List of Israel's Chiefs of the General Staff

Chaim Laskov (1919-1983) was an Israeli public figure and the fifth Chief of Staff of the Israel Defense Forces. Chaim Laskov - Early life. Laskov was born in Russia and immigrated to the British Mandate of Palestine with his family in 1925. The family settled in Haifa, where they lived in dire poverty. Laskov's father was killed by Arabs in 1930. Laskov joined the Haganah as a teenager, and served in various units, including Orde Wingate's Special Night Squads. He also served as a personal messenger ...

Including:

• Chaim Laskov - Early life
• Chaim Laskov - Military career
• Chaim Laskov - Chief of General Staff
• Chaim Laskov - Civilian career

Read more here: » Chaim Laskov: Encyclopedia - Chaim Laskov

Moshe Dayan ▶ (help·info) (Hebrew: משה דיין) (May 20, 1915 – October 16, 1981), was an Israeli military leader and politician. He was the fourth Chief of Staff of the Israel Defense Forces (1953-1958). In Hebrew, his name translates as "Moses [the] Judge". He became a fighting symbol to the world of the new State of Israel with his famous eyepatch. Moshe Dayan - Early life. Moshe Dayan was born in a kibbutz ("collec ...

Including:

• Moshe Dayan - Early life
• Moshe Dayan - World War II
• Moshe Dayan - Military commander
• Moshe Dayan - Politician
• Moshe Dayan - Six Day War 1967
• Moshe Dayan - Yom Kippur War 1973
• Moshe Dayan - Serves as Foreign Minister in the Likud Government
• Moshe Dayan - Death
• Moshe Dayan - His legacy

Read more here: » Moshe Dayan: Encyclopedia - Moshe Dayan

Yitzhak Rabin ▶ (help·info) (or Yitschak Rabin) (יצחק רבין in Hebrew), (March 1, 1922 – November 4, 1995) was an Israeli politician and general. He was the fifth Prime Minister of Israel from 1974 until 1977 and again from 1992 until his assassination in 1995 by Yigal Amir, a right-wing activist who had strenuously opposed Rabin's signing of the Oslo Accords. He was the first local-born Prime Minister of Israel, the only Prime Minister ...

Including:

• Yitzhak Rabin - Youth and service in the Palmach
• Yitzhak Rabin - IDF service
• Yitzhak Rabin - Ambassador and Minister of Labor
• Yitzhak Rabin - First term as prime minister
• Yitzhak Rabin - Opposition member and minister of defence
• Yitzhak Rabin - Second term as prime minister
• Yitzhak Rabin - Assassination and aftermath

Read more here: » Yitzhak Rabin: Encyclopedia - Yitzhak Rabin

Yigael Yadin (March 20, 1917 - June 28, 1984) was an Israeli archeologist, politician, and the second Chief of Staff of the Israel Defense Forces (IDF). The Israeli actor Yossi Yadin was his brother. Yadin was born in 1917 to noted archeologist Eliezer Sukenik. He joined the Haganah at age fifteen and served there in a variety of different capacities. In 1946, however, he left the Haganah following an argument with its commander Yitzhak Sadeh over the inclusion of a machine gun as part of standard squad equipment. He was a univ ...

Read more here: » Yigael Yadin: Encyclopedia - Yigael Yadin

David Elazar - Events leading up to the war. On 1 October 1973 the armies of Egypt and Syria were placed on alert. Due to an erroneous intelligence assessment and poor decisions by the Israeli military, the IDF responded with only limited measures, few reserve units were called up, and it was determined that war was "unlikely." In the early hours of October 6 (on Yom Kippur, the holiest of the Jewish holidays), Elazar was finally convinced that war would break out that same day, even though the Chief of Military ...

See also:

David Elazar, David Elazar - Early life, David Elazar - Chief of General Staff, David Elazar - The Yom Kippur War, David Elazar - Events leading up to the war, David Elazar - The war, David Elazar - The aftermath, David Elazar - Legacy

Read more here: » David Elazar: Encyclopedia II - David Elazar - The Yom Kippur War

Rabin was born in Jerusalem in what was then Palestine (formal; British Mandate of Palestine). He grew up in Tel Aviv, where his family moved when he was one year old, and in 1940 he graduated with distinction from the Kadoori Agricultural High School. His matriculation was his last formal education, with the exception of some military strategy courses which he later took in the United Kingdom. He aspired to become an irrigation engineer. In 1941, during his practical training at Kibbutz Ramat Yochanan, Rabin joined the Palmach section of the Haganah, and ...

See also:

Yitzhak Rabin, Yitzhak Rabin - Youth and service in the Palmach, Yitzhak Rabin - IDF service, Yitzhak Rabin - Ambassador and Minister of Labor, Yitzhak Rabin - First term as prime minister, Yitzhak Rabin - Opposition member and minister of defence, Yitzhak Rabin - Second term as prime minister, Yitzhak Rabin - Assassination and aftermath

Read more here: » Yitzhak Rabin: Encyclopedia II - Yitzhak Rabin - Youth and service in the Palmach

Lipkin-Shahak started his military service as a teenager in the military boarding-school in Haifa. He enlisted as a corporal in the paratrooper brigade in 1962, fulfilled various command positions and eventually became brigade commander. During his military service, he was decorated twice for bravery for his conduct in Operation Inferno, Karameh, Jordan 1968 as a captain, and in Operation Spring of Youth, Beirut, Lebanon 1973 as a Lt. Colonel. As deputy Chief of Staff, he was involved in the negotiations w ...

See also:

Amnon Lipkin-Shahak, Amnon Lipkin-Shahak - Military service, Amnon Lipkin-Shahak - Political service

Read more here: » Amnon Lipkin-Shahak: Encyclopedia II - Amnon Lipkin-Shahak - Military service

As the Israeli Air Force commander Halutz implemented changes which earned him the appreciation and respect of his officers and pilots. During Halutz's term, Israel purchased F-15I and F-16I fighter jets, capable of strategic bombing in all weather conditions. Halutz also expanded the usage of UAV drones to various missions as an effective tool of scouting and reconneiance. Halutz also tightened the cooperation of the IAF with the IDF ground forces and the SHABAK (the Israeli internal security service and counter-terror agency), enabling the IAF to arrange targeted killings of Palestinian terror leaders ...

See also:

Dan Halutz, Dan Halutz - Military career, Dan Halutz - Halutz during the al-Aqsa Intifada

Read more here: » Dan Halutz: Encyclopedia II - Dan Halutz - Halutz during the al-Aqsa Intifada

In January 1961 Tzur was appointed as the IDF Chief of Staff. One of his first actions was to appoint Major General Yitzhak Rabin as his deputy. Tzur's term was relatively quiet, except for border incidents with Syria which shelled Israeli settlement from the Golan Heights. The biggest IDF operation during Tzur's term was held on March 16, 1962, when the Golani Brigade raided Syrian outposts to the north of the Sea of Galilee in order to stop Syrian shelling. 7 Israeli soldiers and 30 Syrian soldiers were killed during the battle. However, the shelling was not stopped in the area and on August 19, 1963, Syrian forced ...

See also:

Tzvi Tzur, Tzvi Tzur - Early life, Tzvi Tzur - Military career, Tzvi Tzur - Chief of Staff, Tzvi Tzur - Civlian career

Read more here: » Tzvi Tzur: Encyclopedia II - Tzvi Tzur - Chief of Staff

In 1958, Laskov was appointed Chief of General Staff, replacing Moshe Dayan. His appointment took place against the backdrop of the unification of Egypt and Syria as the United Arab Republic on January 31 of that year and the potential threat this posed to the security of Israel. Just two months later, on March 30, Israel and Syria exchanged heavy artillery fire across the Sea of Galilee. The clashes laste ...

See also:

Chaim Laskov, Chaim Laskov - Early life, Chaim Laskov - Military career, Chaim Laskov - Chief of General Staff, Chaim Laskov - Civilian career

Read more here: » Chaim Laskov: Encyclopedia II - Chaim Laskov - Chief of General Staff

During the 1948 Arab-Israeli War, Dayan occupied various positions of importance, first as the commander over the defensive effort in the Jordan valley; he was then given command over a number of military units on the central front. He was extremely well-liked by Israel's founding Prime Minister, David Ben-Gurion and became his protege, together with Shimon Peres (the future Prime Minister). After the 1948 war, Dayan began to rise rapidly through the ranks. From 1955 to 1958 he was the Chief of Staff of the Israel Defense Forces. In this capacity, he command ...

See also:

Moshe Dayan, Moshe Dayan - Early life, Moshe Dayan - World War II, Moshe Dayan - Military commander, Moshe Dayan - Politician, Moshe Dayan - Six Day War 1967, Moshe Dayan - Yom Kippur War 1973, Moshe Dayan - Serves as Foreign Minister in the Likud Government, Moshe Dayan - Death, Moshe Dayan - His legacy

Read more here: » Moshe Dayan: Encyclopedia II - Moshe Dayan - Military commander

In the IDF, Gur served in the Paratroopers Brigade most of his career and became one of the symbols of the "red berret" brigade. During the 1950s he was a company leader under the command of Ariel Sharon. He was wounded during a counter-terror raid in Khan Yunis in 1955 and received a recommendation of honor from Chief of Staff Moshe Dayan. In 1957 he was appointed as adjutant to the brigade commander. After serving in this positi ...

See also:

Mordechai Gur, Mordechai Gur - Military career, Mordechai Gur - Civilian and political career, Mordechai Gur - Death

Read more here: » Mordechai Gur: Encyclopedia II - Mordechai Gur - Military career

Rafael Eitan - Early battles. Eitan was a junior officer in the elite Palmach strike force and took part in the Israel's War of Independence. He fought in Jerusalem and received a head wound in the battle for the San Simon Monastery in April 1948. Later he served with the 10th Infantry Battalion in the Lachish-Negev region. In 1954, Captain Eitan became commander of a Paratroops company in Unit 101. During Operation Kinereth in 1955 he received a machinegun wound to his chest, wh ...

See also:

Rafael Eitan, Rafael Eitan - Military career, Rafael Eitan - Early battles, Rafael Eitan - Chief of Staff, Rafael Eitan - Lebanon War, Rafael Eitan - Political career, Rafael Eitan - Death, Rafael Eitan - Books

Read more here: » Rafael Eitan: Encyclopedia II - Rafael Eitan - Military career

With the outbreak of Israel War of Independence he was appointed as a battalion leader in the Givati Brigade. Tzur was the founder of the fast jeep reconnaissance company "Samson's Foxes" (שועלי שמשון), which waged bitter battles in the southern front. After the end of the war, he undertook organizing roles and went to study manpower management in the United States. In 1956 he was promoted to the rank of Major General and was appointed as the commander of the centeral front. In 1958 he was appointed as deputy chief of staff and went for long period of study in France. He returned on September 1960. He rep ...

See also:

Tzvi Tzur, Tzvi Tzur - Early life, Tzvi Tzur - Military career, Tzvi Tzur - Chief of Staff, Tzvi Tzur - Civlian career

Read more here: » Tzvi Tzur: Encyclopedia II - Tzvi Tzur - Military career

After his retirement Tzur was appointed as the general manager of Mekorot, Israel's national water company. In 1965 he became a Knesset memember on behalf of Rafi - David Ben Gurion's party, but retired shortly after he was elected and continued to work in Mekorot. With the appointment of Moshe Dayan as the Minister of Defense in May 1967, Tzur was asked to assist Dayan. Tzur served as an adviser to the Minister of Defense for seven years. After that, Tzur served at several managing positions, including the Israeli Aicraft Industries, the ...

See also:

Tzvi Tzur, Tzvi Tzur - Early life, Tzvi Tzur - Military career, Tzvi Tzur - Chief of Staff, Tzvi Tzur - Civlian career

Read more here: » Tzvi Tzur: Encyclopedia II - Tzvi Tzur - Civlian career

In 1999 Lipkin-Shahak joined the new Center Party, headed by Yitzhak Mordechai. On this party ticket he was elected to the 15th Knesset (Israeli parliament), when Ehud Barak was elected as Prime Minister (on the Labor Party ticket). Lipkin-Shahak joined Barak's government as Minister of Tourism (1999) and later on also as Minister of Transport (2000, when Mordechai resigned). Soon afterwards he left his Center Party and joined The New Way party. When Barak failed to be re-elected in the 2001 special Prime-Ministerial elections (which he lost t ...

See also:

Amnon Lipkin-Shahak, Amnon Lipkin-Shahak - Military service, Amnon Lipkin-Shahak - Political service

Read more here: » Amnon Lipkin-Shahak: Encyclopedia II - Amnon Lipkin-Shahak - Political service

Halutz joined the Israeli Air Force (IAF) in 1966 and graduated from combat flight school in 1968. In 1969 he joined the first F-4 Phantom squadron of the IAF. During the War of Attrition Halutz carried out 40 operational flights. After the war he left the IDF in order to study, but returned to active duty when the Yom Kippur War started in 1973. During the Yom Kippur War Halutz carried out over 43 operational flights in w ...

See also:

Dan Halutz, Dan Halutz - Military career, Dan Halutz - Halutz during the al-Aqsa Intifada

Read more here: » Dan Halutz: Encyclopedia II - Dan Halutz - Military career

The first months of his tenure were spent combating terrorism. On May 9, 1972, Israel released the hijackers of a Sabena aircraft as part of a prisoner exchange, but just three weeks later, on May 30, terrorists belonging to the Japanese Red Army killed 25 civilians and wounded 71 more at Lod Airport, Israel's leading transportation hub (see: Lod Airport Massacre). On 5 September of that year, another group of terrorists attacked Israeli athletes at the 1972 Summer Olympics in Munich. The attack became known as the Munich Massacre. In respon ...

See also:

David Elazar, David Elazar - Early life, David Elazar - Chief of General Staff, David Elazar - The Yom Kippur War, David Elazar - Events leading up to the war, David Elazar - The war, David Elazar - The aftermath, David Elazar - Legacy

Read more here: » David Elazar: Encyclopedia II - David Elazar - Chief of General Staff

Born in Sarajevo, Yugoslavia (now Bosnia and Herzegovina) and of Sephardic heritage, Elazar immigrated to Palestine in 1940 with the Youth Aliyah program, and settled on kibbutz Ein Shemer. He soon joined the Palmach, and fought in many important battles during Israel's War of Independence, including the Battle of San Simon Monastery in Jerusalem. As a soldier, he advanced through the ranks, eventually serving as commander of the famou ...

See also:

David Elazar, David Elazar - Early life, David Elazar - Chief of General Staff, David Elazar - The Yom Kippur War, David Elazar - Events leading up to the war, David Elazar - The war, David Elazar - The aftermath, David Elazar - Legacy

Read more here: » David Elazar: Encyclopedia II - David Elazar - Early life

David Elazar, popularly known as "Dado," remains a controversial figure in Israel until this very day. The conclusions made by the Agranat Commission that he was personally responsible for the failure to prepare for war was not fully accepted by the public. It is obvious that Elazar, the country's senior military officer, was still trapped in the belief that the Arab states would never attack Israel again after their defeat in the Six Day War, and that if they did attack, "We will break their bones." (He made this comment, which was severely ...

See also:

David Elazar, David Elazar - Early life, David Elazar - Chief of General Staff, David Elazar - The Yom Kippur War, David Elazar - Events leading up to the war, David Elazar - The war, David Elazar - The aftermath, David Elazar - Legacy

Read more here: » David Elazar: Encyclopedia II - David Elazar - Legacy