Gilad Menashe Erdan, born on September 30, 1970, in Ramla, Israel, is a former Israeli diplomat and politician affiliated with the Likud party. He served in the Israel Defense Forces as a captain in the Armored Corps and earned an LL.B. degree in law from Bar-Ilan University. Erdan's political career began as a policy advisor to Prime Minister Ariel Sharon and as director-general of the Government Press Office. He was elected to the Knesset in 2013 as a Likud member and held several cabinet positions, including Minister of Communications, Minister of Home Front Defense, Minister of Interior Protection, Minister of Public Security, and Minister of Strategic Affairs and Public Diplomacy. Appointed in 2020 by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, he served concurrently as Israel's Permanent Representative to the United Nations and Ambassador to the United States until mid-2024, known for his combative style at the UN, including staging protests such as dumping paint on a UN official to symbolize 'human blood' and displaying a phone number allegedly belonging to Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar. In retaliation, his own phone number—circulated by Hamas in late 2023 or early 2024, originating from the Knesset website—was leaked, resulting in thousands of threats. Following his diplomatic tenure, Erdan joined the Misgav Institute for National Security and Zionist Strategy as head of its diplomacy center and currently serves as MDA Global President. He maintains an active presence on X (formerly Twitter) at @giladerdan1.