Chief of Staff Tells New Officers: 'This Is a Time for Action'

At a commanders' graduation ceremony at Bahad 1 on Thursday, IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir said the army faces major challenges and that responsibility now passes to a new generation of officers. He praised the fighting spirit of commanders and troops during the war, calling the IDF's achievements unprecedented, and urged the new officers to lead with responsibility, professionalism and personal example.

Zamir opened by describing a meeting with commanders of the 401st Brigade, which lost the commander of Battalion 52, Lt. Col. Dor Ben Shimon, and the three soldiers in his tank crew in Lebanon. He said he was struck by their ability to stay focused on the mission despite the heavy loss. He recalled that Ben Shimon ended his first letter as battalion commander with the words, 'This is a time for action,' and said he wants those words to guide the new officers as they enter command roles.

The chief of staff said the new command generation was forged by the events of October 7 and the war, producing soldiers, officers, men and women in both regular service and the reserves who carry responsibility for defending the state. He added that when the border was breached, responsibility fell to those who rose up to lead and protect Israeli civilians. Zamir also marked 12 years since Operation Protective Edge and cited Lt. Col. Dolev Keidar of the Geffen Battalion, who was killed fighting near the Gaza border, along with the soldiers who fell with him.

Zamir said the values left by Keidar and his troops, courage, leadership under fire and personal example, continue to guide the IDF and helped underpin its operational gains across all fronts during the war. He stressed that all of Israel stands on the parade ground and said the army needs every soldier, male and female, every commander, male and female. He said the IDF must balance respect for its diverse serving population with a shared, uniform framework that enables it to accomplish its missions, and that internal cohesion is essential to victory. He also pledged that the army will continue carrying the memory of the fallen and supporting wounded soldiers and their families, physically and emotionally. He closed by thanking the officers' families for the values they instilled and called on the new graduates to return to their units 'united and lethal,' leading their subordinates with courage and humility.