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Gilad Erdan

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Gilad Erdan
גלעד ארדן
Erdan in 2021
18th Permanent Representative of Israel to the United Nations
In office
5 July 2020 – 10 August 2024
PresidentReuven Rivlin
Isaac Herzog
Prime MinisterBenjamin Netanyahu
Naftali Bennett
Yair Lapid
Preceded byDanny Danon
Succeeded byDanny Danon
Faction represented in the Knesset
2003–2020Likud
Personal details
BornGilad Menashe Erdan
(1970-09-30) 30 September 1970 (age 55)
Ashkelon, Southern District, Israel
EducationBar-Ilan University
Tel Aviv University

Gilad Erdan (Hebrew: גלעד ארדן; born 30 September 1970) is an Israeli politician and diplomat who was a prominent figure in the Likud party, serving as a long-time member of the Knesset from 2003 to 2020 and holding numerous senior ministerial portfolios.

He served as Permanent Representative of Israel to the United Nations from 2020 through 2024, having previously served as Ambassador to the United States. Within the Israeli government, his ministerial posts included Minister of Environmental Protection (2009–2013), Communications (2013–2014), Home Front Defense (2013–2014), Interior (2014–2015), Minister of Public Security (2015–2020), Minister of Strategic Affairs and Public Diplomacy (2015–2020) and Minister of Regional Cooperation (2020).

Breaking with Likud, he launched Unity, a new right-wing political party, with Yuli Edelstein in August 2026.

Background and personal life

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Gilad Menashe Erdan was born in Ashkelon. He is of Romanian Jewish and Hungarian Jewish descent. He studied at Netiv-Meir yeshiva high-school in Jerusalem.[1] He attained the rank of captain during his military service in the Adjutant Corps of the IDF. After his military service, he studied law at Bar-Ilan University, gaining an LL.B., and started working as an attorney. Later on, he gained a master's degree in political science from Tel-Aviv University (cum laude). Erdan is married with four children, and when in Israel, he lives in Kiryat Ono.

Political career

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Erdan began his political activity in opposition to the Oslo Accords, during his legal studies in the early 1990s. In these circumstances he met with then Likud MK Ariel Sharon, and soon started working as Sharon's political advisor. When Likud won the elections in 1996, Erdan was appointed as an advisor to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and as director of the Department for Public Inquiries to the Prime Minister's Office between 1996 and 1998. In February 1998, Erdan was elected by a vast majority as the chairman of "Young Likud", and served in this position for 6 years. During his term as Young Likud chairman, Erdan led many of the party's ideological and field activities in opposition to Ehud Barak's 1999-2001 government.

Member of Knesset

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Erdan was first elected to the 16th Knesset in the 2003 elections. During his first term in the Knesset, Erdan was one of the most outspoken opponents of the unilateral Disengagement Plan from the Gaza Strip led by Prime Minister Ariel Sharon from the Likud. In November 2005, Faced with harsh opposition to his plan, Sharon left Likud with several other MKs, and created a new party, Kadima. Erdan remained in Likud and after winning fourth place in the party's primaries, retained his seat in the 17th Knesset in the 2006 elections despite Likud's collapse from 40 to 12 seats in the Knesset. Erdan was re-elected to the 18th Knesset in 2009.

Serving as Member of Knesset, Erdan has supported boosting ties between Israel and Evangelical Christians,[2] as well as presenting bills to enforce no-smoking laws,[3] permanently revoking the driving licenses of serial traffic offenders,[4] and allowing the courts to revoke citizenship for citizens visiting enemy countries or acquiring citizenship from such countries.[5] The latter bill was submitted following Israeli Arab MK Azmi Bishara's visit to Syria, an enemy-state to the state of Israel.

In the 32nd government

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After the 2009 elections to the Knesset, Erdan was appointed Minister of Environmental Protection, and the Minister in charge of coordinating between the Government and the Knesset in the 32nd Government.[6] Upon the government taking office, he expressed support for Avigdor Lieberman's speech opposing the Annapolis Conference and international pressure. He commented that "Israel does not take orders from Obama" and that "citizens of Israel have decided that they will not become the fifty first US state".[7][8]

As Minister of Environmental Protection, Erdan introduced the most comprehensive River Restoration program to date,[9] legislated and enforced the protection of beaches and the coastline,[10] increased recycling through a bottling and packaging law,[11] and created the Beer Sheva River Park – an ecological park built on a former garbage dump – where thousands of people enjoy bike paths, walking trails, a lake, sports area, and a botanical garden.[12] He initiated a "pollution has no borders" policy which included reducing Israel's Greenhouse Gas Emissions, increasing water desalination, in an effort to make Israel the world leader in water recycling.[13] He also imposed limitations on the import and export of living monkeys for medical purposes, resulting in the closure of the "Mazor Farm", a disputed monkey-breeding farm.[14]

In May 2009, Erdan was declared "man of the decade" by Or Yarok, a prominent road safety NGO in Israel, for his lasting efforts to reduce traffic accidents and fatalities.

In the 33rd government

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Erdan surveying the readiness of emergency services for stormy weather, with Prime-Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Police Commissioner Moti Cohen and Fire & Rescue Commissioner Dedi Simhi.
Erdan surveying the readiness of emergency services for stormy weather, with Prime-Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Police Commissioner Moti Cohen and Fire & Rescue Commissioner Dedi Simchi.
Erdan visiting a police control center during the 2019 Pride Parade in Jerusalem, with Police Commissioner Moti Cohen and commander of the Jerusalem district, Doron Yadid.
Erdan visiting a police control center during the 2019 Pride Parade in Jerusalem, with Police Commissioner Moti Cohen and commander of the Jerusalem district, Doron Yadid.
US secretary of state Mike Pompeo and US ambassador to the United Nations Kelly Craft meet with Gilad Erdan, August 2020

Following the 2013 elections to the Knesset, Erdan was appointed the minister of communications and minister of home front defense in the 33rd Government. He was also appointed as a member of the Security Cabinet. On 22 April 2014, after several ongoing disputes with the defense minister, Moshe (Bogi) Yaalon, on matters of authority, Erdan announced his resignation as the minister of home front defense, and called the prime-minister to dissolve the ministry entirely.[15] The ministry was shut down subsequently.

In November 2014, Erdan was appointed minister of interior following Gideon Sa'ar's resignation.

In the 34th government

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On 24 May 2015, Prime Minister Netanyahu appointed Erdan as Minister of Public Security, Strategic Affairs and Public Diplomacy in the 34th Government. Erdan was again appointed as a member of the Security Cabinet. Erdan's appointment came eleven days after he initially refused to join Netanyahu's cabinet, claiming he wasn't offered enough tools to make a real change as a Minister.[16][17]

As the Minister of Public Security, Erdan was in charge of the Police, Prison Service and the Fire and Rescue Services. As Minister of Strategic Affairs and Public Diplomacy, Erdan received the responsibility to coordinate the national response to the attempts to delegitimize the State of Israel, and spearhead the fight against the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions campaign against Israel.

Upon entering his role, the state of Israel started facing a new wave of Palestinian "terror attacks", carried out mainly by incited individuals,[18] commonly referred to as the "Knife Intifada". Erdan's plan to deal with this consisted of several steps: strengthening Israeli police presence in Jerusalem; outlawing two Muslim organizations, the Morabitun and Murabitat, who were accused of harassing and inciting violence against Jews on the Temple Mount;[19] and dealing with online incitement. Erdan initiated the construction and opening of new police stations in East Jerusalem, which was seen by many residents as representative of "another step in increased Israeli influence in East Jerusalem".[20]

In 2016, Erdan and Minister of Justice Ayelet Shaked proposed the so-called "Facebook bill" which would enable Israeli courts force social media companies like Facebook, Google or Twitter to remove public content deemed to be a threat to national security, public security, or a violation of the law. The bill has been widely criticized for threatening freedom of speech online.[21][22][23] Following the submission of the bill, a senior delegation from Facebook arrived in Israel to meet with Erdan, agreeing to work together in order to improve the detection and removal of inciting material online.[24]

In 2018, Erdan initiated new legislation intended to partially de-criminalize the use of cannabis for recreational purposes. The reform, which was recommended by a professional committee appointed by Erdan, was called "Responsible Decriminalization", as it did not fully legalize cannabis, but instead made private recreational use punishable by fines.[25] The rationale for this move, explained Erdan, was to prevent unnecessary arrests while retaining deterrence of cannabis use in the public sphere, saying "the current policy has failed and has not caused a decrease in the use of drugs. Cannabis is a dangerous drug, and there has been a significant increase in its use. ... But the right way to operate is via the path of education, prevention and rehabilitation rather than criminal enforcement against regular citizens."[26]

Erdan also established The Child Online Protection Bureau, also known as Police Unit 105 (part of Lahav 433), which is tasked with investigating crimes against children and teens online, and created a hotline (#105) to report such crimes.[27][28]

Permanent Representative to the UN

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Erdan with Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu and U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken in Jerusalem on 24 May 2021
Erdan with Israeli president Isaac Herzog and U.S. Ambassador to the UN Linda Thomas-Greenfield in Jerusalem, 15 November 2021

On 11 May 2020, following the 2020 elections to the Knesset, Prime Minister Netanyahu announced that Erdan would become Israel's next Ambassador to the UN and also become Israel's Ambassador to the United States after the 2020 presidential election.[29] The last person to hold those two positions concurrently was the diplomat and politician, Abba Eban, in the 1950s.[30]

On 17 May 2020, Erdan was sworn in as Regional Cooperation Minister of Israel in the 35th Government.[31] However, his appointment was short-lived, as he was made Permanent Representative of Israel to the United Nations and the Israeli ambassador to the United States.[32] The following year, he stepped down as ambassador to the U.S. and was replaced by Mike Herzog, who succeeded him on 15 November 2021.[33]

On 7 June 2022, Erdan was elected to serve as one of the vice-presidents of the General Assembly for its seventy-seventh session as a representative of the Western states.[34]

On 31 October 2023, Erdan, as well as other Israeli delegates, began wearing yellow star badges with the words "Never Again" written on them, in response to international criticism of Israel's conduct during the Gaza war. Erdan claimed that the UN Security Council was "silent" about the Hamas-led attack on Israel, and said that he would wear the star "as a symbol of pride".[35] This action was immediately condemned by Yad Vashem chairman Dani Dayan, who called it a "[disgrace to] the victims of the Holocaust as well as the state of Israel," while adding "The slaughter of Jews by Hamas on October 7th was genocidal in its intents and immeasurably brutal in its form. Part of why it differs from the Holocaust is because Jews have today a state and an army. We are not defenseless and at the mercy of others."[36][37] According to Ynet, unnamed officials from Israel's Ministry of Foreign Affairs were also highly critical of the decision, with one calling it a "cheap gimmick that doesn't serve our goal", and others describing it as an attempt to appeal to Likud party members.[38]

On 8 December 2023, Erdan thanked the United States for vetoing a UN Security Council resolution calling for an immediate humanitarian ceasefire in the Gaza Strip.[39] He also thanked US president Joe Biden for "standing steadfastly" with Israel.[40]

In December 2023, Erdan accused Hungarian–American investor and philanthropist George Soros of supporting pro-Palestinian organizations "that seek the destruction of the State of Israel as a Jewish state".[41]

On 10 May 2024, the UN General Assembly voted to advance Palestinian membership in the UN. Erdan, in a speech before the General Assembly, in which he invoked the Holocaust, World War II, and Adolf Hitler, and fed a mock copy of the U.N. charter into a small paper shredder to illustrate what he described as the General Assembly's "disregard" for the document. The General Assembly voted overwhelmingly in favor of asking the Security Council to accept Palestine as a full member.[42]

On 8 June 2024, the UN placed both Israel and Hamas on a list of "warring parties committing grave violations against children in armed conflict" colloquially known as the "list of shame".[43] Erdan leaked UN spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric's phone call notifying him of the decision, which he decried as "simply outrageous and wrong". Dujarric told The New York Times that the leak of the message was "shocking and unacceptable and something I've never seen in my 25 years serving this organization."[44][45][46] Erdan stated that the Israeli "is the most moral in the world," and that "the only one being blacklisted is the Secretary-General who incentivizes and encourages terrorism and is motivated by hatred towards Israel."[47]

In August 2024, Erdan was replaced as UN ambassador by his predecessor Danny Danon.[48]

Post-Likud career

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Erdan launched a new party with Yuli Edelstein in early August 2026.[49]

The name of the party, Unity, was revealed on 11 August.[50]

He called for more extensive public diplomacy in an interview with The Jerusalem Post.[51]

Public activities

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Outside the Knesset, Erdan was elected in 2005 as chairman of Al Sam, a non-governmental non-profit organization dealing with drug issues of youths (he also served on the Knesset's Committee on Drug Abuse), and also established the Lobby for Soldiers Missing in Action. Erdan was also a member of the Israel Broadcasting Authority's General Assembly.

References

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  1. ↑ גלוברמן, דרור (15 December 2011). "אנשים: הילדות הסודית של גלעד ארדן". mako (in Hebrew). Retrieved 12 August 2025.
  2. ↑ "MK Erdan: Let's boost Evangelical ties". The Jerusalem Post. 10 May 2007. ISSN 0792-822X. Retrieved 22 June 2020.
  3. ↑ Uchitelle-Pierce, Benjamin (26 February 2007). "Knesset panel to discuss 'red cards' for smokers". The Jerusalem Post. Retrieved 7 August 2026.
  4. ↑ Zrahiya, Zvi (9 October 2006). "MK proposes permanently revoking licenses of serial traffic offenders". Haaretz. Archived from the original on 28 November 2006. Retrieved 7 August 2026.
  5. ↑ "'Disloyalty' bill passes first hurdle". The Jerusalem Post. 10 January 2007. Archived from the original on 27 November 2020. Retrieved 7 August 2026.
  6. ↑ "Netanyahu sworn in as Israel's prime minister". Haaretz. 1 April 2009. Archived from the original on 2 January 2010.
  7. ↑ "'Israel does not take orders from Obama'". The Hindu. 7 April 2009. Archived from the original on 10 April 2009. Retrieved 7 August 2026.
  8. ↑ Miskin, Maayana (6 April 2009). "'Erdan: We're Not the 51st State'". Israel National News. Retrieved 7 August 2026.
  9. ↑ "המשרד להגנת הסביבה". www.sviva.gov.il. Retrieved 22 June 2020.
  10. ↑ "Cabinet Approves Network of Parks on the Coastal Escarpment". GOV.IL. Retrieved 22 June 2020.
  11. ↑ "Bottle Deposit Law revisions approved for second and third readings". The Jerusalem Post. 27 December 2009. ISSN 0792-822X. Retrieved 22 June 2020.
  12. ↑ "Tu BiShvat in Beersheba River Park". www.kkl-jnf.org. Retrieved 22 June 2020.
  13. ↑ "Minister Erdan: "Nearly 90% of Israel's Waste Water is Now Recycled, 4 Times Higher Than Any Other Country in the World"". Waterworld.com. 1 December 2016. Retrieved 8 August 2026.
  14. ↑ "Mazor monkey farm activity to be limited". Ynetnews. 1 May 2013. Retrieved 22 June 2020.
  15. ↑ "Erdan quits home front defense, urges Netanyahu to dissolve ministry". The Jerusalem Post. 22 April 2014. ISSN 0792-822X. Retrieved 21 June 2020.
  16. ↑ Beck, Jonathan (15 May 2015). "Erdan stayed out of gov't because he wasn't offered tools for 'real change'". The Times of Israel. Retrieved 26 May 2015.
  17. ↑ Hofmann, Gil (25 May 2015). "Israel's answer to the BDS movement - Gilad Erdan". The Jerusalem Post. Retrieved 26 May 2015.
  18. ↑ "Wave of terror October 2015". Ministry of Foreign Affairs. 17 October 2015. Archived from the original on 18 October 2015. Retrieved 7 August 2026.
  19. ↑ "Minister seeks to outlaw two Islamic groups active on Temple Mount". Haaretz. Retrieved 12 July 2020.
  20. ↑ Hasson, Nir (15 January 2020). "Security revolution in East Jerusalem: Israel opens community police station in tense Palestinian neighborhood". Haaretz. Retrieved 12 July 2020.
  21. ↑ Goichman, Rafaela (27 December 2016). "Will Israeli Internet Censorship Law Prevent the Next Terror Attack?". Haaretz. Retrieved 30 December 2016.
  22. ↑ "Israel's 'Facebook Bill' Is a Serious Threat to Freedom of Expression". Haaretz.
  23. ↑ Lis, Jonathan (30 December 2016). "Minister back bill that would allow court to censor Internet". Haaretz. Retrieved 25 December 2016.
  24. ↑ "Facebook and Israel to work to monitor posts that incite violence". The Guardian. Associated Press. 12 September 2016. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 28 June 2020.
  25. ↑ Wootliff, Raoul (26 January 2017). "Marijuana on way to being decriminalized after minister backs move". Times of Israel. Retrieved 22 June 2020.
  26. ↑ "Erdan: Criminalizing weed has failed". The Jerusalem Post. 21 June 2018. Retrieved 22 June 2020.
  27. ↑ "For World Children's Day, ministry unveils bureau to protect kids online". The Jerusalem Post. 20 November 2018. Retrieved 22 June 2020.
  28. ↑ Siegal, Tobais (2 February 2022). "Over half of Israeli teenagers suffer from online violence – survey". The Times of Israel. ISSN 0040-7909. Retrieved 9 September 2026.
  29. ↑ Ravid, Barak (11 May 2020). "New Israeli ambassador to serve dual role at UN and in Washington". Axios. Retrieved 7 June 2020.
  30. ↑ Halbfinger, David M. (11 May 2020). "Abba Eban Was the Last to Hold These Two Israeli Posts at Once. Next: Gilad Erdan". The New York Times. Retrieved 7 June 2020.
  31. ↑ Levinson, Chaim; Lis, Jonathan (17 May 2020). "After year of deadlock and days of delays, Knesset swears in new Israeli government". Haaretz. Retrieved 8 August 2026.
  32. ↑ Landau, Noa (11 May 2020). "Netanyahu Appoints Likud Minister Gilad Erdan as Israel's Ambassador to Both U.S., UN". Haaretz. Retrieved 7 August 2026.
  33. ↑ Magid, Jacob (16 November 2021). "New Israeli ambassador to US Mike Herzog pledges to keep Israel a nonpartisan issue". The Times of Israel. Archived from the original on 16 November 2021.
  34. ↑ Horovitz, Michael (7 June 2022). "Erdan, 20 other UN envoys elected vice presidents of General Assembly". The Times of Israel. Archived from the original on 7 June 2022.
  35. ↑ "Israel's UN delegates criticised for wearing yellow stars as 'symbol of pride'". Reuters. 31 October 2023. Retrieved 26 November 2023.
  36. ↑ Grace, Paz (25 October 2023). "Yad Vashem, Israeli officials react harshly to UN chief remarks on Oct 7 massacre". i24. Retrieved 8 August 2026.
  37. ↑ "Israel envoy wears yellow star at UN, drawing Yad Vashem criticism". France 24. AFP. 31 October 2023. Retrieved 26 November 2023.
  38. ↑ Magid, Jacob. "Erdan tells UN he'll don yellow Star of David until it condemns Hamas; Yad Vashem fumes". The Times of Israel. AFP.
  39. ↑ "Israel-Hamas war: US vetoes UN resolution calling for Gaza ceasefire". CNN. 9 December 2023.
  40. ↑ "US vetoes UN Security Council resolution demanding immediate ceasefire in Gaza Strip". The Times of Israel. 9 December 2023.
  41. ↑ "Soros donations to anti-Israel groups unsurprising and 'shameful,' says Erdan". Jewish News Syndicate. 4 December 2023.
  42. ↑ Morrison, Dan; Chambers, Francesca; Garrison, Joey; Hjelmgaard, Kim (10 May 2024). "Furious Israel ambassador shreds UN charter before vote on Palestine membership". USA Today. Retrieved 8 August 2026.
  43. ↑ Becker, Jo (13 June 2024). "Israel Joins UN 'List of Shame' for Abuses Against Children in War". Human Rights Watch. Retrieved 9 September 2026.
  44. ↑ "UN spokesman blasts Erdan for 'shocking' decision to release video of call informing him Israel on 'list of shame'". The Times of Israel. 7 June 2024. Retrieved 8 August 2026.
  45. ↑ Fassihi, Farnaz; Boxerman, Aaron (7 June 2024). "U.N. Adding Israel, Hamas and Islamic Jihad to List of Countries and Groups That Harm Children in War Zones". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 9 September 2026.
  46. ↑ "UN will describe Israel and Hamas as violating children's rights in armed conflict". Associated Press. Politico. 7 June 2024. Retrieved 8 August 2026.
  47. ↑ Al Jazeera staff (7 June 2024). "UN adding Israel to 'blacklist' of countries harming children in conflict". Al Jazeera English. Retrieved 8 August 2026.
  48. ↑ "Danny Danon returns to UN as Israel's ambassador". i24. 19 August 2024. Retrieved 8 August 2026.
  49. ↑ Neev, Keshet; Halpern, Sam (6 August 2026). "'Right, enlistment, unity': Ex-UN ambassador Gilad Erdan launches new party with Edelstein". The Jerusalem Post. Retrieved 7 August 2026.
  50. ↑ Azulay, Moran (11 August 2026). "Erdan and Edelstein's party name: 'Unity'". Ynet. Retrieved 11 August 2026.
  51. ↑ Halpern, Sam; Neev, Keshet (9 August 2026). "Israeli gov't abandoned PR war, needs 'army of hasbara' led by 'chief of staff' - interview". The Jerusalem Post. Retrieved 8 August 2026.
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  • Gilad Erdan on the Knesset website (in Hebrew. As of Feb 2024, Erdan not included)
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