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'''Chaim Herzog''' (born [[1918]]) served as the sixth [[President of Israel]], following a distinguished career in both the [[British Army]] and the [[Israel Defense Forces]] (IDF).

Born in [[Ireland]], the son of notable [[Rabbi]] [[Yitzhak HaLevi Herzog]], he immigrated to [[Palestine]] in [[1935]], and served in the [[Jewish]] paramilitary group [[Haganah]] during the [[Arab revolt]] of [[1936]]-[[1938|38]].

He went on to earn a degree in law, but joined the British army during World War II, operating primarily in [[Germany]].  By the end of the war, he had become head of intelligence in northern Germany for the British, and participated in the liberation of several [[concentration camp]]s.

Immediately following the war, he returned to Palestine to participate in the agitation for the formation of a Jewish state. Following the [[1947 UN Partition Plan]] creating the state of [[Israel]], he fought in the [[1948 Arab-Israeli War]], serving as an officer in the battles for [[Latrun]].

His intelligence experience during World War II was seen as a valuable asset, and he subsequently became head of the IDF Military Intelligence Branch, a position in which he served from [[1948]] to [[1950]] and again from [[1959]] to [[1962]].  In the intervening years, he had served as Israeli defense attache at the Israeli Embassy in the [[United States]] (from [[1950]] to [[1954]]). By the time he retired from the IDF in [[1962]], he held the rank of major-general.

After his retirement, he entered private law practice, but entered public life again as the [[1967]] [[Six-Day War]] broke out, this time as a military commentator on news radio. Following the capture of the [[West Bank]] in that war, he did enter official public life again, becoming the first military governor of the newly-acquired territory.

In [[1975]] he was appointed Israel's Ambassador to the [[United Nations]], in which capacity he served until [[1978]].  In [[1981]] he entered politics for the first time, winning election to the [[Knesset]] as a member of the [[Israeli Labour Party|Labour Party]].

In [[1983]] he was elected as the sixth President of Israel by the Knesset; he served two terms, retiring from political life in [[1993]].

He has also authored several books on the historical events in which he was involved, including ''War of Atonement: The Inside Story of the Yom Kippur War'' (1975), ''Who Stands Accused? : Israel Answers Its Critics'' (1978),  ''The Arab-Israeli Wars: War and Peace in the Middle East'' (1982), and ''Heroes of Israel: Profiles of Jewish Courage'' (1989).  His other notable writings include ''Battles of the Bible'' (1978), co-authored with military historian [[Mordecai Gichon]], and his memoirs, ''Living History: A Memoir'' (1996).

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====References====
* Adapted from the [[Wikipedia]] article, "Chaim_Herzog" [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chaim_Herzog http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chaim_Herzog], used under the [[GNU Free Documentation License]]