Lt. Gen. Gadi Eisenkot, Former IDF Chief of Staff, Joins the Washington Institute
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Lt. Gen. Gadi Eisenkot, a decorated military strategist who recently retired after serving as chief of the general staff of the Israel Defense Forces (IDF), has joined the Washington Institute for Near East Policy as a visiting military fellow, the research institution announced today.
General Eisenkot spent four decades in the IDF, holding command positions with the the Golani Brigade, the Bashan Armored Division, the Judea and Samaria Division, IDF Operations Branch, and the Northern Command. In 1999, Eisenkot was appointed military secretary to the prime minister and minister of defense. He was named deputy chief of general staff in 2012, and rose to become the 21st IDF chief of the general staff two years later.
"We are honored to welcome to the Institute one of Israel's greatest strategic thinkers," Washington Institute executive director Dr. Robert Satloff said. " Lt. Gen. Eisenkot's legacy precedes him. His policy of carrying out ‘a campaign between the wars’ – striking targets before they become critical threats – has limited Iran’s encroachment in the Levant and contributed to Israel’s defense.”
In 2016, Eisenkot was awarded the Commander of the Legion of Merit by his American counterpart, General Joseph Dunford, for "exceptionally meritorious service as chief of the General Staff of the IDF" and his "contribution to the strategic cooperation between the United States and Israel [that] will have a lasting effect on both countries." Eisenkot received a B.A. in history from Tel Aviv University and received a master's degree from the United States Army War College.
About the Washington Institute: The Washington Institute is an independent, nonpartisan research institution funded exclusively by U.S. citizens that seeks to advance a balanced and realistic understanding of American interests in the Middle East and to promote the policies that secure them. Drawing on the research of its fellows and the experience of its policy practitioners, the Institute promotes informed debate and scholarly research on U.S. policy in the region.
Media Contact : Erika Naegeli, 202-452-0650, email.