Gadi Eisenkot

Gadi Eisenkot (Hebrew: גדי איזנקוט, [gaˈdi ajzenˈkot]; born 19 May 1960), also spelt Eizenkot, is an Israeli general, politician and leader of the Yashar party. He served from 2015 to 2019 as the 21st chief of staff of the Israel Defense Forces and from 2023 to 2024 as a minister without portfolio in Israel's unity 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 Gaza war. Eisenkot has held various leadership roles in the Golani Brigade and other IDF divisions. He served as Prime Minister Ehud Barak's military secretary and later as the IDF's chief of staff. During his tenure as chief of staff, Eisenkot focused on strengthening IDF ground forces and implementing the "Gideon" multiyear plan, which emphasized force buildup and the formation of a cyber command. Eisenkot advocates for a state rooted in national-Jewish values but with equal rights for all citizens. He avoids explicit support for a two-state solution with the Palestinians, prioritizing the Jordan Valley and settlement blocs, and advocates a long-term ceasefire and demilitarization in the Gaza Strip. Eisenkot has emphasized 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 in the Israeli government. Eisenkot indicated that he supports military service exemptions for up to three percent of Haredim enrolled at their yeshiva for religious studies but opposes the longstanding system that granted significant exemptions to ultra-Orthodox men following the October 7 attacks.