d bäräk`), 1942–, Israeli military and political leader, prime minister of Israel (1999–). The son of East European immigrants in Palestine, he was born Ehud Brog, later adopting the Hebrew name Barak [lightning]. Barak began his military service in 1959, became a major general in 1982, and by 1991 had risen to become the youngest army chief of staff in Israeli history. Known for his bravery, Barak led two successful commando raids, one that stormed a hijacked Belgian airliner (1972), the other that destroyed a terrorist cell in Beirut (1976). As army head, he was instrumental in building a more streamlined and technologically advanced force. He retired in 1994 and that year joined the Labor party.
Barak began his political career (1995) as interior minister in the cabinet of Yitzhak Rabin Rabin, Yitzhak , 1922–95, Israeli general and statesman, b. Jerusalem, the first native-born prime minister of Israel (1974–77, 1992–95). His extensive military experience began in 1940 when he joined the Haganah (Jewish militia) and thereafter
..... Click the link for more information. , his military and political mentor, and was (1995–96) foreign minister under Shimon Peres Peres, Shimon , 1923–, Israeli politician, b. Vishniva, Poland (now in Belarus) as Shimon Perski. He and his parents emigrated to Palestine in 1934; his grandparents were killed in the Holocaust.
..... Click the link for more information. . He assumed leadership of the Labor party in 1997, decisively defeated the Likud prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu Netanyahu, Benjamin or Binyamin , 1949–, Israeli diplomat and politician, prime minister of Israel (1996–99), b. Tel Aviv.
..... Click the link for more information. in 1999, and formed a seven-party coalition government; three right-of-center parties pulled out of the government in 2000. Like Rabin, another soldier turned prime minister, Barak advocated a strong, peace-seeking, and inclusive Israel (under his leadership Labor was renamed the One Israel party) and avowed a willingness to make concessions to the Palestinians and to Arab states if necessary for peace and security. After the breakdown of negotiations with the Palestinians and the resumption of violence (Sept., 2000), as well as the splintering of his coalition, Barak resigned (Dec., 2000) to force an early election for prime minister in an attempt to regain public support, but in Feb., 2001, he was soundly defeated by Likud candidate Ariel Sharon Sharon, Ariel , 1928–, Israeli general and politician, b. Kfar Malal. He gained attention for his superb military leadership in the 1948 and 1956 Arab-Israeli Wars and was made a major general months before the 1967 war.
..... Click the link for more information. . After his electoral rout, Barak bowed out of politics.
Bibliography
See biography by I. Kfir (1999).
Want to thank TFD for its existence? Tell a friend about us, add a link to this page, add the site to iGoogle, or visit the webmaster's page for free fun content.
| ?Page tools | ||
|---|---|---|
|