 Yarkoni died on February 7, 1991, after a prolonged battle with cancer, aged 70.His old friend, Rehavam Ze'evi, requested that the IDF bury Yarkoni in a military cemetery, despite the fact that as a retired soldier, he was technically ineligible for a military burial.Both then-Minister of Defense, Moshe Arens, and the Head of Manpower for the IDF approved the request.