Tal Rousso

{{Short description|Israeli general (born 1959)}}

{{Infobox officeholder

| office1 = Faction represented in the Knesset

| suboffice1 = Israeli Labor Party

| subterm1 = 2019

| name = Tal Rousso

| image = Tal Russo Aug-2011.JPG

| caption = Rousso in Southern Israel, August 2011

| birth_date = 1959

| death_date =

| birth_place = Hulata, Israel

| allegiance = {{flagicon|Israel}} Israel

| branch = Southern Command

| serviceyears = 1978–2014

| rank = Aluf

| native_name = טַל רוּסוֹ

| native_name_lang = he

}}

Tal Rousso ({{Langx|he|טַל רוּסוֹ}}; born 1959) is a general of the Israel Defense Forces, serving in the reserves. He heads the IDF's Depth Corps. He also served as an MK for the Labor Party.

Rousso was born in kibbutz Hulata in northern Israel and drafted into the IDF in 1978.[http://dover.idf.il/IDF/English/about/staff/Tal_Russo.htm IDF Profile] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080513153253/http://dover.idf.il/IDF/English/about/staff/Tal_Russo.htm |date=2008-05-13 }} He served with the Israeli Air Force special forces unit Shaldag until discharged in 1981,Gal Perl Finkel, [https://www.jpost.com/Opinion/When-good-commander-doesnt-equal-a-good-politician-582791 When good commander doesn't equal a good politician], The Jerusalem Post, Mars 7, 2019. but returned in 1982 to command a squad during the 1982 Lebanon War. That same year he received his officer's ranks, and then continued to advance up the chain of command, spending much of his early career in the special forces.

During the 2006 Lebanon War Rousso served as the Assistant of the Head of the Operations Directorate in special missions. In October 2006 Chief of Staff Dan Halutz recommended Rousso to replace Operations Directorate head Gadi Eizenkot, who had been promoted to head of Northern Command.Harel, Amos. "[http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/770493.html Tal Rousso promoted to major general, made IDF's chief of operations]", Haaretz, October 4, 2006. Rousso's promotion was subsequently approved by Defense Minister Amir Peretz.

In October 2010, Rousso was appointed as commander of the Southern Command. He oversaw Operation Pillar of Defense,{{cite web|url=http://www.idf.il/1283-18346-EN/Dover.aspx|title=GOC Southern Command: Proud to command Givati Brigade|publisher=IDF Spokesperson|date=February 21, 2013}} before retiring in April 2013.

During his career Rousso earned a BA in political science from the University of Haifa and an MBA from Tel Aviv University.