Yitzhak Hofi (born 25 January 1927; died 15 September 2014) was a senior Israeli military officer and intelligence chief. A veteran of the pre‑state Palmach, Hofi later rose through the Israel Defense Forces to lead major commands and to head the country's foreign intelligence service.
Early service and military career
Hofi began his service in the Palmach, the elite strike force that operated during the British Mandate and in the 1947–1949 period. He continued his career after the establishment of Israel in the Israel Defense Forces, where he held a succession of operational and staff posts. In the early 1970s he served as commander of the IDF’s Northern Command, responsible for Israel's frontier with Syria and Lebanon and for planning defensive and offensive operations in that theater.
Head of Mossad
In 1974 Hofi became director of Mossad, Israel's foreign intelligence agency. His tenure lasted through much of the 1970s and into the early 1980s. Under his leadership the service placed renewed emphasis on signals and human intelligence, on counterterrorism abroad, and on the modernization of covert capabilities in response to the strategic challenges that followed the Yom Kippur War.
Roles and responsibilities
- Operational planning and command in Israel's northern theater;
- Directing foreign intelligence collection and clandestine operations as Mossad director;
- Contributing to the restructuring of intelligence practices after major regional conflicts.
Hofi's career spanned the transition from the pre‑state underground to a formal national defence and intelligence apparatus. His experience in both military command and foreign intelligence made him a prominent figure in shaping Israeli operational doctrine during a period of heightened regional tension.
He is often mentioned alongside other long‑serving leaders of Israel's security community and is remembered for his steady stewardship through turbulent years. For the Hebrew rendering of his name see יצחק חופי. Hofi died on 15 September 2014 at the age of 87.