The Ground Combat Officers’ Course took place yesterday (Thursday) in a ceremony held at “Laskov” Camp (Bahad 1). The ceremony was led by the Chief of Staff, Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir, and attended by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Israel Katz.
The Officers’ Course graduation ceremony was held after seven months of training, during which the course graduates completed the first training phase in the “Field” track. The second phase was conducted by the infantry brigade cadets in the “Gafen” track at Bahad 1, and cadets from the Armored Corps, Combat Engineering Corps, Combat Intelligence Corps, Border Defense Corps, Artillery Corps, and Intelligence officers at dedicated training bases.
During the ceremony, officer ranks were awarded to the 478 new officers. The cadets fought in various sectors during the war before arriving at the course; some were wounded and returned to fight, and some lost friends, commanders, and subordinates.
The new officers are joining the IDF’s command ranks and are expected to be integrated into key roles in combat units, to command and lead the IDF forward in combat in all sectors.
“I believe in the winning combination of quality and quantity together,” began Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. “As I walked among you just now – the new officers – I saw the quality up close, in your eyes. We shook hands. Here and there, I managed to hear about your backgrounds. But I clearly noticed the sense of purpose and the strength of spirit embedded in you. This is the wonderful spirit of the people of Israel – whose roots are planted in the homeland’s soil, and for which they defend with their lives.”
“On the parade ground of Bahad 1, you proudly represent our people, our country,” he continued. “You are climbing the ladder, joining the IDF’s command echelon. You are fulfilling the dream of generations – of a Hebrew army that is a fortress and a shield for our people. The poet Bialik wrote: ‘Put on strength! Great might to help the people. Great might to help the people!’ You are putting on strength, and your strength ensures the future of the people. We are proud of you. I am proud of you, and I trust you!”
“On the second day of the war, I said: We will change the face of the Middle East,” he added. “And thanks to the bravery of you – our fighters, our commanders, our pilots, our soldiers, and our steadfast people – we are changing the face of the Middle East, and the State of Israel is stronger than ever. In the two amazing operations, ‘With the Lion’ and ‘The Lion’s Roar,’ we removed an immediate existential threat from above our heads, because if we had not acted, Iran would have had atomic bombs today to destroy Israel. And we removed this threat to ensure the eternity of Israel.”
“In the wild region where we are rooted, one clear truth echoes,” said the Prime Minister. “It is an ancient truth, and woe to him who forgets it: ‘He who comes to kill you, rise early to kill him.’ Do not give them the opportunity to kill us. We live in a turbulent, stormy, barbaric Middle East. And this rule, which not everyone recognizes, I think most of the people recognize. It ensures our future. It ensures that in the end, we will also achieve peace with some of our enemies, as we have done. The State of Israel is stronger than ever, more determined than ever, bolder than ever.”
“We control southern Lebanon from the Beaufort summit. And we will remain, as long as necessary, in the security zone in southern Lebanon. We are not going to withdraw from it. We have moved from controlled territories to controlling territories, and we will hold these controlling territories as long as necessary. From there, we will defend the residents of the North and all citizens of Israel.”
“The Defense Minister and I have clearly instructed the IDF: You have full operational freedom to thwart any threat to our fighters, or to the residents of the North,” he stated. “We trust you, the Chief of Staff, our command team, the brigade commanders, the battalion commanders, the company commanders, each and every one of you. We trust you to act correctly, and we give you all the necessary backing!”
“And regarding the regime of evil in Iran, I will only say this: With or without a deal – as long as I am the Prime Minister of Israel, Iran will not have nuclear weapons. Under no circumstances will we allow Iran to develop nuclear bombs.”
“Our policy for defending the borders of the State of Israel is clear: The IDF will remain in the security zones in Lebanon, Syria, and Gaza – indefinitely – to defend our residents and settlements from jihadist elements,” said Defense Minister Israel Katz. “This is the main lesson from the October 7th terror attack. We will not compromise on Israel’s supreme security interest – the defense of our soldiers and the protection of our citizens – and we will not withdraw from the security zones. Based on this exact concept, we oppose the withdrawal of IDF forces from the security zone in Lebanon, despite all existing and future pressures. We will not withdraw from the security zone in Lebanon.”
“The security of Israel’s citizens and the security of our forces stand above all other considerations,” he emphasized. “Our commanders and fighters have all the necessary backing to complete their mission and defend themselves and the citizens of Israel. There is a central principle that guides us in every decision: the lives of our fighters are a supreme value. For the Prime Minister, for me, for the Chief of Staff, and for the entire command chain in the IDF – the security of commanders and fighters comes before any other consideration. Our instructions are clear and unequivocal: no operational, political, or other constraint will justify unnecessary risk to IDF soldiers.”
“We will act against any threat, anywhere and anytime, with determination, power, and without hesitation,” he added. “And there is another important message, which I hope is well understood in Tehran: If Iran attacks Israel due to our actions in Lebanon, or for any other reason, we will attack it with full force – in a way that will clearly demonstrate to it the power disparity between us.”
“Dear commanders, the challenge placed upon your shoulders is unique: you are completing your training in days that are significant for the country’s security and its future, in days when the surrounding environment is fundamentally different from what it was here three years ago,” the minister stated. “The coming years will bring new challenges, and the IDF’s strength will continue to be a decisive factor in our continued existence here and the continued prosperity of the country. Our ability to maintain this strength and even strengthen it relies, first and foremost, on our people – and especially on you, the young commanders. We have no more prominent qualitative advantage than our people, and especially our fighters and their commanders.”
“Graduates of the course, dear female and male officers – the State of Israel is fortunate to have sons and daughters like you, the Israel Defense Forces is fortunate to have commanders and fighters like you. The citizens of Israel look to you with pride and appreciation, and know that they have someone to rely on.”
“Officers – everything I expect from you for your return to the units and your entry into command, I have already said in my conversation with you this morning,” stated the Chief of Staff, Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir. “The responsibility for ‘action’ is the responsibility you are taking upon yourselves today in the face of the great challenges before us.”
“This is a time for action,” he clarified. “Distinguished guests, the generation of command standing here today is called to battle from the inferno of October 7th. From that terrible day, a generation of fighters, commanders, active duty and reserve, has risen, which has since stood with valor on guard over our land. A generation that understood that the moment the border was breached, the responsibility immediately transfers to those who rise, lead, and become a protective shield for the citizens of Israel with their bodies and spirits.”
“Commanders, on this parade ground stands the entire people of Israel,” he shared. “From every home, from every settlement, from all parts of Israeli society. We need every fighter, every commander. This nation has no other army, and this army has no other nation. The IDF is the people’s army, it is the army of the Jewish state, ensuring its existence and its eternity.”
“The challenge the IDF faces is to find a balance between consideration for the diverse populations and maintaining a common and unified framework that allows it to fulfill its missions effectively. We will strengthen cohesion from what unites, not what divides – this too is part of the IDF’s capability to lead to victory.”
“We have lost fighters and commanders on the battlefield who risked their lives for the people and the land, and did not return,” he said. “We will carry their legacy through our actions. We will be worthy of them with our strength of spirit, our professionalism, our humility, and our responsibility. Many fighters are still dealing with the physical and mental costs of battle. They are our comrades-in-arms, and we will continue to accompany them and their families throughout the journey. Like wheat that grows again and again, so too the spirit of our people continues to renew itself from the pain, carrying with it the memory of the heroes who fell in battle.”
“In these ranks stand 478 cadets, graduates of the Ground Forces Combat Officers’ Course, who in a few minutes will reveal their ranks and be officially certified as combat officers in the Israel Defense Forces,” said the Commander of the Officers’ School, Col. A. “Each and every one of them is a world unto themselves, the salt of the earth, leaders of Israeli society, the future platoon commanders of the IDF, the best of the best. As combat officers, we must understand that our true strength is not only in the ability to fight, but in the ability to unite the ranks. Especially today, in a time of war, we are more than ever required to gather around those common principles, first and foremost the protection of our beloved country and our responsibility towards Israeli society.”
“Before us stand dozens of cadets with extraordinary stories that are too numerous to tell. Look at them, the stories standing here today on the parade ground are not just stories – they are a reflection of Israeli society as a whole,” he stated. “Dear cadets, you are completing the officer certification chapter today, and in your hands are many tools, professional and ethical, which you have received along with command responsibility. As you ascend to the role of platoon commander in the field in the various units, you are required to adopt command and leadership qualities yourselves. We will continue to demand this from you, but you will be the ones to choose the extent of your progress. Remember – the more you dare to continue to develop, to undergo change, the more you will succeed in doing so with your subordinates.”
