Benayahu was born and raised in Tel Aviv and studied in the Shevah Mofet secondary school. He was drafted in 1977 and later served in various roles in the IDF Spokesperson's Unit, including the press liaison and chief of the Israel Defense Forces Radio (Galatz). In August 2007 he was promoted to brigadier general and entered the position of IDF Spokesperson, which he filled until April 7, 2011.[1]
