IDF Officer (res.) and Strategic Affairs Expert

Captain Selavan was born to American olim and grew up in Jerusalem’s Old City. During the Second Lebanon War at the age of 18, he founded a nationwide project to support wounded IDF soldiers. After being drafted into the IDF, Yaakov advanced from tank driver to company leader. He eventually became Combat Operations Officer of the 188th Brigade and served under fire in both of his prior capacities. During Operation Protective Edge in 2014, Yaakov felt the threat that IDF soldiers faced due to open-fire restrictions brought about by false and unchecked media reporting. Following his discharge, after about a decade in uniform, Yaakov founded Slingshot Israel, which aims to educate by offering a unique insider’s look into the IDF. His work centers on combating media bias by connecting facts and theories to personal stories which shed a light on the moral and ethical challenges faced by IDF soldiers on a daily basis.