(1948- ) A Jewish
Israeli political and military figure of Iranian origin. Mofaz immigrated to
Israel in 1957. He had a long career in the Israeli military, his top post being the Chief of the General Staff from 1998-2002. During the
Second Intifada, Mofaz trained the Israeli military for guerilla warfare in the Occupied
Palestinian Territories and increased the military's use of home demolitions and closures in Palestinian areas. Controversial military operations he directed include the
Jenin Invasion destroying the
Muqataa (
Palestinian Authority president
Yasser Arafat's compound in Ramallah), and dropping a one-ton bomb on an apartment complex in
Gaza Strip City, killing 14 Palestinian civilians along with the militant whom the operation intended to assassinate. Mofaz entered politics in 2002, serving as Defense Minister until 2006 and Minister of Transportation from 2006-2009. In 2005, he switched party affiliations from Likud to the newly formed
Kadima party. Starting in 2012, Mofaz served in the Israeli
Knesset as a member of Kadima, and retired from politics in 2015. See "
Britain refuses to grant immunity to ex-Israeli defense minister Mofaz during London visit," Barak Ravid, Haaretz, June 20, 2015.