Ehud Barak

Ehud Barak is an Israeli former general and politician who served as the <a href="/facts/Prime_Minister_of_Israel/NcrzDyr9">prime minister</a> from 1999 to 2001. He was leader of the <a href="/facts/Israeli_Labor_Party/IPRaxRwR">Labor Party</a> between 1997 and 2001 and between 2007 and 2011.
Born on a <a href="/facts/Kibbutz/WEqbUCv8">kibbutz</a>, Barak is the eldest of four sons; his grandparents were murdered in <a href="/facts/The_Holocaust/vGQsAb2y">the Holocaust</a>. He graduated in physics and mathematics from the <a href="/facts/Hebrew_University_of_Jerusalem/aEpNukpQ">Hebrew University of Jerusalem</a> and later obtained a master's in engineering-economic systems from <a href="/facts/Stanford_University/JEQeF9z2">Stanford University</a>.
Barak's military career in the <a href="/facts/Israel_Defense_Forces/9hPaqcAM">Israel Defense Forces</a> (IDF) began in 1959, spanning 35 years and culminating in his appointment as <a href="/facts/Chief_of_the_General_Staff_(Israel)/4L7rY2IK">Chief of the General Staff</a> in 1991, serving until 1995. His military tenure is noted for his leadership in several operations, including "<a href="/facts/Operation_Isotope/BAUjkNzQ">Operation Isotope</a>" in 1972, the covert <a href="/facts/1973_Israeli_raid_in_Lebanon/aK5wRVsx">1973 Israeli raid in Lebanon</a>, and the 1976 <a href="/facts/Entebbe_raid/Mpo0DpLt">Entebbe raid</a>. A <a href="/facts/Rav_Aluf/PjQKuNbY">lieutenant general</a>, Barak shares with two others the honor of being the most highly decorated <a href="/facts/Soldier/f3tcRU9C">soldier</a> in Israel's history.
In politics, his career began with his appointment as <a href="/facts/Ministry_of_Interior_(Israel)/DXf6owYU">interior minister</a> in 1995 under Prime Minister <a href="/facts/Yitzhak_Rabin/Wvd6myha">Yitzhak Rabin</a>. Following Rabin's assassination, he served as Minister of Foreign Affairs in <a href="/facts/Shimon_Peres/76kA3azd">Shimon Peres</a>' government. Barak was elected to the Knesset on the Labor Party list in 1996 and subsequently became party leader. Barak served as Israel's last left-wing Prime Minister from 1999 to 2001. His tenure was marked by significant events, including the decision to form a coalition with the Orthodox party <a href="/facts/Shas/9uA9gJlB">Shas</a>, the withdrawal of Israeli forces from Southern Lebanon in 2000, and participation in the <a href="/facts/2000_Camp_David_Summit/DoL3sK07">2000 Camp David Summit</a> aimed at resolving the Israeli–Palestinian conflict. Barak's government faced challenges, notably the <a href="/facts/October_2000_protests_in_Israel/UdIqaFpS">protests in October 2000</a>.
After defeat in the <a href="/facts/2001_Israeli_prime_ministerial_election/Q5mdYC09">2001 Israeli prime ministerial election</a>, he left politics and engaged in international business and advisory roles. He made a political comeback in 2005, attempting to regain leadership in the Labor Party, and later served as <a href="/facts/Ministry_of_Defense_(Israel)/ngCFFGLR">defense minister</a> − where he led <a href="/facts/Operation_Cast_Lead/2CTaAgcT">Operation Cast Lead</a> in 2008–09 − and <a href="/facts/Deputy_leaders_of_Israel/PEjbgPtm">deputy prime minister</a> under <a href="/facts/Ehud_Olmert/skIkQc7h">Ehud Olmert</a> and then in <a href="/facts/Benjamin_Netanyahu/581DW7MB">Benjamin Netanyahu</a>'s second <a href="/facts/Cabinet_of_Israel/g3azkmGs">government</a> between 2007 and 2013. His decision to form the Independence party in 2011 marked a shift in his politics, influencing the dynamics within the Netanyahu government. Despite retiring from politics in 2012, he attempted another comeback, running in the <a href="/facts/September_2019_Israeli_legislative_election/G8Au6FCc">September 2019 Israeli legislative election</a> as the leader of <a href="/facts/Israel_Democratic_Party/oo6IQnNL">Israel Democratic Party</a> − a new party he formed. His party merged with others to form an alliance called <a href="/facts/Democratic_Union_(Israel)/zeFmCfpV">the Democratic Union</a>, but it did not win enough seats for him to become a member of the <a href="/facts/Knesset/vNAUyDAu">Knesset</a>. Outside of his political and military career, Barak has accumulated wealth through business endeavors and investments; his net worth is estimated to be $10–15 million.

Ehud Barak open-in-new

Ehud Barak