The Chief of the General Staff, LTG Aviv Kohavi, met today for the first time with the U.S. Ambassador to Israel, Mr. Thomas Nides.
LTG Kohavi presented Ambassador Nides with an overview of the main security situation the IDF faces. The two discussed shared challenges, the foremost being the threat of the Iranian regime. In addition, LTG Kohavi and Ambassador Nides discussed opportunities for deepening security cooperation in the Middle East and the Gulf.
The Chief of the General Staff expressed his appreciation for the United States' commitment to the security of the State of Israel and cooperation between the two nations' militaries.
The Chief of the General Staff expressed his regret over the incident of the death of Mr. Omar Abdelmajed Assad, and made clear that this was a grave moral incident that is contrary to the values of the IDF. The Chief of the General Staff affirmed the criminal investigation into the incident is ongoing and steps were already taken by IDF commanders in accordance with the investigation's findings. The Chief of the General Staff made it clear this incident was a very serious deviation from the IDF's values.