Former Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett spoke with Channel 12 News about the secret of Sayeret Matkal, the elite army unit to which a large number of top Israeli figures have belonged - including the IDF's new Chief of Staff, Herzi Halevi.
Thus far, Sayeret Matkal has produced three prime ministers (Bennett, Ehud Barak, and Benjamin Netanyahu), four IDF chiefs of staff, two Shabak (Israel Security Agency) chiefs, four Mossad chiefs, 11 IDF major-generals, eight MKs, and five ministers.
"You wake up in the morning and right away, asteroids and unplanned issues of all sorts start flying at you, and you need to deal with it and not get stressed out," Bennett explained, adding that the unit produces about 50 graduates each year.
"I think the main thing is the resilience, the determination. The main character trait that they instill in us in Sayeret Matkal is not to break down, and to continue - even if you get hurt. A 125-kilometer hike for the unit is similar in a few ways to an election campaign or running a country. It's hard and you cannot break.
"We're talking about a group of people who are willing to endanger their lives at the most extreme levels for the sake of the country. These are people who love the country and obviously are willing to sacrifice for it."
When asked if he misses politics, Bennett said, "On a personal level - now it is a family honeymoon. We have finished a very difficult year for the children especially, and also for my wife, beneath a rain of curses and threats. We are now having amazing family time."
"On a national level, I very much love the country, I care about the country, and I am also a little worried. But we can talk about that other days."
Bennett concluded with wishes for the new Chief of Staff: "I wish great success to the next Chief of Staff, Herzi Halevi. I have known him for many years. He is an excellent man, he loves the country, he's a determined commander, and the State of Israel is in good hands."