Director General – Major General (Res.) Amir Baram

Major General (Res.) Amir Baram serves as the Director General of the Israel Ministry of Defense (IMOD). In this role, he leads Israel's defense establishment, overseeing policy implementation, budget management, and ministry operations while coordinating defense cooperation at both national and international levels.

Prior to his current appointment, Maj. Gen. Baram served as the Deputy Chief of the General Staff of the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) from 2022 to 2025. In this capacity, he functioned as Acting Chief of General Staff when required while overseeing the IDF's force build-up development strategy and coordinating military capabilities for the coming decade's force enhancement program.

From 2019 to 2022, Baram commanded the IDF's Northern Command, where he was responsible for security along Israel's Lebanese and Syrian borders. This critical role involved managing security crises and leading complex military operations in Israel's northern theater.

His earlier military service in the IDF includes commanding the Military Colleges and Northern Corps (2017-2019), the 91st Division (2015-2017), the elite 98th Paratroopers Division (2013-2015), the 35th Paratroopers Brigade (2011-2013), the 551st Brigade (2010-2011), and the "Shomron" Brigade (2006-2008). Baram also led a Special Operations Unit (2004-2006), Battalion 890 of the Paratroopers Brigade (2002-2004), and the Paratroopers Reconnaissance Unit (1999-2001). His career began in the Paratroopers Brigade, where he served as a soldier, squad commander, and platoon commander from 1988 to 1992.

Maj. Gen. Baram holds a Master's degree in International Relations from King's College London, UK, is a graduate of the Royal College of Defense Studies in London, and earned a Bachelor of Laws (LL.B) from Reichman University in Israel.

In his acceptance speech as IMOD Director General, Maj. Gen. (Res.) Amir Baram stated: "Together we will develop a ministerial strategy ensuring our defense establishment, including the IDF, maintains its capability to defeat all threats 'from knife to nuclear' - including those we cannot yet anticipate. We will tackle force build-up challenges while driving our organization to adapt to changing realities. We'll foster strong communication with international partners, government ministries, IDF branches, and other organizations based on shared purpose, camaraderie, and mutual trust. Our focus will be finding the optimal balance between current operational readiness and long-term organizational development while allocating resources differentially to address key challenges.

Our priority will be the defense establishment's 'value accelerators': technology and personnel, combat capabilities, armament, security diplomacy, and, above all, the Israeli society and its people. I pledge to approach this role with values-based leadership and professional expertise, bringing humility, dedication, and confidence to the task. I deeply appreciate Minister Katz's trust in selecting me for this position. I undertake this role with a profound sense of mission and responsibility, accompanied by a personal and deep belief in our ongoing mission to secure Israel's future. Despite the complex challenges ahead, I am confident that together with the Chief of General Staff and under the Minister's leadership, we will overcome these obstacles and prevail against all our enemies."