Zamir hails Haredi IDF brigade as ‘Maccabees of our time’ at Hanukkah ceremony

IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir marks the final night of Hanukkah by lighting the eighth candle together with soldiers of the Hasmonean Brigade, the IDF’s ultra-Orthodox combat unit, which began drafting its first soldiers in January.

“You are the Maccabees of our time – defending the people of Israel while maintaining a Haredi way of life,” Zamir tells the soldiers in reference to the story of Hanukkah, praising them as “an example of fighting spirit and mutual responsibility.”

הרמטכ"ל בהדלקת נרות עם לוחמי חטיבת "החשמונאים": ״אתם המכבים של ימינו – אתם נמצאים בלב הפעילות המבצעית, מגנים על עם ישראל, ארץ ישראל והמסורת היהודית תוך שמירה על אורח חיים חרדי, ומהווים דוגמה לרוח לחימה ולערבות הדדית״

לכל הפרטים:https://t.co/dz9t83NXMB pic.twitter.com/th25JBDN7K

— צבא ההגנה לישראל (@idfonline) December 21, 2025

Zamir stresses the importance of expanding enlistment among all sectors of society, saying, “The IDF is the people’s army, and it has a duty to be open to all segments of the population.”

He adds that the military is working “to expand the ranks of the army and to recruit Haredim in order to ensure our readiness in the face of future challenges,” warning that Israel “cannot exist without a strong, alert and capable army.”

“You are proof that it is possible to safeguard the State of Israel and the Torah of Israel together,” Zamir says.