Gadi Eizenkot

Who is Gadi Eizenkot?

Aluf Gadi Eizenkot is a Major-General in the Israel Defense Forces, and current deputy chief of staff, assuming office on 14 January 2013.

After joining the IDF Eizenkot was assigned to the Golani Brigade, which he himself would eventually command from 1997–8. During that time he received a B.A. in history from Tel Aviv University and attended the US Army and Security Studies course.

In 1999 Eizenkot was selected to be the Military Secretary for the Prime Minister and the Minister of Defense under then Prime Minister Ehud Barak. Since then he has commanded the 366th Division and the West Bank Division. He was promoted to head of Israeli Operations Directorate in June 2005.

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

On July 11, 2011, the position was transferred to Major-General Yair Golan, and Eizenkot went on leave in order to serve as a research fellow in an Israeli think tank, to return as deputy chief of General Staff in place of Maj.-Gen. Yair Naveh. In 2014 Eizenkot and Naveh will compete to become the 21st Chief of General Staff.