Giora Eiland

Giora Eiland was born in 1952 in moshav

Giora Eiland was born on April 22, 1952, and grew up in Kfar Hess in the Sharon region. His father, Reuven Eiland, came from Hungary in 1940 and served as director general of the Ministry of Agriculture. As a teenager, Eiland won medals in running at the Israeli youth championship.

He studied at the high school near Midreshet Ruppin from 1966 to 1970. He later earned a B.A. in economics and an M.B.A. from Bar Ilan University.

Eiland joined the IDF in 1970 and served many years in the Paratroopers. He commanded the Givati Brigade and later headed the Operations Directorate and the Planning Directorate. He retired in 2003 after 33 years of service.

In January 2004 he became head of the National Security Council under Prime Minister Ariel Sharon. He took part in drafting the disengagement plan and resigned after it was carried out. Ilan Mizrahi replaced him on June 1, 2006.

He then worked as a researcher at the Institute for National Security Studies. He headed inquiries into the capture of Gilad Shalit and into the 2010 Gaza flotilla raid, and founded a consulting company in 2007. He often comments on security in the media.