He was the son of an immigrant family from Tighina (Bessarabia). At the age of fifteen, he served in the Haganah and Palmach. In the 1947-1949 Palestine war he fought on the southern front with the Negev Brigade. In 1953, David volunteered for the new IDF Paratroopers Brigade as a company commander. The next year, the unit was very active in operationsand other dangerous missions behind enemy lines. Davidi and his company supported Ariel Sharon's Unit 101 in the raid on Qibya, he and Sharon remained close friends. Hewas decorated for actions in the Gaza strip in 1955 with the Medal of Courage. In the Sinai Campaign, David, as Lieutenant - Colonel and regimentalcommander, played a decisive role in the battle of Mitla Pass. From 1965 to 1968, as a colonel, he was the first commander of the IDF Paratrooper and Infantry Corps. During the 1967 Six-Day War, David commanded the decisive actions to capture Sharm-el-Sheik. When Raful Eitan was wounded in action, David led his paratroopers to the Suez Canal. In 1970 he retired as Brigadier from active military service and spent three years at the University of London earning his MA and PhD. He focused on the cultural problems of Chinese minorities. Davidi began teaching geography at Tel Aviv University in 1974. Three years later, hemoved to the Golan Heights as Director of Community and Cultural Activities of the Golan and Jordan Valley.