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Moshe Kaplinsky

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See also: 1982-2000 South Lebanon conflict
Moshe Kaplinsky
Kaplinsky during the 2006 Lebanon War
Nickname(s)Kaplan
Born (1957-01-20) 20 January 1957 (age 67)
Gedera, Israel
AllegianceIsrael Israel
Service / branch Israel Defense Forces
Years of service1976–2008
Rank Aluf (Major General)
CommandsSayeret Golani (1982–1985), Golani Brigade (1993–1997), "Galilee" Territorial Division (1999–2001), Israeli Central Command (2002–2005), Deputy Chief of the General Staff, Israel Defense Forces (2005–2007)
Battles / wars1982 Lebanon War, 1982-2000 South Lebanon conflict, First Intifada, al-Aqsa Intifada
Moshe Kaplinsky (left) in Lebanon

Moshe "Kaplan" Kaplinsky[1] (born January 20, 1957) is a retired Israel Defense Forces Aluf. He is the former CEO of Better Place, Nesher Israel Cement Enterprises,[2] and Oil Refineries Ltd. He currently serves as the Chairman of the board of Oil Refineries Ltd. In the past, he served as Deputy Chief of the General Staff, Commander of Central Command, Military Secretary to the Prime Minister, and Commander of Fire Formation.

Life

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Moshe Kaplinsky was born, raised, and educated in the settlement of Gedera. He currently lives in Tel Aviv. He is the son of Leah and Baruch, a member of the Haganah who assisted the Aliyah Bet ship "Shabtai Luzinski" and was deported to the Cyprus internment camps. He is married to Pnina and has two sons. His brother is Colonel (Res.) Razi Kaplinsky, who last served as deputy commander of Edom Formation.

Kaplinsky holds a Bachelor's degree in Economics and Business Administration from Bar-Ilan University and a Master's degree in Business Administration from Tel Aviv University (with honors). He is a graduate of the IDF Command and Staff College and the advanced infantry officers' course of the United States Army.

Military Service

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In 1976, Kaplinsky was drafted into the IDF and chose to serve in the Golani Brigade. In Golani, he completed his training as an infantry fighter, a platoon commander course in infantry, and an officer training course.[3] During Operation Litani, he fought as a platoon commander in Battalion 17 of the platoon commander's course.[4] He later served as a battalion operations officer, a company commander, and the operations officer of the Golani Brigade. In 1981, he was appointed operations officer in the Sayeret Matkal unit. In 1982, he became the commander of Golani Reconnaissance Battalion with the rank of major. During the First Lebanon War, Kaplinsky was injured in the Battle of the Beaufort, where his predecessor, Guni Harnik, and five other soldiers were killed.[5] Three months later, he recovered from his injuries, returned to command the reconnaissance unit,[6] and led it during the fighting in the Beirut sector.[7] In 1985, he was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant Colonel and was appointed commander of 13th Battalion (Gideon Battalion) in the Golani Brigade, leading it in the South Lebanon conflict.[8] In 1987, he was appointed Deputy Commander of the Golani Brigade. In 1990, he was promoted to the rank of Colonel and appointed commander of the Hermon Brigade (810), and a year later, he became commander of the Hiram Division, the eastern division on the northern border.

Kaplinsky (far right) during a trip to China in 1996

In 1993, Kaplinsky became commander of the Golani Brigade.[9] During his command, the Chief of General Staff, Amnon Lipkin-Shahak, and Northern Command Commander Amiram Levin decided to establish a special unit to combat Hezbollah in Lebanon.[10] At Kaplinsky's initiative, Unit Egoz was established within the Golani Brigade to support and mentor the new unit.[11] In 1995, Kaplinsky initiated and commanded a raid conducted by the Golani Reconnaissance Battalion on Hezbollah forces in the village of Shakra.[12] In 1997, Kaplinsky was promoted to the rank of Brigadier General and was appointed commander of Fire Formation.[13] In 1999, he was appointed commander of the Galilee Division (91st Territorial Division).[14] He commanded the division during the IDF withdrawal from South Lebanon in May 2000.[15] He was also in command during the 2000 Hezbollah cross-border raid on Mount Dov in October of that year.

As a General in the IDF

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Kaplinsky (bottom right) during Operation Defensive Shield in 2002
Kaplinsky in 2002

In 2001, Kaplinsky was promoted to the rank of Aluf and appointed Military Secretary to the Prime Minister, Ariel Sharon. Sharon held him in high regard.[7] In August 2002, he became commander of Central Command,[16] where his main task was to eliminate Palestinian terrorism during the aftermath of Operation Defensive Shield.[17] Kaplinsky earned widespread respect during this period as the number of terrorist attacks dropped significantly.[18] Beginning in 2003, the number of suicide bombings decreased, with the number of attacks decreasing sharply in 2004 and 2005.[19]

In 2005, Kaplinsky was appointed Deputy Chief of General Staff[18] by Chief of General Staff Dan Halutz.[20] On August 8, 2006, near the end of the 2006 Lebanon War, he was sent by Halutz to serve as his representative in Northern Command alongside Northern Command Commander Udi Adam.[21] Following the resignation of Chief of Staff Dan Halutz on January 17, 2007, Kaplinsky was considered one of the top candidates to succeed him.[22] However, after it was reported that Defense Minister Peretz had chosen Gabi Ashkenazi as his candidate for the role, Kaplinsky withdrew his candidacy.[23] On October 1, 2007, he completed his term as Deputy Chief of General Staff and took a study leave. He was succeeded by Aluf Dan Harel.[24]

Post-Military career

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Better Place founders Shai Agassi, Idan Ofer, and Moshe Kaplinsky (center)

In 2008, Kaplinsky was appointed CEO of Better Place Israel, a company involved in creating infrastructure for electric vehicles.[25] The project failed and resulted in the loss of billions of shekels in investments.[26] After the firing of founder and global CEO Shai Agassi, Kaplinsky announced his resignation on November 14, 2012.[27] A lawsuit filed by the liquidators of the Better Place Group against Agassi and other executives, including Kaplinsky, seeking to hold them liable for the group's insolvency, was dismissed by the court, which found that the management's decisions did not exceed the limits of permissible "business judgment rule."[28] However, in February 2022, this decision was overturned by the Supreme Court, and the case was sent back for further deliberation.[29]

In 2013, he became the CEO of Nesher Israel Cement Enterprises,[2] a position he held for seven years until retiring at the end of 2019.

In July 2019, Kaplinsky was appointed chairman of the Golani Brigade Association.[30]

In February 2020, while still serving as CEO of Nesher, he was appointed an external director on the board of Elbit Systems.[31] He resigned from this position in June 2020.[32] In April 2020, he was appointed a director on the board of Augwind Energy Tech Storage,[33] and in June 2022, he was appointed chairman of the board. In February 2023, he announced his resignation from this position.[34]

In June 2020, Kaplinsky was appointed CEO of Oil Refineries Ltd.[35] On August 13, 2021, he assumed the role of Chairman of the Board of Directors of the company, replacing outgoing chairman Ovadia Eli.[36][37]

Bibliography

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  • Amos Harel and Avi Issacharoff (2008). Spider Web. Tel Aviv: Yedioth Ahronoth. ISBN 978-9654824316.
  • Ofer Shelah and Yoav Limor (2007). Captives in Lebanon: The Truth About the Second Lebanon War. Tel Aviv: Yedioth Ahronoth. ISBN 978-9654824088.
  • Moshe (Chico) Tamir (2005). A War Without a Mark. Tel Aviv: Defense Ministry Publications. ISBN 9650512969.
  • Ehud Eran (2007). The Essence of Longing: The Story of Erez Gerstein and the War in Lebanon. Tel Aviv: Yedioth Books. ISBN 978-9655116823.
  • Ron Leshem (2005). If There's a Heaven. Or Yehuda: Zemora-Bitan.
  • Moshe Kaplinsky, "Leadership Challenges in Limited Conflict", in: "On Military Leadership", Israeli Radio University Defense Ministry Publications, 2007, pp. 40–50.

References

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  1. ^ "Moshe Kaplinsky's name on the executive board of Bazan". Tel Aviv Stock Exchange. June 1, 2020.
  2. ^ a b Ora Koren (January 13, 2013). "Moshe Kaplinsky began his role as CEO of Nesher in January 2013". TheMarker.
  3. ^ Yehoshua, Yossi; Fishbein, Einat (September 15, 2006). "The Designated". Yedioth Ahronoth.
  4. ^ Kotes-Bar, Hen (March 9, 2007). "Aluf Kaplinsky: "It shouldn't have been this way"". nrg.
  5. ^ Fogelman, Shay (May 31, 2012). "30 Years of the Lebanon War - The Battle of Beaufort". Haaretz.
  6. ^ "Moshe Kaplinsky". Golani Reconnaissance Battalion.
  7. ^ a b Kaspit, Ben (May 27, 2004). "Kaplinsky's Force". Maariv.
  8. ^ Ringel-Hoffman, Ariella (September 10, 1999). "Advancing on Enemy Territory". Yedioth Ahronoth.
  9. ^ Berner, Dani; Chaplin, Oriyan (January 10, 2014). "From the IDF to the Police on the Heroic Track". Israel Hayom.
  10. ^ Ehud Eran (2007). The Essence of Longing: The Story of Erez Gerstein and the War in Lebanon. Tel Aviv: Yedioth Books. p. 161. ISBN 978-9655116823.
  11. ^ Moshe (Chico) Tamir (2005). A War Without a Mark. Defense Ministry Publications. pp. 141–142. ISBN 9650512969.
  12. ^ Moshe (Chico) Tamir (2005). A War Without a Mark. Defense Ministry Publications. p. 121. ISBN 9650512969.
  13. ^ Limor, Yoav (September 29, 2002). "On the Way Up". Maariv.
  14. ^ Moshe (Chico) Tamir (2005). A War Without a Mark. Defense Ministry Publications. p. 249. ISBN 9650512969.
  15. ^ Moshe (Chico) Tamir (2005). A War Without a Mark. Defense Ministry Publications. p. 266. ISBN 9650512969.
  16. ^ Harel, Amos (March 26, 2002). "Gantz to Northern Command; Kaplinsky to Central Command". Haaretz.
  17. ^ Harel, Amos (July 17, 2003). "Who is Free in Beitunia? The Dilemmas of the "White Taxi"". Haaretz.
  18. ^ a b Harel, Amos (March 2, 2005). "Aluf Moshe Kaplinsky Appointed Deputy Chief of General Staff". Haaretz.
  19. ^ Harel, Amos; Yissascharoff, Avi (2004). The Seventh War. Yedioth Books. pp. 326–327.
  20. ^ Greenberg, Hanan (March 1, 2005). "The Next Deputy Chief of General Staff – Aluf Moshe Kaplinsky". ynet.
  21. ^ Harel, Amos (August 10, 2006). "First Dismissal: The Chief of Staff Appoints Kaplinsky as His Representative in the North". Walla! News.
  22. ^ "Head-to-Head: Ashkenazi vs. Kaplinsky". Walla! News. January 17, 2007.
  23. ^ Greenberg, Hanan (January 21, 2007). "Kaplinsky Withdraws Candidacy for Chief of Staff Role". ynet.
  24. ^ Bohbot, Amir (June 8, 2007). "Aluf Dan Harel - The Next Deputy Chief of General Staff". nrg.
  25. ^ "Moshe Kaplinsky, CEO of Better Place Israel". Better Place.
  26. ^ Levy, Aviv (January 16, 2019). "Generals' Blunders: The Drilling, the Car Project, and the Companies That Collapsed". Globes.
  27. ^ Shmil, Daniel (November 14, 2012). "The Crisis at Better Place Continues: Israeli CEO Moshe Kaplinsky Steps Down". TheMarker.
  28. ^ "Better Place Israel (In Liquidation) v. Shai Agassi" (PDF). September 12, 2018.
  29. ^ Shafir, Nitzan (February 8, 2022). "8 Years After the Collapse: The Supreme Court Sends the Case on the Responsibility of Better Place Executives Back to the District Court". Globes.
  30. ^ "Aluf (Res.) Moshe Kaplinsky, Former Deputy Chief of General Staff, and Gedera Native Appointed Chairman of the Golani Brigade Association". Gedera Today. July 6, 2019.
  31. ^ "Report on Appointment as External Director". Tel Aviv Stock Exchange. February 11, 2020.
  32. ^ "Report on Resignation from Position". Tel Aviv Stock Exchange. June 17, 2020.
  33. ^ "Report on Appointment as Director". Tel Aviv Stock Exchange. April 12, 2020.
  34. ^ Frager, Amir (February 5, 2023). "Kaplinsky Leaves Augwind After 9 Months of Service, Declining Stock Prices, and Announcement of Streamlining". Calcalist.
  35. ^ Hazani, Golan (May 31, 2020). "After 8 Years: Moshe Kaplinsky Returns to Work with Idan Ofer - Will Be Appointed CEO of Bazan". Calcalist.
  36. ^ Hazani, Golan (April 13, 2021). "Ovadia Eli Leaves His Position as Chairman of Bazan - CEO Kaplinsky Will Replace Him". Calcalist.
  37. ^ "Report on Start Date of Term". Tel Aviv Stock Exchange. July 7, 2021.
[edit]
  • Biography on the Golani Brigade website
  • Interview summarizing his military career on the show "On Civilians" with Tali Lipkin-Shahak[permanent dead link‍], Galei Tzahal, July 18, 2009.
  • Yoav Limor (June 22, 2001). "Kaplan". nrg.
  • Yehoshua Brainer (July 12, 2009). "Kaplinsky: "The IDF Failed in Lebanon Due to the Budget"". Walla! News.
  • Mordechai Haimovitz (October 3, 2005). "Golanchik in the Kirya". nrg.
  • Hen Kotes-Bar (June 10, 2012). "The Mountain Remembers Everything: The Wound from Beaufort Still Bleeds". nrg.
  • Hen Kotes-Bar (March 9, 2007). "Aluf Kaplinsky: It Shouldn't Have Been This Way". nrg.
  • Amos Harel (June 16, 2010). "His Home and Fortress". Haaretz. Archived from the original on 2020-06-16.
  • Dana Weiss; Roni Daniel (April 12, 2010). "Kaplinsky Criticizes Barak and Withdraws from the Race for Chief of Staff". mako.
  • Eliav Alluf (November 9, 2010). "The Parking of Senior Officers – A Norm. At Better Place – It Almost Led to a Rebellion". Globes.
  • Ben Kaspit (May 27, 2004). "Kaplinsky's Force". Maariv.
  • Yedioth Ahronoth Reporters (October 11, 2007). "Weekend in Yedioth: The Deputy Chief of Staff Breaks His Silence". ynet.
  • Unknown (July 12, 2009). "Kaplinsky: Another War in the North Will End Differently". nrg.
  • Amir Bohbot (January 27, 2007). "The Deputy Chief of Staff Considers Retiring from the IDF". nrg.
  • Hanan Greenberg (January 21, 2007). "Kaplinsky Withdraws His Candidacy for Chief of Staff Role". ynet.
  • Amir Bohbot (February 16, 2015). "From Deputy Commander of the School to Chief of Staff: The Path to the Top of Israel's #1 Soldier". Walla! News.

His Writings:

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