Meet the new Southern Command Commander, Major General Yaniv Asor

Hailing from Moshav Mivtahim in the Gaza Envelope, Asor enlisted in 1990 with the 12th Battalion of the Golani Brigade, embarking on a path that would see him rise through the ranks over three decades. A married father of four, his roots in a community near Gaza underscore his personal stake in the region he will now oversee.

Asor’s early leadership roles included serving as deputy commander of the Golani Brigade’s “First Breacher” Battalion (51) from 2001 to 2002 during Operation Defensive Shield. From 2003 to 2004, he was the brigade’s operations officer, followed by a stint as commander of the same battalion from 2004 to 2006. Under his leadership during the Second Lebanon War, the battalion earned a citation from the Northern Command commander. Between 2006 and 2008, he commanded the elite Egoz Unit, overseeing dozens of special operations in Gaza and Judea and Samaria.

His career progressed with divisional roles: from 2009 to 2011, he led the Hiram Formation, and in 2011–2012, he was deputy commander of the Ga’ash Formation. From 2012 to 2014, Asor commanded the Golani Brigade itself, followed by the Bashan Formation from 2015 to 2018. He then served as head of the Operations Division from 2018 to 2020, a critical role in shaping IDF strategy. Most recently, from 2021 to 2024, he headed the Personnel Directorate, managing the IDF’s human resources during a tumultuous period.

Educationally, Asor holds a bachelor’s degree in logistics from Bar-Ilan University and a master’s in business administration from Ben-Gurion University of the Negev. He is also a graduate of the U.S. Marine Corps Command and Staff College and the Royal College of Defence Studies in the UK. With this extensive operational and academic background, Maj. Gen. Asor steps into his new role next week, poised to tackle the challenges of Israel’s volatile southern front.