Mati Gill: In Service to Israel
By Joy Pincus

The following article was published in the Herzliyan, spring 2008 issue.

IDC HERZLIYA IS BECOMING KNOWN THROUGHOUT ISRAEL as fertile ground for the next generation of movers and shakers. One prime example is Mati Gill, a fourth-year student at the Radzyner School of Law and the Lauder School of Government, Policy and Strategy and the bureau chief of Israel’s Public Security Minister Avi Dichter.

As bureau chief, Gill spends his days as the minister’s right hand man, accompanying him throughout the day, planning and executing his requests and managing all political and external relations affairs as well as the general running of his staff.

According to Gill, his classes at IDC helped prepare him for this job in public affairs, and apparently he is not the only one; two of his classmates are advisors for the Israeli defense minister and another advises a Knesset member.

Finding the balance between such a demanding job and equally demanding studies is not easy, says Gill, who considers being a student a profession like any other.

“I value my education above the work, so I make sure that when I need to take off, I take off and make it to class and prepare myself for exams. And with the help of my friends, I’ve been able to do it.” He also gets a lot of support from Mr. Dichter, who Gill says “has a deep understanding of the importance of studying and finishing my degree.”

Raised in Ohio, Gill, now 28, made aliyah with his family at age twelve. He later served in the IDF as an officer with the rank of captain for six years before looking around for a program where he could study law and government. One visit to IDC’s campus and a chance meeting was all it took to seal his fate.

“What caught me were two things. First…all the students were smiling. It seemed like a great atmosphere to be in. Second, I met with Uriel Reichman just for a second. I was in uniform, and he pulled me aside, pointed his finger at me and gave me a suggestion - which in Reichman language is pretty much a command. He told me: ‘You must come to learn here - we like people with those type of ranks on your shoulders,’ and I thought, I definitely want to study in an academic atmosphere which is Zionist and idealistic and values students who are former officers in the army.”

Gill has been working for Mr. Dichter ever since he entered politics. And while the job is both exciting and rewarding, it has also brought Gill into harm’s way.

On April 4, 2008, Gill was accompanying Mr. Dichter and a delegation from the Board of Directors of the Canada Israel Committee. As the group stood at a lookout point over the Gaza Strip, they came under fire from snipers and Gill got hit. He was evacuated to a nearby hospital and treated for his wounds. Amidst the deluge of well wishes pouring in from friends and family – not to mention personal phone calls from Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and from IDC leaders such as Professors Uriel Reichman, Amnon Rubinstein, Moshe Bar-Niv and Amir Licht – Gill rapidly healed and stoically went back to work in less than a week.

When asked if the experience of being shot had in any way changed his intentions, Gill had the following to say:

“There’s a saying in Hebrew: ‘Hazak hazak vi neetchazek’ (‘strong, strong and we will get stronger’). I believe I was strong in my job, ideals and determination, before getting shot at on Friday. And now, the experience and the support I’ve gotten from the government and from friends and from people at IDC - plus my own ideals – have only strengthened my dedication to the country and my determination to continue to work to make this country a safer and a better place.”