Pre-ISA
Avi Dichter was born in 1952 in Ashkelon. He enlisted in the IDF in 1971 and successfully completed his training in "Sayeret Matkal", the elite General Staff Reconnaissance Unit and served in the unit as a fighter as well as in his reserve duty.
Dichter has a B.A in psychology, criminology and sociology from Bar-Ilan University and an M.B.A. from Tel Aviv University.
In the ISA
1974 - served as aircraft security officer on El Al flights
1975 - began a case officers training course at the ISA School for Arabic
1976 - stationed as a case officer in the northern Gaza Strip and later served in refugee camps in the center of the Gaza Strip.
1980 - appointed regional case officer
1983 - stationed in Lebanon for a year as the Sidon regional case officer following the first Tyre Disaster.
1986 - appointed unit head in the Southern Command during the first intifada
1987 - granted a Medal of Honor by the major general of the Southern Command for the elimination of a terrorist at the Netzarim junction, following pursuit, just moments after the terrorist carried out a shooting attack against Israeli vehicles.
1990 - appointed head of the Training Division for Arab Affairs.
1992 - appointed head of the Southern Command
1996 – appointed head of the ISA Security Division, following the assassination of Prime Minister Rabin
1999 - appointed deputy ISA Director
2000 - appointed ISA Director, and served in this position throughout the tumultuous period of the Second Intifada.
2005 – retired from service as ISA Director.
