Nahal infantry brigade gets new commander
Sudden replacement of senior officer Amos Hacohen with Col. Dan Goldfus takes many in the military by surprise
The Israel Defense Forces’ Nahal infantry brigade received a new commander on Thursday, with Col. Dan Goldfus taking over for the outgoing Col. Amos Hacohen.
Hacohen stepped down suddenly in January for “personal reasons.”
In a ceremony at the brigade’s memorial site in Pardes Hannah, Hacohen said it was the end of a “long journey that began 14 years ago as a student in a military boarding school.
“My body bears scars from two injuries I sustained and I carry the memory of friends and comrades who paid with their bodies and souls in order to fulfill the mission. I am proud of my path, and I am setting out on a new one with my family. I wish good luck to all. Rise and achieve,” he said.
Hacohen served in the famed Sayeret Matkal commando unit for seven years, before moving to other elite units, some of which can not be named for security reasons. From 2009 he held a number of senior positions, including chief of staff for then-army head Lt. Gen. Gabi Ashkenazi and the IDF’s envoy to the US Marine Corps.
During the 2014 Gaza war, Hacohen served as commander of the army’s Southern Gaza Brigade.
He was seen by many as a commander with a bright future, making his sudden announcement of resignation particularly surprising.