Photo by GPO

Chief of the General Staff, Lt. Gen. Gabi Ashkenazi,
Head of GOC Army Headquarter, Major General Avi Mizrahi,
Commander of IDF Officers School, Colonel Aharon Haliva,
National President of the FIDF in America, Mr. Arthur Stark,
Commanders and Soldiers,
Dear Families,
And of course, those whom we are here to honor today, Graduates of the Land Forces Officers’ Course,

I have had the opportunity for quite a few meetings over the past two years with the future generation of IDF commanders.  This is one of the more pleasant duties involved in my position as Prime Minister of Israel.

And indeed, every time I sum up those moments to myself, those same hours in the presence of those who, in a decade or two, will bear the burden of senior military command on their shoulders, I feel immense, almost paternal pride.  Today as well, when I look at you – officers who just now joined the young command of the IDF – I know that there are those on whom we can rely and be proud of.

This is an important day in the personal histories of each and every one of you.  This day, this ceremony, this moment will be engraved in your memories for years to come.  I remember my day: Company A, Platoon A, Squad A.  There in the corner, on the first floor, and the showers, which always had boiling water at five in the morning.  And of course, how can one not remember the fitness course, the last day of the course, during which I was warned that without finishing the course, I would not receive my pin.  And how proud I was that I passed and with a relatively good time at that.  And who can forget Taito – a master sergeant who is an institution – who, in his own way, raised generations of commanders who never feared anything in their lives, but were a little afraid of Taito.  I know why.

This is the day that you became transformed from followers to leaders, from being led to leading, from ordinary soldiers to officers in the service of your people and your country.

The physical weight of the rank insignia placed today on your shoulders is not great.  The IDF, as a whole, is not an army which boasts through extravagant, flashy or impressive external symbols.  However, the true weight of those rank insignia, the specific gravity of the debt and responsibility accepted when bearing them – is great and important.

From today, you will serve as a role model and exemplar for your friends and colleagues.  From today, you will be looked at differently also by those who no longer wear uniforms, out of expectation for a different comportment: more mature, responsible and thoughtful than in the past.

Photo by GPO

Distinguished Guests,

The Second Lebanon War taught us much.  Over the past year and a half, we have been in the middle of a complex and profound process, the basis of which is change and improvement with regard to decision making and preparedness for a situation at a national and political level. 

The lessons of the War are being implemented at all levels of command in the IDF: in the branches, corps, commands and departments of the General Staff.  Even at the conclusion of the tenure of Lt. Gen. Dan Halutz, and subsequently under the leadership of Lt. Gen. Gabi Ashkenazi, the insights and conclusions of the summer of 2006 became an organized, serious and significant work plan.

Unprecedented resources today allow the IDF to train more, prepare better for a time of trouble and train commanders and fighters at all levels in the best possible manner and for all scenarios.

Almost every framework in the IDF asked itself, over the past 18 months, what could be learned from the Lebanese campaign.

Even in the process of training the IDF’s commissioned ranks, such as this course, the war’s lessons are felt.

However, in one matter there was no lesson to be learned – that is the matter of valor and courage.  We all saw the dedication, determination for the mission, courage and extraordinary sacrifice, as expressed by the difficult battles in Lebanon.

Even today, when among the new officers there are many who were recruited to the IDF after the echoes of the barrages of the war in the North abated – even today it is known, beyond any doubt, that if G-d forbid we are required to defend against another confrontation in that zone or any other – you will serve as the tangible and most noble expression of the spirit of the IDF and the defensive wall of the State of Israel.

The State of Israel, in its 60th year, is a strong nation, with military might, a known deterrent force for all those who need to know, and a nation of the most impressive accomplishments.  Secure in our strength and force, we now march on the path to peace and security.

Today I am filled with pride when I look at you, the young generation of the IDF command, knowing that you will succeed in fulfilling your roles in a manner which will increase the strength and abilities of the State of Israel.

I wish to address you, families of the new officers:

You have every reason in the world to feel great pride today in the journey your sons and daughters have made since the day they enlisted in the IDF until this moving event.  I am certain that the education you gave them at a young age, those same values and norms which were and still remain their lot at home and in the family, served as a strong support and important aspect for them for the entire impressive path they took.

To you, the new officers, I send congratulations on my behalf and on behalf of the Government of Israel.  Well done and continue so on your path in the IDF.  We are proud of you, take you into our hearts and embrace you with love, pride and appreciation.

On this happy day, we remember our profound commitment to the kidnapped and missing IDF soldiers, and wish for their speedy return to the bosoms of their families.

I will end with a prayer for your well-being and that of all soldiers wherever they may be:
“Those who bless our forefathers Abraham, Isaac and Jacob blesses the soldiers of the Israel Defense Forces, who stand guard for our country and G-d’s cities from the Lebanese border until the Egyptian desert, and from the great sea to the Arava’s beginnings, on land, in the air and at sea.”

Amen.