Former Air Force commander Herzl Bodinger passes away

Yaron Druckman, Nina Fox|
Major General Herzl Bodinger, who served as the commander of the Israeli Air Force from 1992 to 1996, has passed away at the age of 82. Bodinger was born in Haifa. He spent his childhood years in Kiryat Motzkin and was a cadet in the Air Force youth program. When his family followed his father on a mission abroad, he began studying at the military boarding school in Haifa. In 1961, he enlisted for regular service and volunteered for flight school. After completing the course, he underwent operational training in an Ouragan squadron, after which he was assigned to a Mystère fighter squadron. Bodinger also served as chairman of the Committee for Industry Relations with the Defense Establishment at the Manufacturers Association. After the Second Lebanon War, he was appointed to the war investigation committee by then-Defense Minister Amir Peretz, but resigned due to "personal reasons." In 2013, he was a candidate for the head of the National Security Council, but Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ultimately chose Yossi Cohen.