Donald Perera

Donald Perera is a native of Colombo, Sri Lanka. Ynet described him as 60 years old in 2010 and identified him as an Air Chief Marshal, former commander of the Sri Lanka Air Force, and former chief of staff of Sri Lanka.[1]

Perera was appointed chief of staff in 2006, when President Mahinda Rajapaksa decided to pursue the eradication of Tamil terrorism. Perera recalled that the president warned the public that the war would carry a heavy price, asked citizens to remain patient and rally around the armed forces, and then authorized a full-force campaign against the rebels.[1]

As chief of staff, Perera commanded more than 240,000 soldiers and served during the final offensive against the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam, or Tamil Tigers, which ended in the rebels' surrender after more than 30 years of fighting. He described the organization as having fought since 1976 for an independent Tamil homeland, used suicide bombings, attacked military and civilian targets, and developed naval and aerial forces. He estimated that its guerrilla force reached approximately 35,000 fighters at its peak.[1]

Several of Perera's close associates were killed or disabled in Tamil Tiger attacks. Perera said that during the takeoff of a cargo aircraft carrying military personnel, he felt a strong impact and halted the aircraft. He then found the RPG launcher used to fire at the plane and said the rocket had passed close by him. Afterward, he changed his security routine, traveling in a private car and wearing civilian clothing while his army-issued vehicle moved as part of a convoy.[1]

Perera also ordered large army forces into eastern Sri Lanka after rebel forces attempted to seize an important port, pushing them northward. He said that approximately 7,000 people, including many army personnel, were killed during eleven months of fighting.[1]

Perera participated in the pursuit of Tamil Tiger leader Velupillai Prabhakaran and inspected his body after it was found. He asked to see Prabhakaran's personal firearm and recognized its serial number as 001. Perera said that this confirmed the rebel leader's death and convinced him that he could retire.[1]

After retiring from active military service, Perera was appointed Sri Lanka's ambassador to Israel and worked from the Sri Lankan Embassy in Tel Aviv. He said that he had personally requested the posting because he considered Israel a partner in the fight against terrorism and believed that many Sri Lankans admired the country.[1]

Before becoming ambassador, Perera had maintained relations with Israeli military industries, including Israel Aerospace Industries, through his positions as air force commander and chief of staff. He stated that Israel had supported Sri Lanka's war against terrorism through exchanges of information and the sale of military technology and equipment.[1]

Perera said that the Sri Lankan Air Force operated 17 Kfir fighter aircraft and that Sri Lanka also possessed Dabur patrol boats. Sri Lankan pilots had received training in Israel. During the offensive against the Tamil Tigers, Sri Lanka also purchased military equipment from Pakistan, China, the United States, Russia, and Israel.[1]

Ynet published its interview with Perera on July 21, 2010. By that time, he had visited Jerusalem, Eilat, Haifa, Netanya, and Jaffa. He described Israelis as warm, open, and easy-going and praised the country's achievements in technology, agriculture, and education. Approximately 5,000 Sri Lankan nationals were working in Israel, and Perera said that the embassy rarely received complaints from them.[1]

Perera's wife, a military dentist, and his daughter, a university student, remained in Sri Lanka when he took up the ambassadorial post. They were expected to join him in Israel in the following months.[1]

Perera's post-military role carried his counterterrorism experience into diplomacy. In his 2010 interview, he recommended offering adversaries direct negotiations without preconditions before resorting to military action. He argued that if compromise proved impossible, public support would be essential for a sustained campaign against terrorist organizations.[1]

His account continued to appear in later strategic discussions. A 2014 Institute for National Security Studies article on Sri Lanka and the Tamil Tigers cited a separate interview with Perera conducted at the Sri Lankan ambassador's residence in Tel Aviv on September 21, 2011.[2]

Many detailed claims about the final offensive appeared in the form of Perera's personal recollections and estimates. For example, Ynet attributed to him the estimate that approximately 7,000 people, including many army personnel, died during eleven months of fighting in eastern Sri Lanka.[1]

Perera also expressed support for Israel's response to terrorism. Regarding the May 31 commando raid on a Gaza-bound Turkish ship, he said that as a military officer he understood Israel's need to protect itself and that Sri Lanka would support countries opposing terrorism. He also defended Sri Lanka's relations with Iran as a source of civilian assistance and said his government favored military rather than civilian sanctions against Tehran.[1]

The Ynet article carries a notice stating that some of its quotations were corrected on July 22, 2010.[1]