Ami Ayalon (, born 27 June 1945) is an Israeli politician and a former member of the Knesset for the Labor Party. He was previously head of the Shin Bet, Israel's secret service, and commander-in-chief of the Navy. He came in second to Ehud Barak in a Labor party leadership election in June 2007, and was appointed a Minister without Portfolio in September 2007. He is one of the recipients of Israel's highest decoration, the Medal of Valor. Biography Amihai (Ami) Ayalon was born in Tiberias, and grew up in kibbutz Ma'agan. His parents moved to Palestine in the 1930s. His mother was born in Cluj, Transylvania, Romania, came as a young girl to study in Jerusalem; his father, Yitzhak, emigrated illegally also from Transylvania, Romania, and was one of the founders of Ma'agan, where he worked until retirement as a carpenter. Ayalon graduated from Bar-Ilan University with a Bachelor of Arts in 1980. In 1992, he received a Master of Public Administration from Harvard University's John F. Kennedy School of Government. In 2010, he received a Master of Studies in Law from Bar-Ilan University. He is the chairman of the Executive Committee of the maritime policy & strategy research center (HMS). He is married, and the father of three. Ayalon lives in Kerem Maharal. Military and security career Ayalon served his entire military service in the Israeli Navy. Ayalon enlisted in 1963 and volunteered for the Shayetet 13 navy commando unit. In 1969, he participated in Operation Bulmus 6—the assault on fortified Green Island, Egypt (jointly with Sayeret Matkal). During the operation, he threw a grenade into one of the radar positions, and provided cover for other soldiers in the force. While climbing to the roof, he was hit in the forehead by a ricochet, but continued fighting. He stormed the position from which he was fired upon and injured as a result, killing two Egyptian soldiers and neutralizing the post. After which he continued along with another soldier, and managed to take control of at least two more key positions on the island. While trying to take over the third position, he was injured in the leg by a grenade, kept on fighting, only to be hit by another grenade in the neck and arm. Even so, he continued firing, only reported his injuries when the island was in full control, and was able to evacuate himself into