In 1956 he was conscripted into the IDF (Israel Defense Forces) and rose through the ranks in the Armored Corps. As a tank platoon commander he took part in Operation Cricket against Tawfik in 1960. In the Six-Day War he served as a general staff officer and acting deputy brigade commander of the 8th Brigade which saw action on the Egyptian and Syrian fronts. After the war he was appointed commander of the 52nd Tank Battalion/14th Brigade, and in 1969, during the War of Attrition, he received command of 189th Reconnaissance Battalion/252nd (Sinai) Division. From 1970 to 1972 he served as a general staff officer in the Armored Corps Headquarters.
