Ehud Barak — Profile, Rankings & Fame Trend

Summary

Updated 2026-06-21

Israel's most decorated soldier turned prime minister, led the 2000 Camp David talks that nearly ended the Israeli-Palestinian conflict — and watched his government collapse when they failed.

Biography

About

Born Ehud Brog on kibbutz Mishmar Hasharon in 1942, his maternal grandparents were murdered in the Holocaust. He entered the Israel Defense Forces in 1959 and rose through 35 years of operations — the 1972 "Operation Isotope," the covert 1973 Lebanon raid, the 1976 Entebbe rescue — becoming Chief of the General Staff in 1991 and earning the distinction of Israel's most highly decorated soldier. He moved into politics in 1995 as interior minister under Yitzhak Rabin, then foreign minister after Rabin's assassination. Elected Labor leader in 1997, he won the prime ministership in 1999 — Israel's…

Voice

In their own words

Sourced, dated quotes from Ehud Barak

Ehud Barak

said20 May 2016

This government needs to be brought down before it brings all of us down, there are no serious leaders left in the world who believe the Israeli government.

— During an interview to Channel 10, (May 20, 2016).

Ehud Barak

said26 Oct 2009

The Left is acting like a young child, saying 'I want peace'...

— Barak Fights Labor MKs over Goldstone Israel National News, October 26, 2009.

Ehud Barak

said22 Nov 2002

There is another story, that we tried to impose upon him [Arafat] cantons, Bantustans. Total lie. We talked about 80%+ of the West Bank and 100% of the Gaza Strip.

— Speech at UC Berkeley, November 22, 2002

Ehud Barak

said10 Sep 2000