaché in the United States.

After leaving the army he advised the planning teams of US envoy John Allen on the Jordan Valley and backed a two-state solution. In 2015 he became head of land systems at Israel Aerospace Industries, and in 2019 he joined ICTS Europe as vice president for North America. He chairs a friends committee for an organization of victims of hostile acts.

He has spoken often on the peace process and has criticized government policy. He is married to Hadas, has 4 children and lives in Modiin-Maccabim-Reut.