Eyal Gabai currently serves as Chairman of Yad Yitzhak Ben-Zvi – a state institution that bears the name of the second President of the State of Israel. In addition, he serves as Chairman of the Meuhedet HMO and Chairman of the Continuing Education Funds for Teachers and Kindergarten Teachers.
Among his positions, Gabai served as a trustee on behalf of the court for the execution of the IDB Group debt arrangement – one of the largest and most complex debt arrangements ever performed in Israel.
From 2009 to 2011, he served as Director General of the Prime Minister’s Office, a position in which he was in charge of key issues such as the construction of the security fence on the Egyptian border, the construction of the protected emergency room at Barzilai Hospital, and the transfer of the gas pipeline to Haifa Bay. During his time in office, he was considered one of the most influential people in Israel’s economy and earned the nickname “The Arbitrator.”
Gabbay served as the manager of the Israeli branch of an international investment fund, headquartered in Sydney, Australia. In 2002, he was appointed by the Sharon administration as director of the Government Companies Authority – a position in which he worked closely with Prime Minister Sharon, and then Finance Minister Netanyahu and Finance Minister Olmert. In this position, he led important privatizations moves in Israel’s economy, including El Al, Bezeq, the state’s holdings in Zim, and the two refineries in Ashdod and Haifa. He also led structural changes in the Israel Post and the Department of Public Works, and was nicknamed the “National Privatizer” because of his achievements.
In the first years of his career, Gabai served as VP of Business Development at Bezeq International, Director of Economic Affairs at the Prime Minister’s Office, and Senior Advisor to the Minister of Justice, a position in which he coordinated the work of the Shamgar Commission on the methods of appointment and the powers of the Attorney General.
Gabai holds a bachelor’s degree in law (summa laude), a bachelor’s degree in economics (summa laude) and a master’s degree in business administration (summa laude). He completed his legal internship at the Supreme Court under Justice Dalia Dorner.
He did his military service as a [surveillance] balloon officer in Intelligence Corps Unit 8200 and served in the unit’s bases in the Gaza Strip and in the south of the country.
Gabai is married and has five children.
Photo Credit: Inbal Marmari