Gadi Eisenkot

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Gadi Eisenkot ביום חמישי, א’ בתמוז תשע”ט, 4 ביולי 2019 המרכז הבינתחומי הרצליה מכבד את רא"ל )מיל'( גדי איזנקוט "לוחם, מפקד, אדם ממלכתי, צנוע, ערכי, אמיץ, אחראי. אסטרטג מן המעלה הראשונה ואיש של אנשים" - במילים אלו תיאר נשיא המדינה ראובן )רובי( ריבלין את רא"ל גדי איזנקוט, הרמטכ"ל ה21- של צה"ל, עם פרישתו בינואר 2019, ואין מילים ראויות ומדויקות מהן. גדי איזנקוט נולד בטבריה במאי 1960, השני מבין ארבעת ילדיהם של אסתר ומאיר, שעלו ממרוקו. כשהיה בן שנה עברה המשפחה לאילת, בה גדל והתחנך. בתיכון התמחה בשיט מפרשיות במועדון השיט העירוני, שם גם הכיר את חנה, רעייתו. השניים נישאו בשנת 1984 ולהם חמישה ילדים. בשנת 1978 התגייס גדי איזנקוט לצה"ל ושירת בחטיבת גולני. כעבור שנתיים הוסמך כקצין חי"ר בבה"ד 1 ועבר לפקד על מחלקת חי"ר בבסיס האימונים של גולני. במלחמת לבנון הראשונה שימש מפקד פלוגה בגדוד הבוקעים הראשון של גולני והשתתף בלחימה בעין א-ת'ינה, נבטיה, ג'זין ובשדה התעופה בביירות. זמן קצר לאחר שחרורו מצה"ל, שב איזנקוט למדים והתגייס לשירות קבע. בין היתר שימש סגן מפקד חטיבת גולני, קצין המבצעים של פיקוד הצפון ומפקד החטיבה המרחבית אפרים, ובשנת 1997 קיבל את הפיקוד על חטיבת גולני. בשנת 1999 מונה למזכיר הצבאי של ראש הממשלה ושר הביטחון, אהוד ברק, ולאחר מכן שימש המזכיר הצבאי של ראש הממשלה, אריאל שרון. בשנת 2003 קיבל את הפיקוד על אוגדת יהודה ושומרון והוביל את כוחות צה"ל במאבק מוצלח נגד הטרור הפלסטיני, שהביא לירידה משמעותית במספר אירועי הטרור נגד ישראל. ב2005- הועלה לדרגת אלוף ומונה לראש אגף המבצעים במטכ"ל - תפקיד בו שימש בתקופת מלחמת לבנון השנייה. בספטמבר 2006 מונה האלוף איזנקוט לאלוף פיקוד הצפון ובחמש שנות כהונתו שמר על ההרתעה שנבנתה במלחמה מול חיזבאללה והבטיח את המשך השקט בגבול הצפון. לאחר מכן, הוביל צוות שגיבש את הקמת מפקדת העומק ובינואר 2013 מונה לסגן הרמטכ"ל. גדי איזנקוט הועלה לדרגת רב אלוף ונכנס לתפקיד הרמטכ"ל ה21- של צה"ל בפברואר 2015. הוא הוביל את צה"ל בנחישות מול אתגרים מרובים בשלל זירות: איום חיזבאללה בדרום לבנון; הנוכחות הגוברת של איראן וחיזבאללה בסוריה; העימות מול חמאס ברצועת עזה; גלי טרור ביהודה ושומרון וטרור אסלאמי בחצי האי סיני. על אף תקיפות רבות ויעילות נגד מטרות איראניות בשטח סוריה וסבבים אלימים מול חמאס, הצליח רא"ל איזנקוט למנוע את התרחבות הלחימה. במהלך כהונתו, גיבש את מסמך אסטרטגיית צה"ל וכן את התוכנית הרב שנתית "גדעון" שנועדה לשפר את יעילות צה"ל, בין השאר באמצעות שיפור האימונים, הקמת זרוע הסייבר וחטיבת הקומנדו וצמצום כוח האדם. כרמטכ"ל ייזכר רא"ל איזנקוט כמפקד ערכי, אשר ייחס חשיבות רבה לתפקודו של צה"ל לא רק כצבא מקצועי ויעיל, אלא גם כצבא המחויב לעקרונות של אתיקה ומוסר, בהתאם לרוח צה"ל ולמורשתו. רא"ל איזנקוט העניק משקל רב לתפקידו המרכזי והייחודי של צה"ל בחברה הישראלית ולצורך לשמר אותו כגוף ממלכתי, המצוי מחוץ לוויכוחים וחילוקי דעות פוליטיים. בינואר 2019 העביר רב אלוף גדי איזנקוט את הפיקוד על צה"ל לרב אלוף אביב כוכבי. לאחר פרישתו מצה"ל, הצטרף רא"ל )מיל'( איזנקוט למכון וושינגטון למדיניות המזרח הקרוב, כעמית מחקר צבאי אורח. הוא בעל תואר ראשון בהיסטוריה מאוניברסיטת תל אביב ותואר שני במדע המדינה מאוניברסיטת חיפה. ב2016- קיבל את אות "מפקד לגיון ההצטיינות" מראש המטות המשולבים של ארצות הברית, הגנרל ג'וזף דנפורד, על תרומתו הייחודית לשיתוף הפעולה הצבאי בין שתי המדינות. בהוקרה על תרומתו הרבה לצה"ל: לרוח הלחימה שלו ולשימור העקבי של ערכיו; על תרומתו לחברה הישראלית ולשמירה על ערכי היסוד שלה, כפי שהם מבוטאים בהכרזת העצמאות; ועל ידידותו למרכז הבינתחומי הרצליה ומחויבותו לערכיו, מוענק בזאת לרא"ל )מיל'( גדי איזנקוט תואר דוקטור לפילוסופיה לשם כבוד של המרכז הבינתחומי הרצליה On Thursday, July 4th, 2019 The Interdisciplinary Center (IDC) Herzliya resolved to honor LT. GEN. (RES.) GADI EISENKOT “Soldier, commander, statesman, modest, brave, responsible, a first-rate strategist and a people person.” These were the words that Israeli President Reuven Rivlin used to describe Lt. Gen. Gadi Eisenkot, the 21st Chief of Staff of the Israel Defense Forces, upon his retirement in January 2019, and there are no words more appropriate to describe him. Gadi Eisenkot was born in Tiberias in May 1960, the second of four children born to Esther and Meir, immigrants from Morocco. When he was one year old, the family moved to Eilat, where he was raised and educated. In high school Eisenkot specialized in sailing, and met his wife Chana at the municipal sailing club. They married in 1984 and have five children. In 1978, Gadi Eisenkot enlisted in the IDF and served in the Golani Brigade. Two years later, he completed his infantry officers’ training and was sent to command an infantry division on Golani’s training base. During the First Lebanon War, he served as a company commander in the Golani Brigade’s 51st Battalion, and took part in the fighting in Ain El Tineh, Nabatiyeh, Jezzine and at the Beirut airport. Shortly after his discharge from the IDF, Eisenkot returned to uniform and enlisted as a career soldier. He served in roles including Deputy Commander of the Golani Brigade, Operations Officer of the Northern Command, and Commander of the Efraim Regional Brigade. In 1997 he was appointed as Commander of the Golani Brigade. In 1999 he was selected to be the Military Secretary to Prime Minister and Minister of Defense, Ehud Barak, after which he served as Military Secretary to Prime Minister Ariel Sharon. In 2003 he assumed command of the Judea and Samaria Division, leading IDF forces in a successful campaign against Palestinian terror that resulted in a significant reduction in the number of terrorist attacks against Israel. In 2005, he was promoted to the rank of Major General and was appointed Head of the Operations Directorate, a position he served in during the Second Lebanon War. In September 2006, Major General Eisenkot was named Head of the Northern Command. During his five years in this position he preserved the deterrence that had been built up against Hezbollah during the war, and maintained quiet on the northern border. Subsequently, he led the team that formed the IDF’s Depth Corps, and in January 2013 was appointed Deputy Chief of Staff. Major General Eisenkot was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant General and assumed the post of IDF Chief of Staff in February 2015. He led the IDF resolutely against multiple challenges in a variety of areas: the threat of Hezbollah in southern Lebanon, the growing presence of Iran and Hezbollah in Syria, the confrontation with Hamas in the Gaza Strip, waves of terror in Judea and Samaria, and Islamic terror in the Sinai Peninsula. Despite numerous effective attacks against Iranian targets in Syria and violent rounds against Hamas, Lt. Gen. Eisenkot succeeded in preventing the expansion of the hostilities. During his tenure, he formulated the “IDF Strategy” document as well as the multi-year “Gideon” plan designed to improve the efficiency of the IDF by, among other things, improving training, establishing a cyber command and a commando brigade, and reducing manpower. As Chief of Staff, Lt. Gen. Eisenkot will be remembered as a commander with values,who ​​ attributed great importance to the IDF’s purpose to be not only a professional and efficient army, but also an army committed to ethical and moral principles, in accordance with the Spirit of the IDF and its legacy. Lt. Gen. Eisenkot ascribed a lot of weight to the central and unique role of the IDF in Israeli society and to the need to preserve it as a state body that remains separate from political disputes. In January 2019, Lt. Gen. Gadi Eisenkot handed the command of the Israel Defense Forces to Lt. Gen. Aviv Kochavi. Upon his retirement from the IDF, Lt. Gen. (Res.) Gadi Eisenkot joined the Washington Institute for Near East Policy as a Visiting Military Fellow. He holds a BA in History from Tel Aviv University and an MA in Political Science from the University of Haifa. In 2016, he was awarded the Commander of the Legion of Merit by the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff of the United States, General Joseph Dunford, for his unique contribution to the military cooperation between the two countries. In recognition of his significant contribution to the strength, security and status of the State of Israel in the world; his influence on the spirit of the IDF and his consistent efforts to maintain its moral code; his contribution to Israeli society and to the preservation of its fundamental values ​​as expressed in the Declaration of Independence; and in appreciation of his friendship with IDC Herzliya and his commitment to its values, Lt. Gen. (Res.) Gadi Eisenkot is hereby conferred the degree of DOCTOR PHILOSOPHIAE HONORIS CAUSA of the Interdisciplinary Center Herzliya פרופ' אוריאל רייכמן, פרופ' אלכס מינץ, פרופ' אמנון רובינשטיין, מר אודי רקנאטי, נשיא ומייסד משנה לנשיא לעניינים אקדמיים יו"ר הדירקטוריון נגיד Mr. Oudi Recanati Prof. Amnon Rubinstein Prof. Alex Mintz Prof. Uriel Reichman Chancellor Chairman, Board of Directors Provost President and Founder.
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