Mordechai (Motke) Maklef (or Makleff) (Hebrew: מרדכי (מותקה) מקלף; 19 January 1920 – 22 February 1978) was the third Chief of Staff of the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) and later, director-general of many important public companies in the Israeli economy.

During the 1929 Palestine riots, inhabitants of the neighbouring Arab village of Qalunya attacked the Makleff home, which was located along the perimeter of Motza, and killed the entire family, except the young Mordechai, who managed to escape the massacre by jumping from a second story window.

With the outbreak of World War II, he enlisted in the Palestine Regiment of the British Army and fought in the North African and Italian campaigns.

[citation needed] He also took part in Operation Hiram, in which Jewish forces captured the entire Galilee region for Israel.

David Ben-Gurion commented in his diary "I had the clear impression that M. suffered from an inferiority complex and suspected that his authority was being undermined".

Sharon, in turn, created Unit 101, which conducted a lengthy series of retaliatory raids throughout 1953, when it was merged into the Paratroopers Brigade.