Yoav Galant Major General of the Israel Defense Forces Date of Birth: 08.11.1958 Country: Israel

1. Early Life and Family History
2. Military Career
3. Chief of the Ground Forces and Secretary to the Prime Minister
4. Commander of the Southern Command
5. Controversy and Withdrawal of Candidacy for Chief of Staff
6. Later Career

Early Life and Family History

Yoav Galant was born on November 8, 1958, in Tel Aviv, Israel. His mother, Fruma, was a Polish Holocaust survivor who arrived in Palestine on the Exodus ship in 1947. His father, Michael, was an Israeli sniper during the War of Independence.

Military Career

Galant enlisted in the IDF in 1977, serving in the elite naval commando unit, Shayetet 13. He worked in the United States as a logger before returning to Israel in 1984. Galant served as deputy captain of a missile boat and later commanded the Shayetet 13 company and Marine Commando School. He also led various territorial brigades and the Gaza Strip Division.

Chief of the Ground Forces and Secretary to the Prime Minister

Galant became Chief of Staff of the Ground Forces Command in 2001. In 2002, he was promoted to Major General and appointed Military Secretary to the Prime Minister.

Commander of the Southern Command

From October 2005 to October 2010, Galant served as Commander of the Southern Command, leading troops during Operation Cast Lead in Gaza.

Controversy and Withdrawal of Candidacy for Chief of Staff

Galant was a candidate for Deputy Chief of Staff in 2009 and was considered a front-runner for Chief of Staff upon the retirement of Gabi Ashkenazi in 2011. However, a document was leaked in 2010 alleging that Galant had engaged in a smear campaign against his rivals. An investigation concluded that the document was forged, but not all charges against Galant were dismissed. As a result, his candidacy was withdrawn.

Later Career

After retiring from the military, Galant became CEO of the oil and gas company Nammax Exploration & Production.