Israeli Army General. A career officer, he twice earned his country's second highest award for bravery, eventually became Chief of Staff of the Israeli Defense Force (IDF), and later was active in politics. The child of a working class family, he was born in what was then Palestine, was prepared for military life from his teens on, and in 1962 enlisted in the IDF as a paratrooper. Lipkin-Shahak served in the 1967 War, was given command of the elite Duchifat Reconnaissance Unit, and in 1968 earned his first Medal of Courage (MoC) for heroism at the Battle of Karameh in Jordan. He led a brigade during the Yom Kippur War, received his second MoC in 1973 for heading a small group tasked with blowing-up a P.L.O. stronghold in Beirut, and steadily rose thru the ranks. After serving as Director of Intelligence and as Deputy Chief of Staff he became the 15th IDF Chief of Staff in 1995 though his tenure was to be marred by a number of interpersonal conflicts. Following his 1998 retirement from the Army Lipkin-Shahak joined the Centre Party, in 1999 stood for the Knesset, served as Minister of Tourism and later as Minister of Transportation under Prime Minister Ehud Barak, and was considered a moderate in the area of Palestinian relations. When the Barak government was voted out in 2001 Lipkin-Shahak resigned from the Knesset but continued to work for Middle East peace as long as his health permitted. The General died after a protracted battle with cancer.
Israeli Army General. A career officer, he twice earned his country's second highest award for bravery, eventually became Chief of Staff of the Israeli Defense Force (IDF), and later was active in politics. The child of a working class family, he was born in what was then Palestine, was prepared for military life from his teens on, and in 1962 enlisted in the IDF as a paratrooper. Lipkin-Shahak served in the 1967 War, was given command of the elite Duchifat Reconnaissance Unit, and in 1968 earned his first Medal of Courage (MoC) for heroism at the Battle of Karameh in Jordan. He led a brigade during the Yom Kippur War, received his second MoC in 1973 for heading a small group tasked with blowing-up a P.L.O. stronghold in Beirut, and steadily rose thru the ranks. After serving as Director of Intelligence and as Deputy Chief of Staff he became the 15th IDF Chief of Staff in 1995 though his tenure was to be marred by a number of interpersonal conflicts. Following his 1998 retirement from the Army Lipkin-Shahak joined the Centre Party, in 1999 stood for the Knesset, served as Minister of Tourism and later as Minister of Transportation under Prime Minister Ehud Barak, and was considered a moderate in the area of Palestinian relations. When the Barak government was voted out in 2001 Lipkin-Shahak resigned from the Knesset but continued to work for Middle East peace as long as his health permitted. The General died after a protracted battle with cancer.
Bio by: Bob Hufford
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