Shaul Mofaz, the Israeli Defense Minister and former IDF Chief of General Staff, was born in 1948 in Iran. He served as an officer in the military and has participated in most of Israel's wars since 1967. Initially joining the Likud party, he later switched to the Kadima party and won its leadership in 2012. He was elected as a member of the Knesset and chaired the Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee.
The Israeli Army's Chief of Staff General Herzi Halevy entrusted Mofaz to lead the investigation team into the Israeli military and security failures following the "Al-Aqsa Intifada" operation launched by the Palestinian resistance against the Gaza envelope settlements on October 7, 2023. This appointment caused controversy within the Israeli government.
Early Life
Shaul Mofaz was born on November 4, 1948, in Tehran, Iran, and immigrated with his parents to Israel in 1957.
Education and Training
He received his basic education at Jewish religious schools in Eilat and continued his education in Nahalal. Joining the Israeli Army's Paratroopers Brigade in 1966, Mofaz completed advanced training at the U.S. Marine Corps Base Quantico, Virginia, in 1984.
Between 1976 and 1978, he took a break from the military to study at Bar-Ilan University in Israel, where he earned a Bachelor's degree in Business Administration.
Former Defense Minister and Chief of Staff of the Israeli Army Shaul Mofaz, who oversaw the Gaza withdrawal plan in 2005 (Al Jazeera)
Military Roles and Positions
From the beginning of his military service, Mofaz participated in most of Israel's wars, starting with the Six-Day War in 1967. He rose through the ranks, starting with his participation as a combat paratrooper in Sinai, and eventually commanded the elite Paratroopers Brigade and participated in the rescue operation of Israeli hostages at Entebbe Airport in 1976.
After attending the U.S. Marines Command and Staff College in 1984, he briefly commanded the Israeli Army Officer School, then led the Paratroopers Brigade in 1986. Promoted to Brigadier General in 1988, he served various high-level positions in the Ground Forces Command and was the army's commander in the Galilee and West Bank regions.
In 1998, Mofaz became the 16th IDF Chief of General Staff and was appointed Defense Minister in Ariel Sharon's government in November 2002.
Mofaz (left) with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu (Reuters)
Political Career
Mofaz was initially part of the right-wing Likud party. Following Prime Minister Ariel Sharon's departure from the party in 2005, Mofaz ran for its leadership against significant contenders like Benjamin Netanyahu and Silvan Shalom. However, he soon accepted an offer to join Sharon's new party, Kadima.
After Kadima led the elections, Mofaz served as the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Transportation and Road Safety from May 2006 to April 2009 in Ehud Olmert's government.
Despite Kadima winning 28 seats in the 2009 Knesset elections and Likud obtaining 27, party leader Tzipi Livni failed to form a coalition government. Thus, Israeli President Shimon Peres tasked Likud leader Benjamin Netanyahu with forming a government.
Mofaz chaired the Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee and a joint committee on the defense budget. He also competed against his party leader, eventually winning the party leadership on March 27, 2012, with 61.7% of the votes, causing Livni to leave Kadima and establish a new party called The Movement.
In May of the following year, Mofaz, now the leader of Kadima, announced his participation in Netanyahu's government coalition.
Livni (right) left Kadima after Shaul Mofaz won the party leadership in 2012 (European News Agency)
However, Kadima left the coalition government after about two months and faced significant divisions, which reflected in the results of the January 2013 elections, where it won only two seats in the Knesset.
Before the 2015 elections, Shaul Mofaz announced his retirement from politics after failed merger talks with the Labor Party.
Notable Decisions and Stances
During Mofaz's tenure as IDF Chief of General Staff and Defense Minister, significant events occurred in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, including the second Intifada, Yasser Arafat's siege, and military operations in Jenin.
However, supervising the "Unilateral Disengagement Plan" and constructing the separation wall were among the most notable events. Despite criticism from different quarters, Mofaz defended these decisions staunchly.
The October 7 Incident Investigation
Mofaz's appointment to lead the investigation into the October 7, 2023 events stirred controversy within the Israeli cabinet due to his critical stance on war and calls for a swift prisoner exchange with Palestinian factions in Gaza, particularly since he was responsible for carrying out the disengagement plan and the evacuation of settlements from the Gaza Strip in 2005.
