Eliezer Toledano
Eliezer Toledano
Native name
אליעזר טולדנו
Born (1973-10-12) 12 October 1973 (age 50)
Israel
Allegiance Israel
Service/branch Israel Defense Forces
Years of service1991–present
RankAluf (major general)
UnitParatroopers Brigade
Commands held101st "Peten" (Elapidae) paratroop battalion, Maglan Unit, Reserve Paratroopers Brigade, Paratroopers Brigade, Military Secretary to the Prime Minister
Battles/wars

Eliezer Toledano (Hebrew: אליעזר טולדנו; born 12 October 1973) is an Israeli Aluf (major general) who served as the commander of the Paratroopers Brigade, the Military Secretary to the Prime Minister, the commander of the Gaza Division and of the Southern Command.[1][2] Currently, he heads the Strategy and Third-Circle Directorate of the General Staff of the Israel Defense Forces.[3]

Military career

Eliezer Toledano (first from left) with Gen. Benny Gantz at the 35th Paratroopers Brigade command post in Operation Protective Edge

In 1990, Toledano became an infantry officer after completing officer candidate school, and was drafted into the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) in 1991. He served as 890 "Efe" (Echis) Paratroop Battalion Executive Officer during Operation Defensive Shield, led 101st "Peten" (Elapidae) paratroop battalion in counter-terror operations during the Second Intifada. Later on he commanded Maglan Unit in the 2006 Lebanon War. Afterwards he served as the Executive Officer of the Judea and Samaria Division and as the commander of a Reserve Paratroopers Brigade.[4] During Operation Protective Edge, under his command, the 35th Paratroopers Brigade was assigned to operate in Khan Yunis. It had located and destroyed four of Hamas' terror tunnels and killed 141 terrorists.[5] Afterwards he was appointed as the Military Secretary to the Prime Minister.[6]

In October, 2018, he was named commander of the IDF's Gaza Division, and filled this role until August, 2020. During his cadence he led the Gaza Division through the 2018–2019 Gaza border protests and various military operations and clashes versus the terror organizations Hamas and the Islamic Jihad Movement in Palestine. The most prominent of those are Operation Black Belt, May 2019 Gaza–Israel clashes, and the November 2018 Gaza–Israel clashes.

In March 2021 he was appointed to be the commander of the Southern Command, and led the operation Guardian of the Walls right after his appointment.[2] He held the appointment until 9 July 2023, when he was succeeded by Yaron Finkelman.[7]

He now leads the Strategy and Third-Circle Directorate of the General Staff of the Israel Defense Forces.[3]

Some members of the Israeli press deemed Toledano, who was commander of the Southern command until September 2023, and the ideology that Toledano and his superior Lieutenant General Aviv Kohavi espoused, as being a significant cause for the failure of the Israeli military to defend southern Israel during Hamas's October 7, 2023 invasion.[8]

References

  1. ^ Gal Perl, Finkel (6 October 2018). "Don't 'poke the bear' in Syria". The Jerusalem Post. Archived from the original on 7 October 2018. Retrieved 15 October 2023.
  2. ^ a b Gross, Judah Ari (11 February 2021). "Current IDF operations chief tapped to lead Military Intelligence". The Times of Israel. Archived from the original on 24 February 2021. Retrieved 15 March 2021.
  3. ^ a b Fabian, Emanuel (3 May 2023). "IDF announces a series of appointments to General Staff". The Times of Israel. Archived from the original on 4 November 2023. Retrieved 15 October 2023.
  4. ^ Dana Petrov, New commander for Paratroopers Brigade, Israel Defence Forces, May 16, 2013.
  5. ^ Harel, Amos (22 April 2015). "Israel's Paratroopers Want to Know They Will Not Die in Vain". Haaretz. Archived from the original on 25 September 2022. Retrieved 15 October 2023.
  6. ^ "Head of IDF Paratroopers named as Netanyahu aide". The Times of Israel. 15 August 2015. Archived from the original on 19 November 2023. Retrieved 30 December 2023.
  7. ^ IDF Editorial Team (9 July 2023). "The New Commanding Officer of the Southern Command". Israel Defence Forces.
  8. ^ Bohbot, Amir (12 November 2023). "General Staff knew Gaza fence couldn't stop a war, but still underestimated Hamas". The Jerusalem Post. Archived from the original on 11 November 2023. Retrieved 11 November 2023.
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