The Chief of Staff, Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir, at the graduation ceremony of the 76th Combat Officers Course:
“Prime Minister, Mr. Benjamin Netanyahu, Minister of Defense, Mr. Israel Katz, my colleagues on the General Staff Forum, Commander of the Ground Forces, Maj. Gen. Nadav Lotan, Commander of the Officers’ School, Col. Itai Matak, dear cadets, commanders, dear families.
Seventy-eight years ago, in the midst of the War of Independence, IDF fighters and their commanders embarked on Operation Yoav. With courage and determination, they defeated the enemy, broke through to the cut-off Negev, and on October 22nd, captured and liberated the city of Beersheba, encircling a large Egyptian force in the Faluja Pocket. The results of the operation helped secure the future of the young State of Israel. On the foundations of their heroism, settlements, fields, and communities were built in the Negev.
The landscape that accompanied you during the months of training bears the mark of the fighters who fought here in 1948 and the generations who continued to develop and defend the Negev. In the Order of the Day signed by the Front Commander Yigal Allon, it was written: “We have no other way but war, and immediately, lest the enemy precede us… A great and decisive battle lies before us. It is the duty of every unit to fight without hesitation, with momentum, courage, and self-sacrifice.”
As then, so today, in the three years of war that broke out due to the October 7th failure, the courage, self-sacrifice, and the commanders’ decisions that shaped the outcome of the campaign and the future of the State of Israel have been evident.
Today, upon receiving your officer ranks, you are taking on the greatest responsibility of all – to lead our fighters, to make complex and brave decisions on the battlefield, to defend the country, to lead the IDF to victory, and to defeat our enemies. You must be a model of personal, professional, and moral example for your subordinates.
Dear graduates, you are a historic generation in the history of the State of Israel and the Jewish people. You are the successors of the 1948 generation, the commanders and fighters of the IDF in all of Israel’s wars. Most of you have come here from the battlefields. You have fought on many fronts, under complex conditions, and with sustained effort. You have led the IDF in difficult battles and changed the security reality around us. From the painful devastation of October 7th, you rose, charged forward, and proved once again that the strength of the IDF rests first and foremost on the quality of the commanders at the head of the forces and the fighters on the front lines.
We will not allow our enemies to recover and raise their heads. We will continue to operate against enemies and threats and thwart them as they emerge. Even in these days, the IDF is highly prepared and multi-arena ready for any attempt by the enemy to harm us. Two days ago, our forces eliminated one of the Nukhba terrorists who cruelly kidnapped and murdered two Lok, may her memory be blessed. The elimination of this despicable terrorist is part of a continuous and uncompromising campaign to thwart all those who participated in the October 7th massacre. Anyone who invaded, murdered, and massacred our children, our families, and defiled our women – their fate is one. This is an operational imperative that we will adhere to and fulfill the moral command: “I will pursue my enemies and overtake them, and will not return until they are destroyed.”
In this ceremony, we remember our comrades-in-arms who fell while fulfilling their mission. Second Lieutenant Eitan stands here on the parade ground. Your brother, Lt. Col. Dor Ben Shimon, may his memory be blessed, a battalion commander of the 52nd Battalion, whom I knew personally, fell in battle in Lebanon while leading his fighters and defending the northern communities. With him fell three armored corps fighters, his tank crew – Master Sergeant Yoav Klein, Master Sergeant Liav Kababia, and Master Sergeant Noam Habshush, may their memories be blessed. There is no doubt that your absence is felt today by you and your family, a family of fighters and officers, as you receive your officer ranks.
Dor, a son of Kibbutz Beit Hashita, about whose many fallen in the Yom Kippur War the song ‘The Wheat Grows Again’ was written. You, the new IDF officers – you are the wheat that grows again from the ranks of the fighters and the guarantee of our continued existence in our land. You chose to continue on the path of command and take responsibility for the lives of others. I salute you and your family. You will carry your brother’s legacy with courage, dedication, and the personal example you will provide to your soldiers.
We are committed to all the fallen and their families, and we will continue to stand by their side. Our thoughts are also with the team commander, Lieutenant Adi Sharvit, and cadet Elia Aldar, who were severely wounded in Lebanon. Adi, your presence here moves us all. We wish you and Elia a full recovery, and we will continue to accompany you and your families as needed.
The mission of defending the State of Israel is one of the noblest missions and a great commandment a person can undertake. It is shared by all of us, greater than any dispute. The IDF is the people’s army. Its strength lies not only in its military might but in the seriousness and stateliness of our actions as a condition for the cohesion of its ranks. You must unite your people around this mission – and remember that unity in the IDF is a condition for its strength, this is true today and must continue to be true tomorrow.
Dear families, the support, trust, values, and in general the value of mission and mutual responsibility that you have given to your sons and daughters – have led them to this position. You accompany them today as well. Thank you and appreciation for the journey you have taken with them, for the strength you give them, and for the example to the entire nation. Course commanders and training staff, thank you for your professionalism, dedication, and personal example. Your influence will accompany the graduates in the units to which they will go and in the way they will command. Officers, go from here to your soldiers. Lead them with courage and wisdom. Know what and for whom you are fighting.
The song ‘Hiding Night’ was written by Natan Alterman, who joined the battles in Operation Yoav, and wrote: “A night that anoints the spirit of good cheer… In the building of a kingdom, a night of wandering.” With camaraderie and the spirit of stateliness, we will build and continue to build a kingdom – the building of the State of Israel for all eternity. I trust you, together we will lead to security and victory. The people of Israel are proud of you, take care of yourselves. Go forth and succeed in your missions.
