Background

Haim "Kidoni" Bar-Lev was born on November 16, 1924, in Vienna, Wien, Austria. He moved to Israel in 1939. He was the son of Menachem Bar-Lev and Dvora Bar-Lev.

Education

Haim Bar-Lev attended Mikva Yisrael Agricultural School. Studied Business Management and Economics at Columbia University and Political Science at the University of Paris.

Career

Haim Bar-Lev joined Palmach Units 1942 and become commander of "D" Company in the Palmach in 1946. In 1946 he blew up the Allenby Bridge near Jericho to prevent Arab militiamen in Trans-Jordan from entering Jewish towns west of the Jordan River.

During the 1948 Arab-Israeli War, Haim Bar-Lev was the commander of the Eighth Battalion in the Negev Brigade, which fought in the southern part of the country and the Sinai. He also was a Commanding Officer of Givati Brigade during 1954-1955.

During the 1956 Suez Crisis, Haim Bar-Lev commanded the 27th Armored Brigade, which captured the Gaza Strip before turning southwest and reaching the Suez Canal. Served as a Commander Armored Corps in 1957-1961. By 1964 he became Director of Operations within the Israel Defense Forces.

Between 1968 and 1971, Haim Bar-Lev served as IDF's Chief of General Staff, which made him the highest-ranking military officer. During the October 1973 Yom Kippur War, although retired from the IDF and serving as the Minister of Trade and Industry, he was recalled by Prime Minister Golda Meir back into military service to replace Shmuel "Gorodish" Gonen as chief of the Southern Command, which defended the Sinai Peninsula. Haim Bar-Lev played a pivotal role in the war.

Haim Bar-Lev remained Minister of Trade and Industry until the Alignment government was defeated and replaced by the Likud under the leadership of Menachem Begin following the 1977 elections, in which Haim Bar-Lev was elected to the Knesset for the first time. Between 1977 and 1984 he served as General Secretary of the Labor Party, the largest faction in the Alignment. When the Alignment joined the national unity governments that held office between 1984 and 1990, Haim Bar-Lev served as Minister of Police and as a member of the "inner cabinet". He retired from the Knesset at the time of the 1992 elections and was appointed ambassador to Russia, serving until 1994.

Achievements

• Haim Bar-Lev rose from the rank of private to become the eighth chief of staff of the Israel Defense Forces. He was known for keeping control of the chaotic Southern Headquarters during the 1973 Yom Kippur War, leading to Israel's victory over Egypt.

Personality

Quotes from others about the person

• "Bar-Lev brought calmness on all of us. Finally, there was a feeling that we had a real commander in charge. This feeling spread between us and later also in the battlefield radios like fire. Bar-Lev also managed to calm Gorodish down. Prior to his arrival, general staff meetings were one loud shout out of Gorodish's mouth. Bar-Lev instituted orderly working routines. No one challenged his authority."

Connections

Father:

Menachem Bar-Lev

Mother:

Dvora Bar-Lev

Spouse:

Tamar Maharshak

m. 1949

Son:

Omer Bar-Lev

References

• The Arab-Israeli Wars: War and Peace in the Middle East The Arab-Israeli Wars is former President of Israel Chaim Herzog’s acclaimed history of Israel’s fight since 1947 to preserve her existence against repeated attacks.
  1982
• Generals of Israel
  1968