Ehud Barak was a Prime minister of Israel from 1999 to 2001. Barak was born Ehud Brog in the then British colony of Palestine. He joined the Israeli military in 1959 and became one of the most decorated soldiers in Israeli history. Barak rose through the ranks to become the chief of the general staff and the highest-ranking Israeli soldier. Barak's political career began in 1995, when he was appointed minister of the interior. He subsequently served as foreign minister and was elected to the Knesset in 1996. That year he also became leader of the Labor Party. On 17 May 1999, Barak was elected prime minister.

Barak initiated a range of efforts to resolve the Arab-Israeli conflict. He ordered the withdrawal of Israeli forces from southern Lebanon and launched peace negotiations with Syria. At the 2000 Camp David Summit, Barak put forward the most far-reaching peace proposal made to date by an Israeli leader, offering to turn over the entire Gaza Strip to the Palestinians, along with 90 percent of the West Bank and 3 percent of the Negev Desert. Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat rejected the proposal. A new intifada, or uprising, was initiated by the Palestinians, leading to widespread loss of life among both Palestinians and Israelis. In 2000, the Barak government agreed to start construction of a multilayered security fence to separate Jewish and Palestinian areas and to provide better security against terrorist attacks after a study reported that 75 percent of suicide bombers crossed illegally into Israel through areas where the border was undefended. The fence was condemned by international organizations, including the United Nations, but it reduced suicide bombings in the areas where it was constructed by 90 percent, leading successive governments to expand the barrier. At the 2001 Taba Summit, Barak and Arafat were again unable to reach a lasting agreement following the prime minister's loss in Israeli elections. In 2001, Barak left office and was succeeded by Ariel Sharon. In 2005, Barak unsuccessfully campaigned for the leadership of the Labor Party.

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