Gadi Eizenkot

Since then he has commanded the 366th Division and the Judea and Samaria Division, where he led the Campaign against Palestinian political violence.

Gadi Eisenkot (גדי איזנקוט; born 19 May 1960), also spelt Eizenkot, is an Israeli general and politician from the Israeli National Unity party.

During the South Lebanon conflict (1985–2000) he served as the brigade's Operations Officer and as the commander of the Golani Orev Company.

Eisenkot did his military service in the Golani Brigade, of which he became commander in 1997–98.

He served as a soldier, a squad leader and a platoon leader.

In the First Lebanon War he served as a Company commander in the Golani brigade.

In 1997 he replaced Col. Erez Gerstein and was appointed commander of the Golani Brigade.

In 1999 Eisenkot was selected to be the Military Secretary for the Prime Minister and the Minister of Defense under then Prime Minister Ehud Barak.

He was promoted to head of Israeli Operations Directorate in June 2005.

After the conclusions exercise "joining of forces" Eisenkot led the formulation of the concept on which the IDF must severely damage the center of gravity of Hezbollah, the Dahiya neighborhood, as a key component for creating deterrence against Hezbollah.

After Maj. Gen. Udi Adam resigned in October 2006 amid criticism over his conduct in the 2006 Lebanon War, Eisenkot replaced him as head of the Northern Command.

In his years as the head of the Northern Command he emphasizes the training of forces, strengthening the capacities of command and creating an appropriate operational response to threats from Hezbollah and Syria.

On 11 July 2011, the position was transferred to Maj. Gen. Yair Golan.

Later, he served as Golani's 13th Battalion commander, the Deputy to the Commander of the Brigade and an operations officer of the Northern Command.

Afterwards he served as Carmeli Brigade's commander and as the commander of the Ephraim Brigade.

Afterwards he served as Deputy Chief of General Staff in place of Maj. Gen. Yair Naveh, assuming office on 14 January 2013.

He served as the 21st Chief of Staff of the Israel Defense Forces from 2015 to 2019 and as of 2023, serves as a minister without portfolio in Israel's government.

Eisenkot, who grew up in Eilat, pursued maritime studies and later served in the IDF's Golani Brigade.

He holds a B.A. in History from Tel Aviv University and a post-graduate degree in Political Science from Haifa University.

Married with five children, he resides in Herzliya.

One of his sons, Gal was killed in action during the 2023 Israel-Hamas war.

Throughout his military career, Eisenkot held various leadership roles in the Golani Brigade and other IDF divisions.

He served as the Military Secretary for Prime Minister Ehud Barak and later as the Chief of Staff of the IDF.

During his tenure as Chief of Staff, Eisenkot focused on strengthening IDF ground forces and implementing the "Gideon" multi-year plan, which emphasized force buildup and the formation of a cyber command.

Eisenkot's political views advocate for a state rooted in national-Jewish values while ensuring equal rights for all citizens.

He supports a two-state solution with the Palestinians, prioritizing the Jordan Valley and settlement blocs, and advocates for a long-term ceasefire and demilitarization in the Gaza Strip.

Eisenkot emphasizes the need for a robust security policy and internal unity in Israel, viewing domestic polarization as a significant threat.

He advocates for reforms to strengthen the separation of powers within the Israeli government.

Gadi Eisenkot was born in Tiberias, in northern Israel.

He is the second of four children born to Meir and Esther Eisenkot, Jewish Moroccan immigrants from the town of Safi.

His mother was born in Casablanca, and his father was born in Marrakesh.

It is thought that the family name was originally Azenkot and was changed to Eisenkot by a clerk after his father immigrated to Israel.

After his parents divorced, his father remarried and had four more children.

Eisenkot grew up in the southern port city of Eilat, and studied at Goldwater High School, majoring in maritime studies.

After high school he was drafted to the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) and served in the Golani Brigade.

He graduated with a B.A. in History from Tel Aviv University and later completed a post-graduate degree at Haifa University in Political science.

He is married and the father of five children.

He currently resides in Herzliya.

On 12 October 2023, he was sworn in as a minister without portfolio after his party joined the government following the outbreak of the 2023 Israel–Hamas war.

One of his children, Master Sergeant Gal Meir Eisenkot, was killed in the war in Gaza in December 2023, at the age of 25.