Israel’s Security Men

From 1949 to 2000, Moshe Dayan, Yitzhak Rabin, Ariel Sharon, and Ehud Barak conducted Israel’s successful (and unsuccessful) talks with its Arab neighbors, from the armistice negotiations to Kissinger’s shuttle diplomacy, to Camp David I and the Egyptian-Israeli peace treaty, and finally to the Oslo peace process. The four successful generals who became politicians are covered in four separate biographies, which discuss the early life and military career of each subject and his subsequent political career. Two other military politicians—Yigal Allon and Ezer Weizman—are covered within these four biographies. An overview of the phenomenon of military politicians in Israel is given and an appendix compares it with similar experiences in South Africa and the United States.

Thomas G. Mitchell is the author of numerous books on such topics as Israel, Northern Ireland, and antebellum American history. He lives in Madison, Wisconsin.

Thomas G. Mitchell
Format: softcover (6 x 9)
Pages: 256
Bibliographic Info: 24 photos, 5 maps, appendix, notes, bibliography, index
Copyright Date: 2015
pISBN: 978-0-7864-9626-6
eISBN: 978-1-4766-1759-6
Imprint: McFarland

Table of Contents


Acknowledgments vii

Preface 1

Part I: Moshe Dayan, 1915–1981

One • Israel’s Military Politicians 13

Two • General Dayan 18

Three • Defense Minister Dayan 34

Four • Dayan as Negotiator 49

Part II: Yitzhak Rabin, 1922–1995

Five • General Rabin 67

Six • Rabin: Prime Minister to Defense Minister 86

Seven • From Defense Minister to Martyr 105

Part III: Ariel “Arik” Sharon, 1928–2014

Eight • General Sharon 121

Nine • Sharon Charges into Politics 135

Ten • Prime Minister Sharon 150

Part IV: Ehud Barak, 1942–?

Eleven • Barak: Israel’s Most Decorated Soldier 167

Twelve • Barak Attempts Peace 185

Thirteen • Barak on Defense 201

Conclusion 212

Appendix: Military Politicians in the United States and South Africa 221

Chapter Notes 228

Bibliography 243

Index 245

“an invaluable contribution”—Midwest Book Review.