Yoram Shmuel Yair (Hebrew: יורם יאיר; born 29 August 1944) is an Israeli retired soldier who served in the IDF for 35 years until his release with the rank of major general, in 1998.

Yair was born in Kibbutz Ein Hanatziv, grew up in Tel Aviv and attended Ironi D. High School in the city, was a member of HaNoar HaOved VeHaLomed youth movement.

At the end of his basic training, he was sent to his displeasure for a Squadron Commanders Course in Shivta, which he completed as an outstanding Company trainee and even remained as an instructor.

[citation needed] In October 1973, with the outbreak of the Yom Kippur War, Yair was a Major ranked student at The Inter-Armed College of Command and Staff.

On the morning of Yom Kippur, he was asked by the commander of the Paratroopers Brigade to go back to the 50th Battalion, whose soldiers were manning the border outposts, in the southern half of the Golan Heights.

Yair arrived at the battalion headquarters at El Al, under the heavy Syrian shelling that opened the war.

Already on the evening of Yom Kippur, the southern sector was left without tanks in the face of the Syrian division's attack.

Yair, orders his soldiers to retreat towards Ein Gev, while he decides to be left alone, at his observation post, located near the front line, watching the Syrian division preparing to resume its attack south-ways.

On his return from the United States Yair was promoted to the rank of colonel and served as head of Combat Theory at the Infantry and Paratroopers Chief Division.

Then, Yair founded the Anti-Missile Brigade, "Hazi HaEsh" Division, and was appointed commander of the Officers Academy.

That same year, as the Paratrooper Brigade Commander, Yair led two raid operations deep in Lebanon, in response to artillery fire between the PLO and the IDF.

In accordance with Yair's proposal, the Paratroopers' Brigade made a vertical flank – an amphibious landing from the sea north of Sidon in the depths of Lebanon, about 70 km (43 mi) from the border, the brigade continued to lead IDF forces to the suburbs of Beirut.

During the first three days, the brigade advanced and fought, detached from the rest of the IDF forces, moving from the direction of the Israeli border up north.

After the Sabra and Shatila massacre, performed by the Christian phalanxes, Yair entered the refugee camp at the head of a group of soldiers to reassure its terrified residents.

Yair demanded that he take responsibility for what happened in Beirut, so that the blame would not fall on IDF fighters.

In 1998 Yair was released and became involved in social and educational activities, he serves as chairman, on a purely voluntary basis, of a number of associations that operate in these areas.

Since 2003, he serves as a strategic advisor to one of the largest law firms in the United States with the help of a team of experts he has assembled.

[citation needed] In 1990 he lost his daughter, Captain Shlomit Yair, who was the operations officer of the 113 Apache Squadron and was killed in a plane crash with four of her fellow pilots.