Hello! I'm Yaniv.
Hello! I’m Yaniv Magal, a writer and journalist.
After years of working as an editor and writer at Israel’s leading financial newspaper, “Globes”, I now dedicate myself full-time to writing. Some of my books are solo projects, while others are collaborations with individuals who have made a unique mark in various fields – senior commanders in the IDF, successful businesspeople in hi-tech, tourism, cinema, and others whose stories are simply exceptional.
Personally, I feel like I’m living the dream. I feel destined to be independent, to express myself in the field where I am talented, and to earn respect, and perhaps above all, satisfaction from the path I have chosen. I had a vision to improve my life, worked towards it with determination and patience (as much as I can be patient…), and have enjoyed the fruits of this effort, embarking on a journey filled with faith.
I grew up in a family that was part of the Religious Zionist movement. When I was 10 months old, my parents decided to join Kedumim, one of the first settlements in the West Bank (Judea and Samaria). Regardless of your opinion on the settlements, you would likely agree that I had an interesting childhood – hearing stories about and from the first settlers, participating in demonstrations against government policy, and experiencing the separation between boys and girls.
As I grew older, I veered ‘off the path’ (meaning I left the religious way of life) and also shifted my political views. While not moving to the opposite side, I adopted the Zionist non-religious belief system espoused by the pioneers who built my land and the original Zionist party, including figures like David Ben-Gurion, Yigal Allon, and Moshe Dayan. I inherited from my father a curiosity for history.
As a child, I remember immersing myself in many books about Israeli history and international history.
My Books
Interesting Stories About Remarkable People:
115 Mind-Blowing True Stories About Exceptional People Who Changed the Course of History in Politics, Science, Culture, Art, War, and More
Yaniv Magal
(In English and Hebrew, 2024)
You won’t believe who saved the son of President Abraham Lincoln (hint: his last name was Booth).
You will also be surprised to discover the real purpose of the Crusades (hint: it wasn’t the conquest of Jerusalem).
What else? If a prominent man is caught committing adultery with a beautiful Czech actress, how does he get out of his predicament? Fortunately, most people will not stoop as low as the notorious Joseph Goebbels.
In this book, you will also read about the mistake that resulted in the world’s largest river being named the Amazon (from which the name of the website and company through which you are reading this book is derived).
Here you will learn about a famous boxer who floated like a butterfly, stung like a bee, and distorted history like Mel Gibson.
You can read all about all of this, and many other little-known stories, in this book. Remarkably, most of these stories are also of great historical significance. The stories in this book do not encapsulate history; history cannot possibly be summed up in a single book. They can, however, provide another history – one that is surprising, intriguing, and colorful. In this context, it is important to note that every effort has been made to verify these stories, because the value and significance of a good story depend to a large extent on its being true, not just an urban legend.
Start reading, and discover another side of history.
Kuti
The Story of Lieutenant General Yekutiel Adam
Yaniv Magal
(In Hebrew, 2023)
History isn’t generous with modest practitioners, and Lieutenant General Yekutiel Adam was one of those prominent figures.
He initiated and led “Operation Entebbe” and “Operation Opera” (the bombing of the nuclear reactor in Iraq). Leading his division, he spearheaded the crucial move in the Battle of Abu-Ageila during the Six-Day War in 1967, effectively determining the outcome on the southern front. He made a significant contribution to the establishment of the “Shaked” and “Shaldag” reconnaissance units. With a forward-looking perspective, he advanced and integrated innovative technologies within the IDF, in an era where many commanders struggled to grasp their utility (such as laser target designation, combat system computing, precision missiles, and live video transmissions from drones). Amidst all this, while his peers at the top of the IDF and the state enjoyed the pleasant media spotlight, he quietly returned to his work, seemingly unaffected, neither writing nor granting interviews. Kuti tirelessly devoted himself to the security of his state Israel, far beyond concern for his own recognition.
During the First Lebanon War in 1982, Kuti found himself in a skirmish with terrorists, during which he was killed. He was the highest-ranking officer in the IDF to fall in combat. Why did he insist on entering Lebanon even after being informed by Prime Minister Menachem Begin that he was to be appointed head of the Mossad? What drew him specifically to the place where his killers lay in wait? To understand this, one must know the man, the depth of his thoughts and actions, and the twists of his relationship with the man who did not allow anything to stand in his way – Ariel Sharon – the future prime minister, who became a close friend in personal life and battles, and who influenced his fate for the better but mostly for the worse.
“Kuti is an exemplary figure in the history of the State of Israel. Israeli youth can get to know his modest personality, creativity, and unique activity through the book. Kuti operated in the critical arenas of all Israeli systems and embodied the values of responsibility and leadership.” – Former Prime Minister, Naftali Bennett
“The book does justice late to Lieutenant General Kuti Adam… Kuti commanded in every aspect that ensured the security of Israel. It is fitting that his deeds be remembered in Israel’s annals.” – Minister of Defense, Lieutenant General Yoav Galant
“Kuti – the man and the story – embodies everything that made Israel what it is: love of the land stemming from understanding it, readiness for confrontation, original thinking, and innovation. All this with rare modesty and a fate that is both inspiring and tragic.” – Former Prime Minister and Chief of Staff, Ehud Barak
Forward Driver
The Story of an Israeli Tank Commander in
the Largest Tank Battle Since World War II
The Story of an Israeli Tank Commander in the Largest Tank Battle Since World War II
This book, published in celebration of the 70th anniversary of Israel, contains short conversations with prominent Israelis of today, about figures in the history of Israel that changed this country.
By: Haim Danon and Yaniv Magal
(In Hebrew, 2023)
In an instant, the scene we sought was revealed before our eyes. Across our field of vision, trenches were uncovered, with hundreds of Syrian tanks and APCs alongside them. Our cannons began to rain fire, destroying tanks. After a short while, Barak reported to me, ‘I’m left with only nine shells.’ Two tanks, whose ammunition had run out, stood alone against hundreds of Syrian tanks and APCs, and also in front of a miracle that happened at precisely that moment.
“Forward Driver” tells the story of Haim Danon, a tank commander in the Israeli army at the heart of the battles of the Yom Kippur War in the Golan Heights in 1973, where the success or failure of his brigade to hold onto the Nafah Camp would determine the fate of the northern front. While over 1,000 tanks invaded the Golan Heights at the beginning of the war, less than 200 Israeli tanks stood against them. Danon was one of those few who changed the fate of the entire country – the embodiment of the daring Israeli officer, defying the odds and finding a way to victory in the kingdom of uncertainty and against all odds.
Escape from Damascus
By Jack Blanga and Yaniv Magal
A real story
(In Hebrew, 2022)
“We gathered at the place from which the buses to Aleppo depart, and my father found two taxis that would take us there. From there, I already knew, we would head towards the Turkish border and onwards to the land of Israel. We glanced around one last time to make sure no one from the Mukhabarat was around and got into the taxis, leaving behind everything we knew. If we had known what awaited us on this journey, we might not have embarked on it. But at that early hour, we had no idea.
“One thing, in particular, I remembered – something my father had admonished me a few days earlier: ‘You will be the first to cross the border fence. And from there, do not look back. Even if there is shooting, even if we don’t catch up with you, keep going forward.'”
In the book “Escape from Damascus,” Jack Blanga recounts the true and unbelievable story of his family’s escape from Syria when he was a teenager, and in doing so, the story of the Jewish community in Damascus, from the establishment of the State of Israel to the escape, decades later – the arrests, the torture in prison, the torn-apart family, living in fear, and the shattered promises. And perhaps no less, it is also a story of the power of dreams and the determination to fulfill them.
I Knew My Country
By Matan Vilnai and Yaniv Magal
(In Hebrew, 2019)
“The Nile appears like a serpent winding its way through the heart of the desert. I sat at the front of the helicopter with a map in hand, following the pilots’ navigation. I relied on primitive means like azimuth, range, and time. I delved into the map to ensure that the recent discovery arousing concerns exposed shortly before wouldn’t jeopardize us.
The dark and quiet night threatened and embraced us warmly together. The Nile’s winding led us with good news – we are close to our destination. In a few more moments, we will land and set our feet on the target.
Suddenly, a strong light flooded us – a giant spotlight directed towards both our helicopters.
It’s difficult to describe this contrast; quiet and covert action in the darkness, coupled with a spectacular military discipline illuminated with full force.
Have we been revealed?”
Matan Vilnai was one of the prominent commanders in the history of the IDF. He fought in Israel’s wars and numerous special operations behind enemy lines. After completing his military service as Deputy Chief of Staff, he served as a minister in the Israeli governments and as an ambassador to China.
In the book “I Knew My Country,” he describes the events of his life’s journey, which began in a patriotic home in Jerusalem, continued to full military service with commitment and faith, and reached the remote villages of China, all in simple language, full of humor and insights that often elude us regarding public life, the constant struggle between integrity and careerism, the backstage of command in the IDF, and the governance of the state. Side by side, he presents to us a map of the great challenges, both security and societal, that still face the State of Israel.
Conversations with current prominent people about main figures in the history of Israel (2018)
(In English and Hebrew, 2018)
This book, published in celebration of the 70th anniversary of Israel, contains short conversations with prominent Israelis of today, about figures in the history of Israel that changed this country.
The main unique feature in my book is the appropriate link between the historical leaders in their fields and the current public figures who remember them.
For example, I spoke with Prof. Aharon Barak, former President of the Supreme Court of Israel from 1995 to 2006, about Gideon Hausner, who is widely known for heading the team of prosecutors in the trial of Adolf Eichmann. Barak, who survived the holocaust as a child, was Hausner’s intern at this time. He told me that he asked Hausner not to be part of the trial, since “the Holocaust was part of my life every day, every hour”.
Similarly, I spoke with current senior politicians, such as the president of Israel Reuven Rivlin, and ministers Yair Lapid, Naftali Bennet and Moshe Yeelon about the main leaders of Israel history – David Ben Gurion, Yitzhak Rabin, Menachem Begin etc. Also, I interviewed prominent people in other fields, such as the author Meir Shalev (about Yehuda Amichai), Prof. Dan Shechtman (Nobel Prize winner) on Haim Weizmann, Shai Agassi (on Mobileye’s entrepreneurs) etc.
Another important part of this book is the pictures – all interesting or beautiful, some of them are published in this book for the very first time. I got most of them from relatives of the historical leaders. This combination, of brief conversations and interesting photos, makes the book more accessible to the reader.
If you wish to read a book about Israel that shows its variation in many aspects, you will probably like this book. You can find at this site a sample of my lecture about Israel‘s secrets, that is based on this book.
The Story of Religious Zionists Army Integration" (2016)
(In Hebrew, 2016)
Books about Israeli history paid little attention to the religious Zionists, that are becoming more prominent in Israel today. The generation of “knitted kippas” (religious Zionists) of the 1970s channeled their energy into the establishment of settlements. Its current generation does it in the Israeli army.
Today, religious soldiers are no longer a marginal minority, and their role in the IDFs decision-making process is becoming increasingly important.
This trend arose in the last decade, increasing fear in the secular society in Israel, which led to questions like:
- Would the religious soldier prefer to obey his rabbi before his commander?
- In a case of an emerging peace process, that probably includes evacuation of settlements, would the religious soldiers obey an order to evacuate a settlements that is home to their own people?
- In a case of emerging peace process, that probably includes evacuation of settlements, will the religious soldiers obey this order?
During the work on “Srugim Bakaneh” I interviewed more than 60 senior commanders in the Israeli army, heads of pre-military preparatory institutes and leading rabbis in the Religious Zionist society.
Together with them, this book tells the story of the Integration of Religious Zionists into the Israeli army, and tries to answer the burning questions.
Media
Gallery
Interviews and Lecturs
In the T.V with Yaron London, about "Rabbi Yigal Levenstein scandal" - In Hebrew
In the T.V with Guy Meroz and Orly Vilnai, about my book "70 Faces of Israel" - In Hebrew
In the T.V on my item about the closing of the pre-military preparatory for women in the Ma'ale Mikhmas settlement - In Hebrew
The Secrets of Israel - Sample of my lecture (Based on my book "70 Faces of Israel") – In English
A Journalist Work
Contact
Yaniv Magal
Author & Journalist
+972-526-883-123
yanivmagal10@gmail.com