Amnon Lipkin-Shahak facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Amnon Lipkin-Shahak
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אמנון ליפקין-שחק
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| Minister of Transportation | |
| In office 5 August 1999 – 2001 |
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| Prime Minister | Ehud Barak |
| Preceded by | Ehud Barak |
| Succeeded by | Rehavam Ze'evi |
| Minister of Tourism | |
| In office 11 October 2000 – 2001 |
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| Prime Minister | Ehud Barak |
| Preceded by | Yitzhak Mordechai |
| Succeeded by | Efraim Sneh |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 18 March 1944 Tel Aviv, Mandatory Palestine |
| Died | 19 December 2012 (aged 68) Hadassah Ein Kerem Hospital, Jerusalem |
| Resting place | Kiryat Shaul Military Cemetery, Tel Aviv |
| Nationality | Israeli |
| Political party | Labor |
| Other political affiliations |
Center Party, New Way |
| Spouse | Tali Lipkin-Shahak |
| Children | 5 |
| Alma mater | Tel Aviv University |
| Profession | Military officer |
| Awards | Medal of Courage (2) |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance |  Israel |
| Branch/service |  Israel Defense Forces |
| Years of service | 1962–1998 |
| Rank |  Rav Aluf (Chief of Staff; highest rank) |
| Unit | Paratroopers Brigade, Central Command |
| Commands | Duchifat Unit (Sayeret), Nahal Airborne Battalion, Deputy Commander of the Paratroopers Brigade, Reservist Paratroopers Brigade, Paratroopers Brigade, A reservist armored division, Steel Formation, Central Command, Intelligence, Deputy Chief of General Staff, Chief of General Staff |
| Battles/wars | Six-Day War, Operation Inferno, War of Attrition, 1973 Israeli raid in Lebanon, Yom Kippur War, First Lebanon War, First Intifada |
Amnon Lipkin-Shahak (Hebrew: אמנון ליפקין-שחק; March 18, 1944 – December 19, 2012) was an Israeli military leader and politician. He held the highest position in the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) as its Chief of Staff. He also served as a member of the Knesset (Israel's parliament) and as a government minister. He was the Minister of Transportation and the Minister of Tourism.
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About Amnon Lipkin-Shahak
Lipkin-Shahak was born in Tel Aviv. He was the third child of Zvi and Sarah. He had two siblings, Yaacov and Tamar. He was married to journalist Tali Lipkin-Shahak. Together, they had five children. He studied history at Tel Aviv University.
Health Challenges
In 1994, while serving as Deputy Chief of Staff, he shared that he had been diagnosed with leukemia four years earlier. Leukemia is a type of cancer that affects blood cells. He had recovered from it. Even while battling the illness, he continued his important work. The Prime Minister at the time, Yitzhak Rabin, allowed him to travel for medical advice.
His Passing
Amnon Lipkin-Shahak passed away on December 19, 2012. He died at Hadassah Ein Kerem Hospital in Jerusalem. He had been fighting cancer for a long time.
Amnon Lipkin-Shahak's Military Career
Amnon Lipkin-Shahak began his military journey in 1962. He joined the Paratroopers Brigade after finishing military school. He served as a soldier and an infantry officer.
Early Service and Awards
- In 1965, he became a company commander.
- He took part in operations before the Six-Day War.
- During the Six-Day War, he was a deputy battalion commander.
- After the war, he led the Duchifat unit.
- He participated in Operation Inferno. For his brave leadership, he received the Medal of Courage.
Leadership Roles
After studying at the Command and General Staff School in 1971, he became commander of the Nahal Airborne Battalion.
- His battalion was involved in many operations, especially in Lebanon.
- In April 1973, he led an attack on a group's headquarters in Beirut. He earned a second Medal of Courage for his leadership.
- During the Yom Kippur War, he was deputy commander of the Paratroopers Brigade. He fought in key battles and defended the Sinai desert.
- After the war, he became an operations officer for Central Command. He also studied in the United States.
Promotions and High Command
In 1976, Lipkin-Shahak was promoted to Colonel.
- He became head of the reservist Paratroopers Brigade.
- In 1977, he led the regular Paratroopers Brigade.
- The Brigade took part in many operations, including Operation Litani in Lebanon.
- He later commanded a reservist armored division.
- In 1982, he became commander of the Steel Formation.
- He served as commander of the Beirut region after the First Lebanon War.
Top Military Positions
- In 1983, Lipkin-Shahak was appointed Head of Central Command.
- From 1986 to 1991, he was Head of Intelligence. During this time, he helped prepare the IDF for the Gulf War.
- In 1991, he became Deputy Chief of Staff.
- He led Operation Solomon, which brought 15,000 Ethiopian Jews to Israel.
- On January 1, 1995, he became the Chief of Staff of the IDF, the highest military position. He took over from Ehud Barak.
- Lipkin-Shahak retired from the IDF in 1998. Shaul Mofaz succeeded him as Chief of Staff.
Amnon Lipkin-Shahak's Political Career
After leaving the army, Amnon Lipkin-Shahak became involved in politics. He believed in peaceful solutions and openly disagreed with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
Entering Politics
- He wanted to create a new political party. This party would be "centrist," meaning it would try to find common ground between different political views. He believed a new party could achieve peace.
- On June 7, 1999, he became a member of the 15th Knesset (Israel's parliament). He joined the Center Party.
- On August 5, he was appointed Minister of Tourism.
- On October 11, 2001, he became Minister of Transportation.
Later Political Activities
- In March 2001, he and others formed a new group called New Way.
- He resigned from the Knesset shortly after.
- After leaving the Knesset, he became Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Tahal Group.
- In 2003, Lipkin-Shahak joined the Labor Party.
- He took part in the Geneva Initiative talks and signed the agreement. The Geneva Initiative was a plan for peace between Israelis and Palestinians.
- In April 2008, he signed a letter supporting J Street. This is an American Jewish group that supports peace efforts.
See Also
- History of the Israel Defense Forces
