Haim Eshed

Background

Haim Eshed was born in Turkey in 1933 to Ashkenazi Jewish parents. His family immigrated to Mandatory Palestine in 1934 when he was one year old and settled in southern Tel Aviv. He attended Max Fein School and later studied at the Technion – Israel Institute of Technology, completing a bachelor's degree in electronics engineering, a master's in operations research, and a doctorate in aeronautical engineering.

In 1965 Eshed joined the technological unit of Israel's Military Intelligence Directorate, known as Unit 81, which developed specialized equipment for intelligence operations. He advanced through the ranks during his military service. In 1967 he received the Chief of Staff Citation, the IDF's highest non-combat decoration. By 1979, serving as a colonel, he proposed developing an independent Israeli satellite capability to monitor the Sinai Peninsula after the withdrawal of forces under the Egypt peace treaty.

In 1981 Eshed founded and led the Etgar Project within the Ministry of Defense Directorate of Defense Research and Development. The unit focused on building Israel's satellite infrastructure and launch systems. Under his direction the program achieved its first success with the launch of Ofek-1 in September 1988, making Israel the eighth nation to place a satellite into orbit using its own rocket. He continued overseeing subsequent Ofek reconnaissance satellites through the 1990s and 2000s, including Ofek-7 in 2007.

Eshed held the position of director of space programs for nearly thirty years until his retirement around 2011. During this period he was responsible for the development and launch of twenty Israeli-made satellites. He also served as chair of the Space Committee of the National Council for Research and Development and as a member of the steering committee of the Israel Space Agency. Israeli officials and media have repeatedly described him as the father of the country's space capabilities.

After retirement Eshed continued academic work as a visiting professor of aeronautics and astronautics at the Technion and other institutions. He received the Israel Defense Prize three times for classified technological contributions. In 2020 he published the book The Universe Beyond the Horizon, based on conversations with author Hagar Yanai, which expanded on his views of space and extraterrestrial matters.

In the December 2020 Yedioth Aharonoth interview Eshed asserted that the United States and Israel have maintained contact for years with a Galactic Federation. He stated that the two countries signed agreements allowing extraterrestrials to conduct experiments on Earth and that a secret underground base on Mars hosts both alien representatives and American astronauts. He added that the Federation had prevented nuclear conflicts, including during the 1961 Bay of Pigs crisis, and had advised against public disclosure to avoid mass hysteria.

Eshed noted that Donald Trump was aware of the agreements and had been on the verge of revealing them but was dissuaded. He said humanity was not yet ready and that the Federation wished people to reach a stage of understanding space and spacecraft first. The interview and book generated international coverage; Israel Space Agency chairman Isaac Ben-Israel affirmed Eshed's professional stature while stating the Galactic Federation claims went too far.

Eshed has faced no official sanctions for the statements. Colleagues and observers have described his military and technical record as substantial while treating the extraterrestrial assertions as unverified personal claims. He has continued to stand by the statements in later appearances.

Where They Are Now

As of October 2026 Haim Eshed, age 93, remains a visiting professor and continues to affirm his 2020 statements about the Galactic Federation in media appearances, including 2026 podcast interviews. He has described additional encounters with unidentified individuals questioning him on scientific topics.

Last updated 25 October 2026