At the graduation ceremony of the Combat Officer Training Course on Thursday, Eyal Zamir, Chief of Staff of the Israel Defense Forces, addressed the newly commissioned officers with an urgent call to leadership, responsibility and unwavering resolve.
“I look at you, and my heart skips a beat. Standing before this moment, one you have awaited for many months,” he told the cadets. “For generations, no Israeli commander has remained indifferent.”
He spoke of the sense of pride that must accompany the magnitude of the mission ahead, and admitted that “the decisions it will require you to make are felt deep inside long before the mind understands the obligation.”
Zamir reminded that this ceremony had been postponed more than once during the past two years of war. “Hundreds of cadets received command roles on the battlefields and immediately returned to combat during a two‑year multi‑arena war in which we fought uncompromisingly - until victory.”
He acknowledged the enduring cost. “On the battlefields, we lost the finest of our sons and daughters. Their absence leaves a void in the heart of the nation... and their loss will echo within us for generations to come. We are bound to their memory, to their legacy; we will prove ourselves worthy of them and of their devotion.”
Turning to those wounded in battle, Zamir affirmed: “For many of our soldiers who were wounded in battle, a long journey ahead remains, and the path to physical and mental recovery is arduous and demanding. We will be there with them throughout that journey.”
Addressing the new generation of commanders directly, he said: “The weight of the responsibility embodied in the call ‘after me’ is something you have already felt on your backs: in leading missions, in marching in columns into the enemy’s alleyways, in issuing sharp ‘fire’ orders that eliminated terrorists. I expect you to continue to uphold it and to act according to the same standards that accompany such heavy responsibility.”
Zamir did not shy from discussing the pivotal failure and rupture of October 7, 2023. “On October 7th, the IDF broke its most sacred promise to the civilians of the State of Israel. We were not prepared as required for the barbaric assault... nor did we stop the thousands of terrorists who massacred, kidnapped, burned, and desecrated our homes. The pain, the shame, the sorrow, and the responsibility to make things right - we carry them with us wherever we go.”
Yet he insisted that from that rupture emerged “Israeli responsibility in all its strength and color: soldiers, men and women, who revealed unimaginable courage of heart and body and were willing to give their lives for people they sometimes did not even know.” He implored: “Remember these words well as you are people of action. You are a generation of doers.”
On the broader strategic outlook, Zamir was clear: “Even after two years of combat, we have not lowered our arms. We will not tolerate any breach that endangers Israel’s security, in any arena. We will show no tolerance toward any threat that emerges; we will believe an enemy who declares its intent to harm us - and we will eliminate it.” Regarding the scale of operations he warned, “In some arenas we will return to operating with far greater intensity than we have known even over the past two years.”
He urged new commanders to embrace inquiry and critique alongside command: “Responsibility requires us to probe the facts with persistence-ask the right question even when it is uncomfortable… A strong society is also built from the ability to think and critique alongside the necessary obedience required for the functioning of a combat army.”
The Chief reserved special words for families: “Dear families, this is all yours, you are the wellspring of values, strength, and spirit for our commanders. Your homes … form the very foundation of our national home. Thank you for years of exemplary upbringing and for the devoted support that still lies ahead.”
In closing, Zamir addressed the course commanders and the newly minted cadre of leaders: “Course commanders… I thank you for your meaningful contribution to shaping the formation standing here before us. Your influence on them will continue to resonate throughout their military paths.”
“To the graduates,” he declared: “I trust you, I am proud of you, and I urge you to step confidently into the arena - for you are the eternal nation of Israel.”