Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu thanked outgoing IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Benny Gantz for his role during “challenging” times and blamed Iran for trying to squeeze Israel Thursday.
“I would like to thank you for long years of service for the security of the country, especially during the past four years when you lead the IDF as chief of staff, four unusually challenging years, during a period of unprecedented regional unrest, when countries are collapsing and terror organizations, mostly backed by Iran, are filling in the vacuum, and Iran is trying to suffocate us with a multi-pronged vise grip,” the prime minister told Gantz in Tel Aviv.
Gantz is officially stepping down on Monday, when he will be replaced by Brig. Gen. Gadi Eizenkot after four years in service.
Netanyahu thanked Gantz for leading the IDF during two wars in Gaza — in 2012 and last summer — and hinted at secret military operations undertaken during his tenure.
“You led IDF actions, both publicly and clandestinely, professionally, determinedly and responsibly,” he said.
Get The Times of Israel's Daily Edition
by email and never miss our top stories
By signing up, you agree to the
terms
Netanyahu gave Gantz a copy of the book “The Letters of Jonathan Netanyahu,” which is about the prime minister’s brother who died in the 1976 operation to free hostages in Uganda, according to a statement released by the Prime Minister’s Office.
We can't do this work alone.
The war with Iran has been draining for all of us in Israel. But when I heard about a high casualty incident – ballistic missile impacts in Arad and Dimona that left nearly 200 people wounded – I drank a cup of coffee, packed a bag, and headed south.
There, I spoke with Shilgit, the head of an after-school program for underprivileged youth. Standing outside her destroyed center, Shilgit said it was a miracle that no children were hurt and spoke about the community coming together in the hours since.
As a Times of Israel reporter, I’m committed to telling stories of resilience like Shilgit’s. But my colleagues and I can't do this alone. If you value work like this, please consider joining our reader support group, The Times of Israel Community. Your financial support is essential to keep real human reporting like this going.
— Stav Levaton, military reporter
Yes, I'll join
Yes, I'll join
Already a member? Sign in to stop seeing this
You're a dedicated reader
We’re really pleased that you’ve read X Times of Israel articles in the past month.
That’s why we started the Times of Israel - to provide discerning readers like you with must-read coverage of Israel and the Jewish world.
So now we have a request. Unlike other news outlets, we haven’t put up a paywall. But as the journalism we do is costly, we invite readers for whom The Times of Israel has become important to help support our work by joining The Times of Israel Community.
For as little as $6 a month you can help support our quality journalism while enjoying The Times of Israel AD-FREE, as well as accessing exclusive content available only to Times of Israel Community members.
Thank you,
David Horovitz, Founding Editor of The Times of Israel
Join Our Community
Join Our Community
Already a member? Sign in to stop seeing this
