Public lifeיאיר קליין

Yair Klein

Yair Klein is a former Israeli army lieutenant colonel who founded the private mercenary company Spearhead Ltd and was convicted in Colombia and in Israel.

born 1943Founding Spearhead LtdTraining militias in ColombiaThe 1989 Antigua arms affair

Occupation: mercenary
Rank: Lieutenant Colonel

Yair Klein was born in 1943 in Nitzanim

Yair Klein was born in 1943 at Kibbutz Nitzanim. His parents, Riva and Zvi, were among the founders of the kibbutz. He married Hava, and they have 4 children.

Klein joined the IDF in 1966 and served in the paratroopers, later commanding forces in the Haruv reconnaissance unit. He fought in Sinai in the Yom Kippur War. He left the army in 1977 with the rank of lieutenant colonel.

After his discharge he opened a gas station and restaurant and set up the company Spearhead Ltd. The company sold arms and gave training to armed forces in South America, Lebanon and Sierra Leone. Colombia accused him of training paramilitary groups and the militias of drug traffickers.

In Israel he pleaded guilty to exporting military equipment and expertise without licenses and was convicted in 1990. A Colombian court convicted him in 2001, and Israel refused to extradite him. He was held in Sierra Leone between 1999 and 2000 on arms smuggling charges and was acquitted there.

Russian police arrested him in Moscow in 2007 at the request of Colombia. In 2010 Russia followed a ruling of the European Court of Human Rights and refused to extradite him, and he returned to Israel. He lives in Caesarea.

Milestones in Yair Klein's life

1943
Born at Kibbutz Nitzanim.
1966
Joined the IDF and volunteered for the paratroopers.
1973
Led the Haruv force that took over a hijacked Middle East Airlines plane.
1977
Left the army and became deputy commander of reserve Infantry Brigade 408.
1989
Colombia asked Israel to extradite him.
1990
Convicted in Israel of exporting military equipment without licenses.
2001
Convicted by a court in Colombia.
2007
Arrested by Russian police in Moscow.
2010
Russia refused to extradite him, and he returned to Israel.

Yair Klein served in the military

Klein served in the paratroopers from 1966 and commanded the Haruv reconnaissance unit in 1973, fighting in Sinai in the Yom Kippur War as its deputy commander. He left the army in 1977 as a lieutenant colonel.