United States Ambassador to the UN, Nikki Haley, and Amir Baram on the northern border, June 2017Commander of the Northern Command, Amir Baram, during a standard test of the Northern Command for combat units
Baram, the son of Yitzhak Baram, was born in Beersheba and lived until around age 6 in Safed,[1] and later in Ra'anana.[2] He studied at the Reali School in Haifa and was a cadet at the military boarding school, graduating with distinction from Class 34.[3][4] He enlisted in the IDF in November 1988, volunteering for the Paratroopers Brigade and was assigned to the Paratrooper Reconnaissance Unit. He completed the training as a combat soldier, followed by the Infantry Commanders Course and Infantry Officers Course, graduating as an outstanding cadet. He was appointed as a team leader in the Paratrooper Reconnaissance Unit and later served as deputy company commander. In 1992, he became a company commander in the 890th Battalion.[5] Later, he commanded the Paratrooper Reconnaissance Unit from 1994 to 1996, leading operations including Operation Pink Panther, in which four Hezbollah militants were killed in Lebanon.[6] He subsequently served as a company commander at Officer Training School (Bahad 1). After his term, he pursued studies at the Interdisciplinary Center Herzliya. In February 1999, he interrupted his studies to replace the commander of the Paratrooper Reconnaissance Unit, Eitan Belhassan, who was killed in action in Southern Lebanon.[7] He rehabilitated the unit and led it to numerous operational achievements before the withdrawal from Lebanon in May 2000.[8] After the withdrawal, he resumed his studies at the Interdisciplinary Center Herzliya, earning a law degree with honors. He later attended the National Defense College.
In 2002, he was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant Colonel and appointed commander of the 890th Battalion, serving until 2003.[9] During his tenure, he led the battalion in fighting against Palestinian terror organizations in Bethlehem before Operation Defensive Shield, and in the Battle of Nablus during the operation. The battalion was later deployed in intense operational activities in Tulkarm. The battalion gained media exposure following an event where soldiers appeared as needy, prompting Baram to clarify in an interview that the paratrooper battalion did not require charity.[9] Another event that drew attention was his adoption of a battalion motto inspired by the U.S. Marines' counterterrorism doctrine: "Patience, perseverance, and sometimes a bullet between the eyes"[10] Following a complaint from a reserve soldier to MKYossi Sarid, Sarid raised the issue with then-Chief of Staff Moshe Ya'alon, a former commander of the battalion, who ordered the motto's removal.[11] The motto was replaced with one coined by Ariel Sharon as battalion commander: "No Return Until the Mission Is Completed." In Tulkarm, he improved ambush tactics in urban combat, leading to operational successes (operations "Stimulus-Response").[12] In May 2004, he was appointed commander of Maglan Unit, serving until June 2006. During his tenure, the unit conducted operations mainly in Judea and Samaria and Gaza, but also participated in operations against Hezbollah on the Lebanese border.[13]
On August 17, 2006, he was promoted to Colonel and appointed commander of the Shomron Brigade.[14] During his tenure, he led extensive counterterrorism operations and thwarted attacks,[15] while easing measures for the civilian population. Among his brigade's achievements was the elimination of Fadi Al-Latif Kapisha, the leader of the Tanzim military wing in Nablus, killed by soldiers of the Haruv Battalion.[16] He published an internal book in the IDF, "Fortress City",[17] documenting methods of combat in dense and underground urban areas. He completed his term as brigade commander in 2008.
He then went on to study at the Royal College of Defence Studies (RCDS) in London and simultaneously earned a master's degree in International Relations with honors from King's College London. Upon returning, he was appointed in January 2010 as commander of the 162nd Division, serving until March 2011. On April 14, 2011, he was appointed commander of the Paratroopers Brigade.[18][19] During his command, he reinstated full brigade parachute training, and in January 2012, he led the brigade in its first full brigade parachute exercise in fifteen years.[20] He completed his role on May 16, 2013.
On October 10, 2013, he was promoted to Brigadier General and appointed commander of the Fire Formation,[21] serving until July 2, 2015. On August 2, 2015, he was appointed commander of the Galilee Division,[22][23] serving until July 18, 2017.[24] During his command, Samir Kuntar was eliminated, and Hezbollah responded with a roadside bomb on Mount Dov, an incident in which there were no casualties. On December 7, 2017, he was promoted to Major General and appointed commander of the Northern Corps, and on January 3, 2018, he simultaneously assumed the position of commander of the IDF Command and Staff College. He held the position at the military colleges until March 11, 2019, and his role as commander of the Northern Corps until September 26, 2019.
On April 3, 2019, he was appointed commander of the Northern Command.[25] During his tenure, he initiated a standard assessment test, which was completed by all regular and reserve brigades designated to participate in combat in the north.[26] Under his command, the Northern Command led numerous covert operations in southern Syria as part of the campaign between wars (CBW),[27] including airstrikes, ground raids, and targeted killings.[28] These actions prevented Iran's efforts to establish a front against Israel in the Syrian Golan Heights, similar to the one established in Lebanon.[29] In September 2019, he led the command's forces during a day of battle with Hezbollah, in which Hezbollah militants fired anti-tank missiles at IDF posts and an IDF ambulance near the border.[30] In July 2020, he led the command's forces during another day of battle with Hezbollah, during which a Hezbollah cell attempted to infiltrate Mount Dov, was detected, and fled.[31] In August 2020, after Hezbollah snipers fired at an IDF force moving along the fence near Manara, he led a limited operation that targeted several Hezbollah positions near the border.[32] He held this position until September 11, 2022.[33] On October 31, 2022, he was appointed Deputy Chief of Staff.[34]
^Avihai Becker, "Enlightened Destruction," Haaretz, December 24, 2002.
^Amos Harel, "Battalion Commander in Nablus: We Can't Keep Residents Locked in Their Homes Forever," Haaretz, July 12, 2002.
^"Operation Pink Panther," official Paratrooper Reconnaissance website.
^"Unit Commanders," official Paratrooper Reconnaissance website.
^Avihai Becker, "Why Didn't I Rise?", Haaretz, October 7, 1999.
^ abAmos Harel, "Lt. Col. Amir Baram: I Have a Reassuring Message for the Public - The Battalion's Soldiers Are Not Hungry and Are Not Cold," Haaretz, February 15, 2003.
^Gal Perel, "We Kill Those Bastards for a Month. Don't Worry, They'll Be Here Tomorrow," On Target blog, February 16, 2021.
^Gal Perl Finkel, "Hezbollah in Crisis, But Don't Take Your Eyes Off It," Israel Hayom, April 6, 2020.
^Col. Amir Baram Takes Command of the Shomron Brigade,Ynet, August 17, 2006
^"Three Terrorists Planning Attacks Arrested," IDF Spokesperson, September 20, 2007.
^Efrat Weiss and Ali Waked, "IDF Kills Senior Al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades Member in Nablus," Ynet, August 31, 2006.
^Elad Erdan, "Soon on the Bookshelves? This Is How They Fight in Nablus' Kasbah," from the "Shavuz" website, July 21, 2008.
^New Commander for the Paratrooper Brigade: Col. Amir Baram, Nana10, April 14, 2011
^Gal Perl Finkel, "World War in Rosh HaAyin and the Kinneret", Makor Rishon, July 27, 2020
^Florit Shuichat, IDF Website, "For the First Time in 15 Years: Paratrooper Brigade Soldiers Conduct Operational Parachuting Exercise", IDF Spokesperson, January 18, 2012
^New Commander of the "Fire" Division: Brig. Gen. Amir Baram," IDF Spokesperson, October 10, 2013.
^Yohai Ofer, "The Chief of Staff Orders a Series of Senior Appointments in the Army," nrg, September 22, 2014.
^Ido Ben Porat, "The Mission - To Deter, Protect, and Win," Arutz7, August 2, 2015.
^Ido Ben Porat, "Northern Command Chief: 'We Do Not Seek Confrontation,'" Arutz7, July 18, 2017.
^Nir Dvori, "New Northern Command Chief: Major General Amir Baram," mako, February 17, 2019.
^Gal Perl Finkel, "Momentum Needed for Ground Forces," INSS, July 6, 2020.
^Ben Caspit, "Kahlon's Departure Taught Us How Netanyahu Runs the State," Maariv, September 11, 2022.
^Amos Harel, "In Its Declared Efforts to Quell West Bank Violence, Israel Is Actually Stoking It," Haaretz, September 9, 2022.
^"Opinion: Hezbollah's Precision Project Is a Just Cause for War for Israel," Globes, February 23, 2020.
^Amos Harel, "The Incident at the Lebanon Border Ended in a Tie with No Casualties. It Is Doubtful if Hezbollah Will Settle for That," Haaretz, July 27, 2020.
^Gal Perl Finkel, "Nasrallah Is Waiting for an Opportunity: We Must Set a New Deterrence Equation," Makor Rishon, September 23, 2020.
^"New Northern Command Chief, Major General Ori Gordin, Assumes Command," IDF Spokesperson, September 11, 2022.
^"Major General Amir Baram Assumes Role as Deputy Chief of Staff," IDF Spokesperson, October 31, 2022.
^"The Deputy Chief of Staff Says 'Move' and Fires at the House with the Terrorists: The Soldiers Who Found Themselves Fighting Alongside Major General Baram in Gaza," Israel Hayom.
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