Gadi Eisenkot
Israeli general and politician (born 1960)
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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.
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Gadi Eisenkot | |
|---|---|
| גדי איזנקוט | |
Eisenkot in 2026 | |
| Ministerial roles | |
| 2023–2024 | Minister without portfolio |
| 2023–2024 | Observer of the war cabinet |
| Faction represented in the Knesset | |
| 2022–2025 | National Unity |
| Military roles | |
| 2015–2019 | Chief of the General Staff |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 19 May 1960 Tiberias, Israel |
| Party | Yashar (since 2025) |
Other political affiliations | National Unity (2022–2025) |
| Spouse | Hannah Eisenkot |
| Children | 5 |
| Education | Tel Aviv University University of Haifa |
Awards | Commander of the Legion of Merit (United States) |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance | Israel |
| Branch/service | Operations Directorate, Northern Command |
Years of service | 1978–2019 |
| Rank |  Rav Aluf (highest rank; Lieutenant general) |
| Commands | |
| Battles/wars | |
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.
Biography
Gadi Eisenkot was born in Tiberias, in northern Israel. He is the second of four children[1] born to Meir and Esther Eisenkot,[2] Jewish Moroccan immigrants[3] 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.[4] After his parents divorced, his father remarried and had four more children.[5]
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 the University of Haifa in political science.
Eisenkot is married and the father of five children. He currently resides in Herzliya.[6] One of his children, Master Sergeant Gal Meir Eisenkot, was killed in the Gaza war in December 2023, at the age of 25.[7] Two of his nephews were also killed in the war. One, Sergeant Maor Cohen Eisenkot, was killed a day after Eisenkot's son Gal.[8] The other nephew, Captain Yogev Pazy, was killed in November 2024.[9]
Military career
Eisenkot did his military service in the Golani Brigade,[10] 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. During the South Lebanon conflict (1985–2000) he served as the brigade's Operations Officer and as the commander of the Golani Orev Company.[11] 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.[12] Afterwards he served as Carmeli Brigade's commander and as the commander of the Ephraim 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. Since then he has commanded the 366th Division and the Judea and Samaria Division, where he led the campaign against Palestinian political violence.[13] 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.[14]
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.[15] In his years as the head of the Northern Command he emphasizes the training of forces,[16][17] strengthening the capacities of command and creating an appropriate operational response to threats from Hezbollah and Syria.[18]
On 11 July 2011, the position was transferred to Maj. Gen. Yair Golan.[19] Afterwards he served as Deputy Chief of General Staff in place of Maj. Gen. Yair Naveh, assuming office on 14 January 2013.[20] On 28 November 2014, Defense Minister Moshe Ya'alon and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu chose Eisenkot as the successor to Gen. Benny Gantz as the Chief of Staff of the IDF.[21]
Chief of Staff of the IDF
Eisenkot assumed duties as the IDF Chief of the General Staff on 16 February 2015. Upon taking office, he shifted doctrinal focus back toward ground maneuver capabilities, infantry and armored training, and countering cross-border tunnels. Under his direction, the multi-year "Gideon" plan was formulated and approved in April 2016 to execute the operational concepts outlined in the formal military doctrine document "The IDF Strategy". Together, they aimed to optimize force buildup, eliminate redundancies, establish a cyber command, and anchor military strategy around swift conflict resolution through combined maneuver and firepower.[22][23][24]
A core component of Eisenkot's tenure was the formalization of the Campaigns Between the Wars (CBW) doctrine: covert operations designed to weaken enemies, degrade capabilities, and postpone future conflicts between major engagements.[25][26] A 2017 military study credited Eisenkot with reversing the IDF's overreliance on technology, "strikingly evident" during the Second Lebanon War, and restoring ground maneuver as the military's primary tool for defeating adversaries.[27]
In August 2016, US Marine Corps General Joseph Dunford presented Eisenkot with the Commander of the Legion of Merit award for his meritorious service and contributions to U.S.–Israel strategic cooperation.[28]
Eisenkot handed over command to General Aviv Kohavi on 15 January 2019.[29]
Political career
Following his retirement as Chief of Staff, Israeli media outlets reported that Eisenkot considered entering politics ahead of the 2021 election.[30][31] Ahead of the 2022 election, Eisenkot joined the National Unity alliance, and was elected to the Knesset.[32]
On 12 October 2023, he was sworn in as a minister without portfolio after his party joined the government following the outbreak of the Gaza war.[33][32] Eisenkot left the government, along with the rest of National Unity, in June 2024.[34]
The party announced on 30 June 2025 that Eisenkot would leave the party and resign his seat in the Knesset.[35] He submitted his Knesset resignation on 2 July[36] and was replaced by Eitan Ginzburg on 4 July.[37] Eisenkot explained his reasoning for leaving at a press conference on 1 July, remarking that National Unity needed a "deep democratization process", which he argued had not taken place.[38]
Eisenkot said in an interview with Channel 12 may put himself forward as a prime ministerial candidate if it would give the "anti-Netanyahu bloc" an advantage in the next election.[39]
On 16 September 2025, Eisenkot announced he would be founding a political party, "Yashar! with Eisenkot".[40]
Political views
Eisenkot emphasizes both national-Jewish values and equal rights for all citizens. He identifies internal domestic polarization as a more pressing threat to Israel than external foes like Iran, urging citizens to bridge political divides and resist divisive leadership. To ensure a balanced and functional political system, he also calls for reforms to strengthen the separation of powers within the government.[41]
In 2020, Eisenkot advocated for a two-state solution with the Palestinians to maintain a Jewish-democratic state, while retaining major West Bank settlement blocs and the Jordan Valley.[41] In 2025, following the October 7 attacks, he stated that he thinks that "a Palestinian state is not relevant after October 7," and expressed opposition to "talk[ing] about a state and a prize after this murderous event." [42] He told The New Yorker in 2026 that he never subscribed to a "two states for two peoples" formula, asserting that those talking about "peace now" and a two-state solution fail to understand the deep-rooted nature of the religious-national conflict.[43]
In dealing with the Gaza Strip, Eisenkot supports a long-term ceasefire agreement that includes the return of Israeli captives, demobilization of Hamas missile and rocket capabilities, and under these conditions, he agrees to rehabilitation measures for Gaza, including the opening of a seaport. He believes in a proactive and firm security policy to erode enemy capabilities and deter those who oppose Israel's existence.[41]
Eisenkot indicated that he supports granting military service exemptions for up to three percent of Haredim enrolled at their yeshiva for religious studies but opposes the decades-old system that provided ultra-Orthodox men substantial exemptions.[44]
During his 2022 election campaign, Eisenkot stated “My worldview was and remains that full equality must be ensured and that all discrimination based on religion, race, sex, or sexual orientation must be fought. I have conducted myself according to these values throughout my life and in every position I have held.”[45]
