From the Liveblog of
Sunday, February 2, 2025
Incoming IDF chief: Israel will prove to enemies it is powerful, determined to win
Emanuel (Mannie) Fabian is The Times of Israel's military correspondent
Maj. Gen. (res.) Eyal Zamir, the director general of the Defense Ministry, in his first speech after being nominated as the next IDF chief of staff, vows that Israel will prove to its enemies that the country and its military are powerful.
“In the coming days, I will finish my position as director general of the Defense Ministry. I feel that I am leaving an office that is strong — a driving force, and powerful,” Zamir says during a conference.
Zamir thanks Defense Minister Israel Katz and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for nominating him to be the 24th IDF chief.
“2025 will continue to be a year of fighting. Enemies on all fronts have been defeated and their leaders buried beneath the rubble, but the campaign is not over and the challenges still lie ahead,” he says.
“We will prove to our enemies that there is a determined, powerful, and winning fist facing them, as it is written in the Book of Psalms: ‘I have pursued my enemies, and overtaken them; and did not turn back till they were consumed,'” he adds.
The Times of Israel Community.