LIPKIN-SHAHAK, AMNON

LIPKIN-SHAHAK, AMNON (1944– ), 15th chief of staff of the IDF (1995–98). Lipkin-Shahak was born in Tel Aviv. As a career officer he studied at the IDF Staff and Command College and the National Defense College. In the Six-Day War and Yom Kippur War he had commands in the paratroops. During his service he was twice awarded the Medal of Valor: in 1968 he commanded his troops under enemy fire and in 1973 in Lebanon he carried out his mission under enemy fire and with casualties. As deputy chief of staff he headed the Israeli military team to the negotiations with the Palestinians on the Gaza-Jericho Agreement. As chief of staff, he met with his Syrian counterpart to discuss security arrangements as part of the peace negotiations between the two countries. After his retirement from the IDF he joined the Center Party and was elected to the Knesset in 1999. As part of the coalition, he held the Ministry of Tourism and later of Transport. After the defeat of Ehud Barak in the 2001 election he resigned from the Knesset and became chairman of tahal . (Shaked Gilboa (2nd ed.)