Barak, Ehud (1942– )

Israeli Labour politician, prime minister 1999–2001, former chief of staff of the Israeli army, and the most decorated soldier in the nation's history. As prime minister, Barak formed a government consisting of seven parties of differing political views, the ‘One Israel’ alliance. He often faced difficulties in keeping the coalition alive, as he depended on the support of three ultra-Orthodox Jewish parties. His campaign emphasized progress in the Middle East peace process, and he withdrew Israeli forces from Lebanon, the Golan Heights (Syria), and much of the West Bank. Talks stalled in May 2000 over the future of Jerusalem and violence from October led to Barak's resignation in December and subsequent defeat by Ariel Sharon in prime ministerial elections in February 2001 and resignation as Labour leader.

Following an illustrious 36-year military career, he began his political career in 1995, as interior minister in Yitzhak Rabin's government. After the assassination of Rabin in November 1995, Barak became foreign minister under Shimon Peres. In May 1996, Barak was elected to the Israeli parliament, the Knesset, and was a member of the defence and foreign affairs committee.

With his party in opposition, he was elected Labour Party chairman in June 1997, defeating Peres. He established the ‘One Israel’ alliance, partnering Labour with opposition parties Gesher and Meimad, which, with 76 seats at the May 1999 general election, became the largest faction in the Knesset. He was then elected prime minister. Although respected for the inventiveness and bravery that marked his military background, he was considered something of a political novice.

Barak was born at Kibbutz Mishmar HaSharon, of Polish-Lithuanian descent, his parents having been pioneer immigrants to Israel in the 1930s. He received a degree in Mathematics and Physics from the Hebrew University in Jerusalem in 1968, and in 1978 completed a postgraduate degree in Economic Engineering Systems at Stanford University, California. He enlisted in the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) in 1959 and in the course of his military service took the Hebrew name Barak, which means ‘lightning’.

Assigned to an elite army unit, he became a commander before he was 30. In 1972, he led a team from the elite force disguised as mechanics that stormed a Belgian airliner en route to Israel that had been hijacked by Palestinians. Barak was also a key architect of the 1976 Operation Entebbe for the rescue of passengers on the Air France aircraft hijacked by terrorists and forced to land at Entebbe airport in Uganda. He served as Chief of Military Intelligence 1983–86, Chief of Military Command 1986–87, Deputy Chief of Staff 1987–91, and, finally, as Chief of the General Staff 1991–94.