Editing Ehud Barak (section)

==Military career==
[[File:Ehud Barak military.jpg|thumb|left|Ehud Barak as Chief of Staff of the [[Israel Defense Forces]]]]
[[File:Ehud Barak Ribbons.png|thumb|right|233px|Citations and war ribbons of Ehud Barak]]
Barak joined the [[Israel Defense Forces]] (IDF) in 1959. He served in the IDF for 35 years, rising to the position of [[Chief of General Staff (Israel)|Chief of the General Staff]] and the rank of ''[[Rav Aluf]]'' (Lieutenant-General), the highest in the Israeli military.
During his service as a commando in the elite [[Sayeret Matkal]], Barak led several highly acclaimed operations, such as: "Operation Isotope", the mission to free the hostages on board the hijacked [[Sabena Flight 571]] at Lod Airport in 1972; the covert [[1973 Israeli raid in Lebanon]] in Beirut, in which he was disguised as a woman to kill members of the [[Palestine Liberation Organization]]; Barak was also a key architect of the June 1976 [[Entebbe raid]], another rescue mission to free the hostages of the [[Air France]] aircraft hijacked by terrorists and forced to land at the [[Entebbe Airport]] in Uganda. These highly acclaimed operations, along with [[Operation Wrath of God|Operation Bayonet]], led to the dismantling of Palestinian terrorist cell [[Black September (group)|Black September]]. It has been alluded that Barak also masterminded the [[Khalil al-Wazir#Assassination|Tunis Raid]] on 16 April 1988, in which PLO leader [[Abu Jihad]] was killed.<ref>{{cite news|work=[[BBC News]] |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/8488249.stm |title=Long history of Israel's 'covert killing' |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100201065627/http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/8488249.stm |archive-date=1 February 2010 |date=29 January 2010 |url-status=live}}</ref>

During the [[Yom Kippur War]], Barak commanded an improvised regiment of tanks which, among other things, helped rescue paratrooper battalion 890, commanded by [[Yitzhak Mordechai]], which was suffering heavy losses in the [[Battle of the Chinese Farm]]. He went on to command the [[401st Brigade (IDF)|401st armored brigade]] and the 611st "Pillar of Fire" and [[Sinai Division|252nd "Sinai"]] divisions, before his appointment to head the IDF's [[Planning Directorate]]. Barak also participated in the [[Siege of Beirut]], overseeing it from [[Beirut–Rafic Hariri International Airport|Beirut International Airport.]]
Barak later served as head of Aman, the [[Military Intelligence Directorate (Israel)|Military Intelligence Directorate]] (1983–85), head of [[Central Command (Israel)|Central Command]] (1986–87) and Deputy Chief of the General Staff (1987–91). He served as [[Chief of General Staff (Israel)|Chief of the General Staff]] between 1 April 1991 and 1 January 1995. During this period he implemented the first [[Oslo Accords]] and participated in the negotiations towards the [[Israel–Jordan peace treaty]].

Barak was awarded the [[Medal of Distinguished Service]] and four Chief of Staff citations (''Tzalash HaRamatkal'') for courage and operational excellence.<ref>Gal Perl Finkel, [https://www.jpost.com/Opinion/Dont-throw-out-the-baby-with-the-bath-water-564453 Don’t throw out the baby with the bath water], [[The Jerusalem Post]], 9 August 2018.</ref> These five decorations make him the most decorated soldier in Israeli history (jointly with close friend [[Nechemya Cohen]]).<ref>Offer Drori, [htMajor Amitai Hasontp://www.global-report.com/drori/a342512-גיבורי-ישראל-מרובי-העיטורים-צדק-היסטורי גיבורי ישראל מרובי העיטורים – צדק היסטורי], 4 February 2009 (Hebrew) {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121013074728/http://www.global-report.com/drori/a342512-%D7%92%D7%99%D7%91%D7%95%D7%A8%D7%99-%D7%99%D7%A9%D7%A8%D7%90%D7%9C-%D7%9E%D7%A8%D7%95%D7%91%D7%99-%D7%94%D7%A2%D7%99%D7%98%D7%95%D7%A8%D7%99%D7%9D-%D7%A6%D7%93%D7%A7-%D7%94%D7%99%D7%A1%D7%98%D7%95%D7%A8%D7%99 |date=13 October 2012 }}</ref> In 1992 he was awarded the [[Legion of Merit]] (Commander) by the United States.<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20120314230336/http://www.dodmedia.osd.mil/DVIC_View/Still_Details.cfm?SDAN=DDSC0725582&JPGPath=%2FAssets%2FStill%2F2007%2FDoD%2FDD-SC-07-25582.JPG An image of Barak receiving the award] on 14 January 1993 in [[the Pentagon]]. Note that according to IDF regulations foreign medals are not worn on the uniform.</ref> In 2012, he was again awarded by the United States with the [[Department of Defense Medal for Distinguished Public Service]].<ref>{{cite web|access-date=14 March 2013 |url=http://blogs.defensenews.com/intercepts/2012/11/photo-of-the-day-nov-30-2012-panetta-barak-hug-it-out-edition/ |title=Photo of the Day: Nov. 30, 2012 (Panetta, Barak Hug it Out Edition) |work=[[Defense News]] |date=30 November 2012 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20130121093751/http://blogs.defensenews.com/intercepts/2012/11/photo-of-the-day-nov-30-2012-panetta-barak-hug-it-out-edition/ |archive-date=21 January 2013 |url-status=dead}}</ref>