Yair Barkat

Yair Barkat was born in 1970

Yair Barkat was born in 1970. He is married and has 3 children.

He holds a bachelor's degree in Middle East studies from Bar-Ilan University and a master's degree in political science from the University of Haifa. He also studied at the National Defense College.

He joined the IDF in 1988 and served in the Givati Brigade, fighting in southern Lebanon. He later moved to the Nahal Brigade, where he commanded a platoon, a company in Battalion 932, and from 1995 the Nahal reconnaissance company. In 1996 5 of his soldiers were killed in a clash with Hezbollah, and 20 of the company's fighters died in the helicopter disaster near the end of his term.

After a posting with the IDF attaché office in the United States, he commanded Battalion 50, the Nahal training base and the Sagi Brigade. He then led the Home Front Command's Central District and its Rescue Brigade, and was promoted to brigadier general in 2018. From 2018 to 2021 he was Chief Military Police Officer, and then retired from the IDF.

In the reserves he served in 2022 as chief of staff of the Home Front Command. He also commanded the Ya'ara Division until December 2025.