Editing Ehud Barak (section)

==Political career==
On 7 July 1995, Barak was appointed [[Ministry of Interior (Israel)|Minister of Internal Affairs]] by [[Yitzhak Rabin]]. When [[Shimon Peres]] formed a new government following Rabin's assassination in November 1995, Barak was made [[Foreign Affairs Minister of Israel|Minister of Foreign Affairs]] (1995–96).<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.mfa.gov.il/mfa/mfa-archive/1996/pages/fm%20barak-%20address%20to%20njcrac%20-%20feb%2011-%201996.aspx |title=FM Barak – Address to NJCRAC |publisher=Israel Ministry of Foreign Affairs |date=11 February 1996 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304073341/http://www.mfa.gov.il/mfa/mfa-archive/1996/pages/fm%20barak-%20address%20to%20njcrac%20-%20feb%2011-%201996.aspx |archive-date=4 March 2016}}</ref> He was elected to [[the Knesset]] on the Labor Party list in [[1996 Israeli legislative election|1996]], and served as a member of the Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee. Following internal elections after Peres' defeat in the [[1996 Israeli prime ministerial election|election for Prime Minister]] in 1996, Barak became the leader of the Labor Party.

===Prime Minister of Israel===
[[File:Barak pentagon 1999.jpg|thumb|233px|right|Barak at the [[The Pentagon|Pentagon]] (1999)]] 
[[File:President Bill Clinton with Prime Minister Ehud Barak of Israel and Chairman Yasser Arafat of the Palestinian Authority.jpg|thumb|233px|right|Ehud Barak shaking hands with [[Yasser Arafat]], joined by President [[Bill Clinton]] (1999)]]

In the [[1999 Israeli prime ministerial election|1999 Prime Ministerial election]], Barak beat [[Benjamin Netanyahu]] by a wide margin. However, he sparked controversy by deciding to form a coalition with the ultra-Orthodox party [[Shas]], who had won an unprecedented 17 seats in the 120-seat [[Knesset]]. Shas grudgingly agreed to Barak's terms that they eject their leader [[Aryeh Deri]], a convicted felon, and enact reform to "clean up" in-party corruption. Consequentially, the left wing [[Meretz]] party quit the coalition after they failed to agree on the powers to be given to a Shas deputy minister in the Ministry of Education.{{citation needed|date=October 2023}}

In 1999 Barak gave a campaign promise to end Israel's 22-year-long occupation of [[Southern Lebanon]] within a year. On 24 May 2000 Israel [[Blue Line (Lebanon)|withdrew]] from Southern Lebanon. On 7 October, three Israeli soldiers were killed in a border raid by [[Hezbollah]] and their bodies were subsequently captured. The bodies of these soldiers, along with the living Elhanan Tenenbaum, were eventually exchanged for Lebanese captives in 2004.{{citation needed|date=October 2023}}

The Barak government resumed peace negotiations with the [[PLO]], stating that "Every attempt [by the State of Israel] to keep hold of this area [the West Bank and Gaza] as one political entity leads, necessarily, to either a nondemocratic or a non-Jewish state. Because if the Palestinians vote, then it is a [[binational state]], and if they don't vote it is an [[apartheid state]]."<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2012/04/13/opinion/dont-give-up-on-mideast-peace.html |author=[[Jimmy Carter]] |title=Don't Give Up on Mideast Peace |newspaper=International Herald Tribune |date=12 April 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120415235950/http://www.nytimes.com/2012/04/13/opinion/dont-give-up-on-mideast-peace.html |archive-date=15 April 2012 }}</ref> As part of these negotiations, Barak took part in the [[Camp David 2000 Summit]] which was meant finally to resolve the [[Israeli–Palestinian conflict]] but failed. Barak also allowed Foreign Minister [[Shlomo Ben-Ami]] to attend the [[Taba Summit]] with the leadership of the [[Palestinian Authority]], after his government had fallen.{{citation needed|date=October 2023}}

===Domestic issues===
On 22 August 1999, Barak appointed the [[Tal committee]] which dealt with the controversial issue of ultra-Orthodox Jews' exemption from military service.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.knesset.gov.il/docs/heb/tal.htm |script-title=he:הועדה לגבוש ההסדר הראוי בנושא גיוס בני ישיבות − דו"ח |trans-title=The Committee to Formulate the Proper Arrangement Regarding the Enlistment of Yeshiva Students − Report |language=he |access-date=13 April 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121003022722/https://www.knesset.gov.il/docs/heb/tal.htm |archive-date=3 October 2012 |url-status=live}}</ref> Following the failure of the Camp David summit with Arafat and Bill Clinton in the summer of 2000, when the original 7 years mandate of the PNA expired, and just after Israel pulled out its last troops out of southern Lebanon in May 2000, the weeks-long [[October 2000 events|Riots in October 2000]] led to the killing of twelve Israeli Arabs and one Palestinian by [[Israel Police]] and one Jewish civilian by Israeli Arabs.{{citation needed|date=October 2023}}

===Resignation===
In 2001, Barak called [[2001 Israeli prime ministerial election|an election for Prime Minister]].<ref>{{Cite news |last=Staff |date=2001-02-06 |title=Barak concedes defeat |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2001/feb/06/israel6 |access-date=2024-02-06 |work=The Guardian |language=en-GB |issn=0261-3077}}</ref> In the contest, he was defeated by Likud leader [[Ariel Sharon]], and subsequently resigned as Labor leader and from the Knesset. He left Israel to work as a senior advisor with United States–based [[Electronic Data Systems]]. He also partnered with a private equity company focused on "security-related" work.

===Return to politics===
[[File:Flickr - Israel Defense Forces - Prime Minister and Defense Minister at Weaponry Display.jpg|thumb|233px|right|[[Ministry of Defense (Israel)|Israeli Minister of Defense]] Ehud Barak, with Prime Minister [[Benjamin Netanyahu]] after the [[Victoria Affair]], March 2011]]
In 2005, Barak announced his return to Israeli politics, and ran for leadership of the Labor Party in [[2005 Israeli Labor Party leadership election|November]]. However, in light of his weak poll showings, Barak dropped out of the race early and declared his support for veteran statesman [[Shimon Peres]]. Following his failed attempt to maintain leadership of the Labor party, Barak became a partner of the investment company SCP Private Equity Partners, [[Pennsylvania]]. He also established a company "Ehud Barak Limited" which is thought to have made over [[Israeli new sheqel|NIS]] 30 million.<ref>{{cite web|last=Blau |first=Uri |access-date=14 March 2013 |url=http://www.haaretz.com/weekend/magazine/ehud-barak-ltd-1.221318 |title=Ehud Barak Ltd |newspaper=Haaretz Daily Newspaper |date=24 May 2007 |archive-date=11 March 2014 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140311113557/http://www.haaretz.com/weekend/magazine/ehud-barak-ltd-1.221318}}</ref>

After Peres lost the race to [[Amir Peretz]] and left the Labor party, Barak announced he would stay at the party, despite his shaky relationship with its newly elected leader. He declared, however, that he would not run for a spot on the Labor party's [[Knesset]] list for the [[2006 Israel legislative election|March 2006 elections]]. Barak's attempt to return to a prominent role in Israel politics seemed to have failed. However, Peretz's hold on the Labor leadership proved unexpectedly shaky as he was badly damaged by negative views of his performance as Defense Minister during the 2006 Lebanon War, which was seen as something less than a success in Israel.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.kuwaittimes.net/read_news.php?newsid=MTA3OTE5NjI0NA |title=Kadima nominates Peres for president |work=Kuwait Times }}{{dead link|date=June 2016|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}</ref>

In [[2007 Israeli Labor Party leadership election|January 2007]], Barak launched a bid to recapture the leadership of the Labor party in a letter acknowledging "mistakes" and "inexperience" during his tenure as Prime Minister.<ref>{{cite news|work=[[Reuters]] |url=http://uk.reuters.com/article/uk-israel-barak-idUKL0776362420070107 |title=Former Israeli PM Barak in New Leadership Bid |date=7 January 2007 |archive-date=17 October 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121017131657/http://uk.reuters.com/article/2007/01/07/uk-israel-barak-idUKL0776362420070107}}</ref> In early March 2007, a poll of Labor Party primary voters put Barak ahead of all other opponents, including Peretz.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.haaretz.com/news/poll-barak-ayalon-lead-peretz-in-the-labor-leadership-primaries-1.214656 |title=Poll: Barak, Ayalon lead Peretz in the Labor leadership primaries |author=Yossi Verter |newspaper=Haaretz |date=3 March 2007 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20120908202019/http://www.haaretz.com/news/poll-barak-ayalon-lead-peretz-in-the-labor-leadership-primaries-1.214656 |archive-date=8 September 2012 |url-status=live |access-date=22 September 2016}}</ref> In the first round of voting, on 28 May 2007, he gained 39% of the votes, more than his two closest rivals, but not enough to win the election.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/6695007.stm |title=Peretz loses Israeli party vote |access-date=30 May 2007 |work=BBC News |date=3 January 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140422234256/http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/6695007.stm |archive-date=22 April 2014 |url-status=live}}</ref>

As a result, Barak faced a runoff against the second-place finisher, [[Ami Ayalon]], on 12 June 2007, which he won by a narrow margin.<ref>{{cite news|title=Barak wins Labor Party primary election: party officials|newspaper=[[International Herald Tribune]]|date=12 June 2007}}</ref>

Barak has been critical of what he sees as racist sentiments [[December 2010 Rabbi Letter Controversies|that have recently been expressed by]] some Israeli [[rabbi]]s and [[rebbetzin]]s; he views such statements as a threat to Israeli unity and that they may lead Israeli society into a "dark and dangerous place".<ref name=rabbis>{{cite news|newspaper=Haaretz |access-date=1 January 2011 |date=29 December 2010 |url=http://www.haaretz.com/news/national/barak-anti-arab-letters-by-rabbis-and-rabbis-wives-leading-israel-into-dark-place-1.334093 |title=Barak: Anti-Arab letters by rabbis and rabbis' wives leading Israel into dark place |first=Mazal |last=Mualem |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110101124410/http://www.haaretz.com/news/national/barak-anti-arab-letters-by-rabbis-and-rabbis-wives-leading-israel-into-dark-place-1.334093 |archive-date=1 January 2011 |url-status=live}}</ref>

====Defense Minister====
[[File:Barak - Rice 2007 08 01 israel3 600.jpg|thumb|233px|right|Ehud Barak and [[Condoleezza Rice]] (2007)]]

====As head of the Labor Party====
After winning back the leadership of the Labor party, Barak was sworn in as [[Ministry of Defense (Israel)|Minister of Defense]] on 18 June 2007, as part of Prime Minister [[Ehud Olmert|Olmert]]'s cabinet reshuffle. However, on 1 July 2007, Barak led a successful effort in the Labor central committee to stipulate that Labor would leave the government coalition if Olmert did not resign by September or October 2007. At that time the [[Winograd Commission]] would publish its final report on the performance of the [[Israel Defense Forces]] and its civilian leadership. The preliminary Winograd report released earlier this year laid most of the blame on Olmert for poorly planning, executing, and reviewing war strategies in the [[2006 Lebanon War|2006 conflict]] against [[Hezbollah]].<ref>{{cite news|last1=Harel|first1=Amos|title=Remember the Second Lebanon War|url=http://www.haaretz.com/weekend/week-s-end/remember-the-second-lebanon-war-1.450891|newspaper=Haaretz|publisher=Haaretz Daily Newspaper Ltd}}</ref>

From December 2008 to January 2009, Barak led the [[Israel Defense Forces]] through [[Gaza War (2008–09)|Operation Cast Lead]] in his capacity as Minister of Defence.<ref>{{cite web|title= Report of the United Nations Fact Finding Mission on the Gaza Conflict|publisher=United Nations Human Rights Council|url=http://image.guardian.co.uk/sys-files/Guardian/documents/2009/09/15/UNFFMGCReport.pdf|access-date=13 July 2014|page=106|date=15 September 2009}}</ref>

Labor won only 13 out of the 120 Knesset seats in the [[2009 Israeli legislative election|2009 elections]], making them the fourth largest party. Barak and other Labor officials initially stated they would not take part in the next government. However, over the objections of some in the Labor party, in March 2009, Barak reached an agreement under which Labor joined the governing coalition led by [[Benjamin Netanyahu]]. Barak retained his position as Defense Minister.

====Leaving the Labor Party====
In January 2011, Labor Party leader Barak formed a breakaway party, [[Independence (Israeli political party)|Independence]], which enabled him to maintain his loyal Labor's MK faction within Netanyahu's government, and prevented the departure of Labor party as a whole from Netanyahu's coalition-government. Labor previously threatened to force Barak to do so. After Barak's move, Netanyahu was able to maintain a majority of 66 MK (out of 120 in the [[Knesset]]), previously having 74 MKs within his majority coalition.

In February 2011, Barak attended a ceremony at the UN for the International Day of Commemoration in memory of the victims of the Holocaust. Barak told the UN General Assembly that "an independent, strong, thriving and peaceful State of Israel is the vengeance of the dead."<ref name="jpost.com">{{cite web|newspaper=The Jerusalem Post |title=Barak at UN: Strong Israel is revenge of the Nazis' victims |url=http://www.jpost.com/JewishWorld/JewishNews/Article.aspx?id=207716 |author=Jordana Horn |date=10 February 2011 |access-date=10 February 2011 |archive-date=23 October 2012 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121023011146/http://www.jpost.com/JewishWorld/JewishNews/Article.aspx?id=207716}}</ref>

Barak's Independence party was due to run in a [[2013 Israeli legislative election|legislative election]], but decided not to in 2012, and retired from politics. Barak planned to quit since [[Operation Pillar of Defense]] but postponed it until later that year.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.israeltoday.co.il/NewsItem/tabid/178/nid/23525/Default.aspx?archive=article_title |author=Ryan Jones |title=Ehud Barak drops out of Israeli politics |newspaper=[[Israel HaYom|Israel Today]] |date=26 November 2012 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131022133959/http://www.israeltoday.co.il/NewsItem/tabid/178/nid/23525/Default.aspx?archive=article_title |archive-date=22 October 2013}}</ref>

Barak stated during an American television interview that he would "probably" strive for nuclear weapons if he were in Iran's position, adding "I don't delude myself that they are doing it just because of Israel". This comment has been criticized and compared to Barak's comment in 1998 during a television interview when he said that if he were a Palestinian he would probably have joined one of the terror organizations.<ref>{{cite news|title=Barak criticized over Iran comments |newspaper=[[The Irish Times]] |url=https://www.irishtimes.com/premium/loginpage?destination=http://www.irishtimes.com/news/barak-criticised-over-iran-comments-1.13168}}</ref>

In 2023 it was revealed that Barak had visited [[Jeffrey Epstein]] around 30 times from 2013 to 2017 and had also flown on his jet, having first met Epstein in 2003. Barak denied any wrongdoing.<ref>{{cite news |last=ToI Staff |last2=JTA |author-link2=Jewish Telegraphic Agency |date=4 May 2023 |title=Ehud Barak met with Jeffrey Epstein dozens of times, flew on private plane — report |url=https://www.timesofisrael.com/ehud-barak-met-with-jeffrey-epstein-dozens-of-times-flew-on-private-plane-report/ |work=[[The Times of Israel]] |issue= |postscript=. JTA article: Lapin, Andrew. Noam Chomsky, Ehud Barak, Leon Botstein and a Rothschild are among the names on Jeffrey Epstein’s newly uncovered calendar. May 1, 2023. www.jta.org/2023/05/01/united-states/noam-chomsky-ehud-barak-leon-botstein-and-a-rothschild-are-among-the-names-on-jeffrey-epsteins-newly-uncovered-calendar}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Noam Chomsky, Ehud Barak and Woody Allen all met with Epstein after conviction |url=https://www.thejc.com/news/world/noam-chomsky-ehud-barak-and-woody-allen-all-met-with-epstein-after-conviction-vocm1y6d |work=[[The Jewish Chronicle]] |date=2 May 2023}}</ref>

====Return to political life====
On 26 June 2019, Barak announced his return to politics and his intention to form a new party named the [[Israel Democratic Party]], intending to challenge Netanyahu in the [[September 2019 Israeli legislative election]]. The party ran with Meretz and other parties in the [[Democratic Union (Israel)|Democratic Union]] alliance, which received five seats. Barak himself did not enter the Knesset.<ref name=toi/>