IDF chief says the army needs every soldier while balancing diversity and unity

At a cadets’ graduation ceremony at Bahad 1, IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir said the military needs “every fighter and every fighter, every commander and every commander.” He framed this as part of the IDF’s broader challenge of maintaining sensitivity to Israel’s diverse populations while preserving a shared, uniform framework that lets the army carry out its missions effectively.

Zamir said the IDF will strengthen cohesion by focusing on what unites people rather than what separates them. In his words, “We will strengthen cohesion from the common denominator, not from the dividing line, this too is part of the IDF’s ability to lead to victory.”