The annual assembly of the Intelligence Directorate was held to mark the Directorate’s transition to the Negev.
During the day on Tuesday, thousands of intelligence officers visited various sites in the Negev, getting to know and learn about the area and its heritage.
The soldiers finished the day at a central assembly in Be'er Sheva chaired by Minister of Defense, Benny Gantz and Chief of the General Staff, Lieutenant General Aviv Kohavi. In attendance at the ceremony were the Head of the Intelligence Directorate, MG Tamir Hayman, the mayor of Be'er Sheva, Mr. Reuven "Ruvik" Danilovich, senior officials and other commanders.
The IDF's move to the Negev is a move of paramount national importance which allows for significant infrastructure upgrades for IDF units. The transition contributes to the development of the periphery and vacates commercial and residential areas in the center of the country. The transition will contribute to Israeli society and the economy in accordance with national priorities.
At the end of the assembly, prizes were awarded for projects dealing with education in the periphery, developing technologies and other topics.
In the coming years, the IDF is preparing to transfer additional bases and units to the Negev, including the School of Intelligence Professions, the School of Computer Science, the Information Technology Campus, the Intelligence Campus and more.
Minister of Defense Benny Gantz said, "The IDF has been a pioneer in moving many bases and units to the Negev. In recent years, we have accelerated the process and are working to bring technological units, including those from the Intelligence Directorate, here. We are committed to getting all the necessary processes started, and making the vision into reality. To this end - We will create the conditions necessary for those who serve and live here to do so first of all on behalf of our mission. But they will not come for their service and Zionism alone: We will strengthen the healthcare system and the education system. We will enhance employment and personal security. We will have determination and we will know that the entire State of Israel will join us for this purpose. We will improve the infrastructure and the transportation system. We will ensure a route of the train to the intelligence campus in order to launch the quality of life of those who serve here, and of those who choose to live here. It is important for us to give you all the conditions needed for you to continue to contribute and rise through the ranks."
Chief of the General Staff, LTG Aviv Kohavi, said, "In the past few years, the Intelligence Directorate is not only found on the battlefield, but also in operations that are secret, offensive and traditional. They are the first line of defense. The Intelligence Directorate helps us maintain high morals in actions, since we know exactly how to operate our forces. It is an organization that has changed and reinvented itself throughout the years. It has been used as a structural model to organizations in Israel and worldwide. It is not a coincidence that this assembly is in the Negev. I am glad that we are in the Negev today, and will be moving here soon. A third of the IDF is already in the Negev, and more will be moving here in the future. The vision of the State of Israel is to empower and enrich the Negev. The vision of the IDF is to take part in this national project – a project to which I am personally committed to."
Head of the Intelligence Directorate, MG Tamir Hayman said, "Those who serve in the Intelligence Directorate, a body in which the best men and women in the country serve, are expected to be at the forefront of development. You proved this from an operational aspect in the last operation. In completing the national vision of moving to the Negev, the Intelligence Directorate will once more be a pioneer. This year's assembly is centered on the Negev. The focus is on the transition of the Intelligence Directorate to the Negev. This process is one of the keystones in strengthening the Intelligence Directorate. This move is in fact the fulfillment of Zionist and national values, of the settlement of the Negev, and of the strengthening of the periphery of the State of Israel."
