Feb 20/2015

Challenges Facing New IDF Chief of Staff Gadi Eizenkot

This week Major General Gadi Eizenkot officially assumed the role of Chief of General Staff of the Israel Defense Forces, replacing Bennie Gantz in that capacity.

Major General Eizenkot will lead Israel's military in an exceptionally challenging period. One in which an unraveling Middle East, thrust into a prolonged dynamic period of instability and uncertainty, continues to produce new threats and challenges for Israel.

Not a year goes by when the Middle East hasn’t surprised us with a dramatic, unexpected turn of events, with clear and immediate military implications.

Who among us foresaw the Arab spring that occurred a mere four years ago, and the subsequent chain of dramatic events that followed it: the rise and almost immediate fall of the Muslim brotherhood as a political power, the rise and quick spread of global jihadist elements, in particular ISIS, and the fragmentation and in some cases implosion of Arab nation states like Syria and Yemen.

One therefore would be wise to exercise a degree of caution and even a greater degree of humility when attempting to predict what the future holds in that chaotic region, and one should be prepared to continue to be surprised by major, unforeseen developments.

In order for any military to cope with such a dynamic reality, it must be agile, flexible and adaptive to a rapidly changing theatre of threats.

The IDF meets all of those standards, due primarily to two critical assets: superb, professional commanders such as Major General Eizenkot and the dedicated soldiers of the IDF. Major General Eizenkot exemplifies our best leaders; commanders who lead by example, who inspire and motivate those who serve under their command. No less important are the IDF soldiers who carry out their service with a true sense of mission and view their service in the IDF not merely as an obligation but as a privilege. They demonstrate that the IDF is not merely another military which has people serving in it, but a military set on serving the people. A military which not only provides Israeli society with physical protection, but also reflects and shapes the contours of that society by providing an inclusive platform where every individual is invited to contribute, on an equal basis. 

I am certain that under the command of Chief of Staff Eizenkot, the IDF will continue successfully meeting the military challenges ahead, as well as strengthening and uniting Israel’s society. 

Shabbat Shalom,

  

Yaron Sideman
Consul General Of Israel,
Mid-Atlantic Region