born Feb. 26, 1928, Kefar Malal, Palestine
Israeli soldier and politician.
He received military training and did intelligence and reconnaissance work after Israel achieved independence (see Arab-Israeli wars ). During the Suez Crisis (1956), and again during the Six-Day War (1967), a unit under his command captured the strategic Mitla Pass. In the Yom Kippur War (1973), he led an Israeli counterattack. Appointed minister of agriculture in charge of settlements (1977), he actively promoted Jewish settlement in the West Bank and Gaza Strip. As minister of defense (1981–83), he oversaw Israel's invasion of Lebanon (see Sabra and Shatila massacres , and he was forced to resign in 1983. He held several further cabinet positions throughout the 1980s and '90s and in 1999 became head of the Likud party. In 2001 he was elected prime minister.