IDF: Instead of "It will be fine" - "I am responsible." His way demands responsibility and courage from us.

The Chief of Staff, Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir, participated yesterday (Monday) in a ceremony marking 31 years since the assassination of former Prime Minister and Minister of Defense Yitzhak Rabin, z”l, which took place at the Rabin Center, with the participation of Mr. Yonatan Ben-Artzi, members of the General Staff Forum, and students of the “Alon” Command and Staff College.

As part of the event, a discussion was held between members of the General Staff Forum and students of the “Alon” Command and Staff College, which dealt with the character of the commander and his responsibility, inspired by Rabin’s speech at the Command and Staff College graduation ceremony in 1992. The discussion focused on the values of command, responsibility for the lives of subordinates and mission execution, professionalism, initiative, and personal example.

“We have gathered for a day of study in memory of Yitzhak Rabin, of blessed memory, the Prime Minister and Chief of Staff in the Six-Day War,” the Chief of Staff began. “Reflecting on his path is an opportunity to examine the responsibility placed upon us – how we lead the IDF in battle, build its strength for future challenges, and what example we set for our commanders and fighters. Rabin dedicated his life to the security and future of the State of Israel.”

“From the Palmach days to commanding the IDF, Rabin bore responsibility for the defense of the country,” he continued. “His path reminds us that military leadership requires professionalism and judgment, alongside courage and determination. The commander must know his forces and the enemy well, listen, examine his assumptions, and make decisions.”

“One of the reasons for the events of October 7th was the flawed ‘it will be fine’ culture that Rabin warned against,” he emphasized. “As an officer in the IDF, do not say ‘it will be fine,’ say ‘I am responsible.’ The commander must feel the weight of the total responsibility placed upon him and act at all times to fulfill it.”

“Since October seventh, throughout three years of fighting in the near and far arenas, the Israeli fighter has proven his courage and determination to overcome,” he described. “Soldiers in a tank crew, in a plane, or in a submarine must act out of a sense of mission and mutual camaraderie – regardless of social or ethnic affiliation.”

“The assassination of Rabin is a deep wound in the history of the state,” the Chief of Staff stated. “His memory obliges us to completely reject violence in Israeli society as a means to resolve our disputes. We must bring the lessons of this day into the routine of command and into the decisions that still await us – out of responsibility for the security of the state, for our people, and for Israeli society as a whole.”