In an impressive ceremony today in Tel Aviv, Moshe Yaalon was promoted to the IDF\'s highest rank - Lt.-Gen. - and became its 17th Chief of Staff. Prime Minister Sharon and Defense Minister Ben-Eliezer awarded him the new rank, as Lt.-Gen. (res.) Sha\'ul Mofaz stepped down from the post and retired from the IDF. Mofaz, who served as Chief of Staff for four years, \"took the IDF Intelligence warnings seriously, and prepared the army for the [current warfare] very satisfactorily a year in advance.\" So said Yediot Acharonot military commentator Ron Ben-Yeshai, who also noted, \"Unlike other Chiefs of Staff, he not only came in with a clear plan, he also implemented most of it.\"



One of Mofaz\'s last official acts today was to award a Medal of Valor to Lt.-Col. Ofek Buchris, who \"set a personal example of heroism while commanding his division during the warfare in Shechem up until his serious wounding in battle.\"