Dani Dayan was born on November 29, 1955, in Buenos Aires, Argentina, to a Jewish family. He immigrated to Israel in 1971 at the age of 15 with his family, settling in a Tel Aviv neighborhood. Dayan founded Elad Software Systems Ltd., serving as its Chairman and CEO, and established himself as a successful entrepreneur in the information technology sector before entering public advocacy and diplomacy. He has been a prominent figure in Israeli settler movements and right-wing politics, notably as a former leader of the Yesha Council (settlers' umbrella organization), advocating for permanent Israeli control over the West Bank and opposing the establishment of a Palestinian state. Critics, including the Institute for Middle East Understanding (IMEU), have labeled him an 'ambassador for apartheid' due to his support for policies maintaining Israeli dominance in occupied territories. Dayan later served as Israel's Consul General in New York from 2016 to 2020 and as Chairman of Yad Vashem. He is married to Einat Dayan, and they have one child.