by the Syrian army to bombard Israeli villages in the Galilee. Three Israeli soldiers were killed in the operation. The raid led to the outbreak of the Rotem Crisis, during which Egypt had deployed its armed forces on Israel's undefended southern border, catching Israel off guard. On March 9, Egyptian forces started to withdraw. Laskov later described the crisis as the most dramatic of his tenure as IDF Chief of the General Staff. Legacy Laskov resigned his position of Chief of General Staff in 1961 after a relatively peaceful tenure, marred only by clashes with the Syrians. During his term, he focused on building the strength of the IDF: Israel acquired its first submarine and its Super Mystère jets. Just before he left office, prime minister David Ben-Gurion also announced that the country had built a nuclear reactor outside the desert town of Dimona. The reactor, he claimed, was built for peaceful purposes. Laskov established Israel's National Defense College to promote IDF generals' fluency in strategic concepts. Civilian career In 1961, Laskov was appointed director general of the Ports Authority, and it was during his tenure that the port of Ashdod, now Israel's major port, was constructed. He also continued to write military training manuals and submitted numerous articles to military journals. In 1972, Laskov became the country's first Soldier's Ombudsman, a post he held for ten years, until his death. After the Yom Kippur War in 1973, he served on the Agranat Commission, which investigated the fiascos that led to the war. See also List of Israel's Chiefs of the General Staff References 1919 births Hebrew Reali School alumni 1982 deaths People from Barysaw Belarusian Jews Jews in Mandatory Palestine Israeli people of Belarusian-Jewish descent Israeli military personnel People of the Suez Crisis Mandatory Palestine military personnel of World War II Jewish Brigade personnel Burials at Kiryat Shaul Cemetery Soviet emigrants to Mandatory Palestine