Brigadier General (Res.) Asaf Agmon was born in 1948 to a father who fled Germany with the rise of the Nazis, and a mother who immigrated to Israel from Lithuania at the age of 15. Both were among the founders of Kibbutz Beit HaShita.

Beyond his home and family, Asaf’s character was shaped by his participation in the Ha’Noar Ha’Oved Ve’Ha’Lomed youth movement (The Working and Studying Youth Movement) in the sands of Kiryat Haim, which instilled in him a sense of responsibility to contribute to society and the nation on the one hand, while also attending the Reali School in Haifa, which cultivated personal excellence.

He enlisted with his youth movement peers into a Nahal paramilitary unit and fought as an infantry soldier during the Six-Day War. Following the war, he volunteered for the Israeli Air Force pilot’s course, which he completed in 1969 as a combat pilot. He participated in the War of Attrition, was seriously wounded in a training accident, and despite that, continued to serve for a total of 51 years in active duty and the reserves as a transport pilot, specializing in special operations.

For many years, he played a central role in the clandestine operations to bring Ethiopian Jews to Israel from the deserts of Sudan.

He commanded two squadrons and two airbases and was responsible for all cooperation between the Israeli Air Force and the IDF’s special forces units, as well as ground and naval forces.

After his discharge, alongside his business endeavors, Asaf dedicated most of his time to volunteer work promoting science and technology education among students, preserving nature conservation values within the IDF, and supporting the integration of Ethiopian youth into Israeli society.

In 2016, he initiated the annual memorial rally in honor of Yitzhak Rabin, countering a joint effort by Netanyahu and then-Minister of Education Naftali Bennett to cancel it indefinitely.

Since then, in various capacities, Asaf has been a leading figure in the protest movement, particularly its more determined, activist wing.

Asaf is married to Raya. They have five children and ten grandchildren, including Gur, their eldest grandson, who was killed in Lebanon six months ago while serving as a Golani Brigade soldier.