On April 1, 1991, Ehud Barak (born 1942) was elevated to the rank of lieutenant general, becoming Israel's 14th chief of staff, and, at the age of 49, also the youngest in the history of the Israel Defense Forces (I.D.F.). In 1995, following the assassination of Yitzhak Rabin, Ehud Barak was named Israel's Foreign Minister. He became the leader of Israel's Labor Party in 1997. In May 1999 he defeated Binyamin Netanyahu in the national election to become Israel's prime minister.

A list of Barak's numerous military postings and career promotions after joining the army in 1959 traces his steady rise to the top of the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) chain of command. His immense contributions to Israeli national security were signified by the awarding of an itur limofet, the army's medal for distinguished combat service, plus four other citations for valor in secret operations, the details of which remain classified.

Ehud Barak was...