The incoming chief of workers of the Israeli military is retired Main-Basic Eyal Zamir, former director-general of the Defence Ministry, whose time period begins on Wednesday.
Zamir takes over from Lieutenant Basic Herzi Halevi, who announced his resignation in January in anticipation of final week’s report into the military’s catastrophic failings through the Hamas-led assault of October 7, 2023.
The federal government, led by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, has refused to permit an investigation into its failings that day.
Defence Minister Israel Katz, together with Netanyahu, picked Zamir for the position final month. He’ll command all Israeli navy operations, together with its deployments to Gaza, Syria and Lebanon.
What can we find out about Zamir’s report?
Fairly a bit.
Zamir has been thought of for the position of chief of workers twice, however was handed over each instances in favour of the outgoing Halevi and his predecessor, Aviv Kohavi.
Initially conscripted into the navy in 1984, Zamir progressed by means of the ranks from tank officer to commander of the seventh Armored Brigade in 2003 and the thirty sixth Armored Division in 2009.
Critically for his future success, he was Netanyahu’s navy secretary from 2012 to 2015, then chief of Israel’s southern command for the subsequent three years.
In his last yr within the southern command, Zamir’s troops “confronted” Palestinian protesters from Gaza collaborating within the Great March of Return; they killed greater than 150 protesters and wounded 10,000 others, together with 1,849 youngsters, 424 girls, 115 paramedics and 115 journalists.
In November 2018, Netanyahu promoted him to deputy chief of workers.
Early within the protests, following the killing of 16 Palestinians throughout a single day in Might, Zamir defended his actions, saying his forces had been “figuring out makes an attempt to hold out terror assaults beneath the camouflage of riots”.
In 2021, he left the navy and Israel, departing for the US, the place he was a visiting analysis fellow on the Washington Institute for Close to East Coverage suppose tank, returning to Israel in 2023 when he was appointed director-general of the Defence Ministry.
What can we find out about his views?
He appears to love conflict.
Within the first speech following his appointment on March 1, Zamir mentioned 2025 would “proceed to be a yr of fight”, regardless of Israel having agreed to ceasefires within the two wars it was waging – on Gaza and Lebanon.
He mentioned Israel must be self-sufficient, with no point out of the large quantities of navy help it receives from the US.
“We have been all raised on the precept: ‘The State of Israel will defend itself by itself.’ Now, I’m telling you that Israel can even produce its personal weapons independently, within the face of any risk or state of affairs,” Zamir mentioned.
He has strident opinions on the necessity to confront Iran and different “opponents of Israel”.
In 2007, he reportedly wrote in defence of the follow of “collective punishment” towards what was described as “terrorist populations”.
Collective punishment is illegal under international law.
What have others mentioned?
Unsurprisingly, Zamir’s appointment has been welcomed by among the extra hard-right members of Netanyahu’s cupboard.
Israel’s pro-settler Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich advised members of his bloc earlier this month that, beneath Zamir’s management, Israel was getting ready to occupy Gaza in coordination with US President Donald Trump.
Netanyahu praised his appointment, saying “even when he served as my navy secretary, I used to be impressed by Eyal Zamir’s dedication to the nation”, his dedication to the military, in addition to “the truth that his strategy is geared towards offence”.
“We anticipate that in his service … we are going to attain all these nice achievements, which can change not solely the scenario of Israel but additionally the face of the complete Center East,” Netanyahu, who agreed to the ceasefires and withdrawal agreements in Gaza and Lebanon, mentioned.
Will Zamir’s appointment have an effect on Israel’s future?
It might very nicely.
A number of senior members of the navy and safety equipment have resigned, whereas others have had their promotions deferred over the failures of the October 7 assaults, making a management vacuum on the prime of the safety forces, which Zamir and, by extension Netanyahu, will be capable of form to their very own ends.
In the long run, the place of military chief has additionally ceaselessly led to additional high-profile political careers.
Some former prime ministers, together with Yitzhak Rabin, Ariel Sharon and Ehud Barak, served as chiefs of workers.
As well as, former defence ministers, together with Shaul Mofaz, Benny Gantz and Gadi Eisenkot, had all beforehand held the place.
