Netanyahu ally Eyal Zamir takes over as Israeli chief of general staff

Israeli Chief of General Staff Herzi Halevi has stepped down, resigning due to the failure on October 7. Eyal Zamir, the Director General of the Ministry of Defense appointed in his place, is a figure close to Netanyahu, unlike Halevi.

Eyal Zamir, appointed as Chief of General Staff to replace Herzi Halevi, who announced his resignation on January 21, officially assumed his duties in a ceremony.

The ceremony was attended by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Defense Minister Yisrael Katz, and Israeli officials, as well as the US Central Command (CENTCOM) Commander, Michael Erik Kurilla.

Zamir officially took over as Chief of General Staff at a ceremony held at the Kirya military base, where the Israeli Ministry of Defense headquarters is located in Tel Aviv, with Netanyahu and Katz pinning his ranks.

Speaking at the ceremony, Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu and Defense Minister Katz thanked outgoing Chief of General Staff Herzi Halevi and wished Zamir success.

Netanyahu stated that he had worked closely with Zamir before and that he had recommended him for the position of Chief of General Staff for the third time.

In his speech, Katz stated that Iran should not possess nuclear weapons.

Claiming that they would not allow Hamas to control Gaza, Katz asserted that the people of Gaza would be encouraged to “voluntary emigration” in line with US President Donald Trump’s proposal.

Halevi, who announced his resignation on January 21, stating that he felt “the responsibility for the catastrophic failure” in the attacks from Gaza on October 7, 2023, reiterated his call for the “establishment of a state commission of inquiry into the October 7 failure” in his farewell speech.

“The Israeli army failed on October 7,” Halevi said. “There was a profound failure here. It is not right that a failure of this magnitude should be investigated only in the Israeli army and Shin Bet. The Israeli army is part of the national order of priorities, accepts policy, and acts accordingly. The establishment of a state commission of inquiry is necessary and vital.”

Netanyahu rejects Halevi’s call for the establishment of a fully authorized and independent state commission to investigate government officials regarding October 7. Netanyahu wants a political commission to be established, which does not have the authority to make binding decisions, on the grounds that the war is ongoing. The disagreements on this issue fuel the long-standing tension between the government and the security establishment.

The newspaper Haaretz reported that Zamir is a figure very close to Netanyahu.

The report, based on an unnamed Israeli source, recalled that Zamir served as Netanyahu’s military advisor between 2012 and 2015, and stated that Zamir is still “very close to the prime minister.”