Founding Team

The Duvdevan Unit was established in April 1986, at the request of then Central Command Chief, Ehud Barak, who referred to it as an “elite unit, the cherry on top.”

The unit’s emblem features the double-edged sword of Ehud Ben Gera, symbolizing tactical combat. The unit’s motto is: “For by wise counsel you will wage war” (Proverbs 24:6).

The unit was initially established under the Judea and Samaria Division. After Ehud Barak’s order was passed to the division commander, Colonel Dubi Dekel (of blessed memory), Dekel assigned the task of founding and leading the unit to Major Yemini Canaani, who instilled the spirit of the unit throughout its formation.

The unit’s first commander was Lieutenant Udi Yona, a veteran of the Paratroopers Brigade. The second commander, Lieutenant Shay Polonsky, also came from the Paratroopers Brigade. In June 1986, the first team of undercover operatives was recruited, consisting of 12 soldiers from elite units and the Paratroopers Brigade.

Due to the need for innovative and diverse combat skills and the creation of a unique combat doctrine for the unit, reserve combat instructors and prominent soldiers from various national security frameworks were recruited to assist in laying the unit’s foundations.

The founding team operated with expertise, carrying out hundreds of special, diverse, and unconventional operations. Their specialty was in covert operations, often disguising themselves as TV crews, settlers, reservists, women, and anything their imagination allowed, though much of their activity was conducted in undercover roles.

By June 1987, the unit had grown to include three teams. During that year, the unit’s activity significantly increased, leading to a corresponding expansion in recruitment. Since then, the unit has solidified its position as the most central and significant operational force in special missions in Judea and Samaria, a status it maintains to this day.