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The Officer Who Foresaw the War
From the Battles of Gaza and Lebanon, to Embassy Halls in the Far East-to the Book That Foresaw the War Before It Began.
Brigadier General (Res.) Guy Hazoot served for over three decades in the Israel Defense Forces, enlisting in the Paratroopers Brigade in 1989 and retiring from active service in August 2023. On October 7, 2023, he was recalled as a reserve officer and founded and commanded the Operational Lessons Learning Enterprise of the Ground Forces throughout the "Iron Swords" War, directly shaping the IDF's institutional understanding of one of Israel's most complex modern conflicts.
His career spans a wide range of command and staff positions, including Regional Division Commander in the IDF Southern Command and Defense Attaché to Singapore, where he negotiated and signed a landmark bilateral defense agreement-among the most significant in the history of the State of Israel.
Hazoot holds a Bachelor's degree in Business Administration from Ben-Gurion University of the Negev (Beer-Sheva), and advanced degrees from the University of London (Security and International Relations), Haifa University, and the National Security College. He is a graduate of the British Joint Services Command and Staff College (JSCSC). He is currently a Senior Researcher at the Institute for National Security Studies (INSS) at Tel Aviv University, and the author of New Guard, No Guard-the Israeli military bestseller written before October 7th that anticipated the IDF's structural unpreparedness for multi-front conflict. Recipient of the 2024 Stephen Moldovan Award for Military Literature.
New Guard, No Guard
Published before October 7th, 2023, the book described exactly how Israel's military had built two armies-one gleaming and high-tech, the other neglected and unready for ground combat. When Hamas invaded the Western Negev, the book transformed from a warning into an explanation. It became required reading for generals, analysts, and policymakers worldwide.
Read About the Book
Key Milestones
Enlistment, Paratroopers Brigade
Volunteered for the Paratroopers Brigade and served as a combat officer and commander across every operational theater.
Commander, 202nd Paratroopers Battalion
Led combat operations against terrorism during the Second Intifada.
Commander, Judea Regional Brigade
Commanded the Hebron sector-a microcosm of the Israeli–Palestinian conflict.
Commander, Kfir Brigade
Commanded the IDF's largest infantry brigade.
Commander, 80th "Edom" Division, Southern Command
Led the regional division responsible for the defense of southern Israel.
Defense Attaché to Singapore
Served as Israel's defense attaché to Singapore; negotiated and signed a landmark bilateral defense agreement-among the most significant in Israel's history.
Released from IDF with rank of Brig. Gen.
Concluded 34 years of service in the IDF. Appointed Senior Researcher at the Institute for National Security Studies (INSS), Tel Aviv University.
Reserve Service, Iron Swords War
Founded and led the Ground Forces' Operational Learning Directorate throughout the war.
Author, New Guard, No Guard (Bestseller)
The book sold tens of thousands of copies and was awarded First Prize in the Stephen Moldovan Award for Military Literature for 2024. It drew international recognition-praised by West Point's John Spencer as "theory forged in friction" and by Lt. Gen. (ret.) H.R. McMaster as "a corrective to conventional thinking about future war."
Documentary Series, "What Happened to the IDF?"
The book inspired a documentary series directed by Omri Assenheim-among the most-watched Israeli documentaries of 2025.
Advanced Degrees
Beyond the Uniform
Guy Hazoot is married to Shirley and a father of four, and lives in Kibbutz Negba. He believes Israel's real story is written in the field, and that everyone who benefits from the security it provides owes a debt to understand what makes it possible.
"I wrote the book before the war because I saw where things were heading. After October 7th I understood that the price of silence is far greater than the price of truth."
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Advisory Board Member & Strategic Advisor-Givon Defense Ltd.
Brig. Gen. (Res.) Guy Hazoot is an Advisory Board Member and independent Strategic Advisor to Givon Defense Ltd.
In this capacity, he provides senior-level strategic counsel to the company's leadership on strategic, operational, and organizational matters, drawing on his extensive experience as a retired Brigadier General, former Division Commander, former Head of the Ground Forces Operational Learning Directorate during the Swords of Iron War, and author of New Guard, No Guard.
His engagement is strictly strategic and advisory in nature. He is not involved in the company's research and development activities, technological processes, intellectual property, or proprietary know-how.