The real challenge of the IDF’s incoming chief of staff: A change in perception

‘An army of galloping horses’: Eyal Zamir, who will succeed Lt. Gen. Herzi Halevi, will be required not only to strive for decisive victory on all fronts but also to put the IDF back on its proper footing and enable it to be a determined and victorious army, something it knows how to be | Commentary

Brigadier General (res.) Amir Avivi |

Incoming IDF Chief of Staff, Eyal Zamir  (Photo: Spokesperson and Public Relations Division at the Ministry of Defense)

The incoming IDF Chief of Staff, Eyal Zamir, is an experienced and respected officer who grew up on the battlefield and advanced to key positions. He is known for his strategic thinking, determination and professionalism. The timing of Zamir’s entry into office in the midst of a military campaign and after the resignation of his predecessor places him as someone who bears a heavier responsibility than those who came before him in office.

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Zamir will be required to undertake several critical missions, such as: leading the army to victory in the Gaza Strip, defending the northern and eastern borders and containing the Iranian threat. He will also be required to mobilize ultra-Orthodox yeshiva students and synchronize with the political echelon, but mainly lead a change in perception that will restore the IDF to its purpose as an initiative-oriented and victory-focused army.

In addition, Zamir is committed to strengthening public trust in the People’s Army and, above all, ensuring that reliable investigations are conducted into IDF activities since the outbreak of the war, drawing lessons and implementing them in the field.
But this is only part of the picture.
To ensure Israel’s resilience for generations, the next chief of staff must return the IDF to its original purpose – to be an army that is proactive, determined, professional and focused on victory.
The IDF’s role is to win
The IDF’s mission is simple – to defend the country, and in any case where it is forced to fight to resolutely achieve victory in the campaign.

For years, Israel has chosen to contain threats and rely on perceptions that are not always connected to reality, while relying on imagined deterrence. The IDF culture has become one that uses lofty and abstract words instead of terms taken from the classical military world, and it is not without reason that the phrase “The slide absorbs everything” was coined in the IDF.

This concept, which we warned about long before the October 7, has completely failed. Today it is clear that if an enemy becomes strong enough to fight us, he will do so. Therefore, the best deterrent we can have is to deny the enemy the ability to threaten us.

This reality cannot repeat itself. The State of Israel needs an army of galloping horses, not mules. The one whose job it is to restrain the use of military force, if necessary, is the political echelon – and not the IDF itself.

The IDF must have the determination and ability to fight at any given moment in any arena, knowing that our strength exceeds that of our enemies dozens of times. To this end, the chief of staff will be required to build the army’s strength for the long term, in a way that balances land, air, sea and cyber capabilities, takes into account potential threats from Egypt and Turkey, and also places significant emphasis on supplies, armaments and technological innovation. The ultimate goal is to ensure our ability to defend ourselves on our own.

For the IDF to be able to win the entire nation must enlist

Alongside changing the systemic perception and strengthening the army, the chief of staff has another national mission: to encourage all parts of Israeli society to enlist and serve in meaningful service.

The chief of staff must restore the pride of the unit to the IDF and create incentives, develop different and adapted recruitment tracks, and increase stability in the service, in a way that will restore the motivation among soldiers to serve meaningful service and choose the IDF as a career.

And finally, the path to returning the IDF to its status as a consensus in Israeli society also involves ensuring its ability to investigate itself. Today, there are strong feelings within the army regarding the quality of the investigations it conducted following October 7, and criticism that they do not address the most important issues. The next chief of staff will be required to ensure that the investigations are reliable and valid, and to draw from them the conclusions and lessons that will be the basis for building the force in the future.

The next chief of staff has the power to bring about change

These tasks are formidable, but certainly possible. The chief of staff is a unique position with extraordinary power to change organizational perceptions and culture. He not only controls the agenda, the budget, and the rounds of appointments, but he also has the ability to fundamentally change the work culture itself and the IDF’s security perception. He also has the tools to enforce the policies he has set and, most importantly, he is in a professional and ethical environment that believes in leadership and personal example.

The IDF’s senior command can restore the Israeli people’s trust in it, which was severely damaged on October 7. To do this, it must first of all regain faith in itself and its mission. This is the central task that should guide the next chief of staff.

Together with the entire Jewish people, I wish the incoming chief of staff success in his mission of defending the State of Israel and ensuring the existence of the Jewish people. His success will be the success of all of us.

Brigadier General (res.) Amir Avivi is the chairman and founder of the Israel Defense and Security Forum – IDSF

 

February 5, 2025 | 1 Comment »

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