Yoav Mordechai

Yoav Mordechai
Born	(1964-03-25) 25 March 1964 (age 60) Jerusalem, Israel
Allegiance	Israel
Rank	Aluf (major general)
Commands	IDF Spokesperson, Head of the Civil Administration in the West Bank

Yoav "Poli" Mordechai (Hebrew: יואב "פולי" מרדכי; born March 25, 1964) is a retired major general in the Israel Defense Forces.

Mordechai has a master's degree of government and politics and additional master's degree in National Security studies in the frame of the National Security College.

Mordechai was recruited to the IDF in 1982 and served as a soldier and an officer in the 51st Battalion of the Golani Brigade.^[1] While serving along the Israel-Lebanon border, he was the primary handler of Avraham Sinai, who spied on Hezbollah for Israel.^[2]

Mordechai later served in the Research Department in the Intelligence Directorate, and in an operational unit in the branch. In 2001, he was appointed to be chief of coordination and connection headquarters in Gaza, and later served as chief of civilian administration in the West Bank in the staff of the Government's Actions Coordinator in the Territories.

From April 7, 2011, to October 14, 2013, Mordechai served as the IDF Spokesperson. On January 29, 2014, following his promotion to the rank of major general, he was appointed as the Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories. He concluded his 36-year career in the IDF in 2018 as the Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories.^[3]

Mordechai speaks fluent Arabic.

Mordechai is married and has three daughters.

• Anshel Pfeffer (March 20, 2011). "דובר צה"ל הבא: תא"ל יואב (פולי) מרדכי" [Next IDF Spokesperson: Brig. Gen. Yoav (Poli) Mordechai]. Haaretz (in Hebrew).
• "Next IDF's Spokesperson: Brig. Gen. Yoav (Poli) Mordechai". IDF. March 20, 2011. Archived from the original on March 22, 2011.