Brig. Gen. Erez Ben-Zion took command of the Haifa base, replacing Brig. Gen. Eliezer Socholiczky, who served in this role for the past two and a half years and will soon assume his position as Head of the Naval Operations Department.
The change of command ceremony was held today (Thursday) at the Haifa base, presided over by the Commander of the Navy, Vice Adm. David Saar Salama, and attended by additional commanders and families.
The Commander of the Navy, Vice Adm. David Saar Salama, said: “I want to thank the personnel of the theater for their extraordinary efforts. In the long war of our generation – we have known loss, we have known pain and sorrow. The Haifa base lost Cami and David in the war, who fell defending the maritime border in the north.”
“The missing lines are our command for continuation. They sharpen our sense of responsibility and commitment,” the Commander of the Navy continued. “The theater’s achievements are many – we destroyed key threats to strategic assets, we guarded the northern border, we struck terrorists, we thwarted terror leaders, we sank Syrian missile ships, we raided many enemy infrastructures. Throughout the war, you knew how to adapt, you learned and drew lessons from the events of October 7th – and you acted for a significant change in the border areas.”
“Socho, you stood the test of war, and you stood it in an inspiring way. The Haifa theater under your leadership protected Israel’s northern maritime border,” Vice Adm. Saar Salama addressed the outgoing commander, and congratulated the incoming commander, “Erez, on this mission you are undertaking today, you are taking command of the Haifa theater. The northern maritime map is well known to you, the command work at headquarters and at sea is well known to you, you are capable and ready for the challenge.”
“Personnel of the Haifa theater, the challenges are not over, quite the opposite. I am confident that together with Erez, you will continue to lead and influence, and solidify Israel’s naval power at all times and in all areas,” concluded the Commander of the Navy.
The outgoing Commander of the Haifa base, Brig. Gen. Eliezer Socholiczky, said: “In recent years, and even more so during the war, we were required to face a complex, threatening, and sometimes unpredictable security reality. The sea, which for many was a symbol of freedom and space, also became a first line of defense. And on this line stood not only ships, systems, or technologies. People stood.”
“Beyond every rank and role, thank you, the fighters and soldiers. You are the beating heart of the theater. Every success, every completed mission, every quiet night that passed over the northern communities is credited to you,” declared the outgoing commander.
“To Brig. Gen. Erez Ben-Zion, my successor in command, you are receiving a strong, professional theater, and above all, one full of exceptional people,” the outgoing commander addressed the incoming one. “Trust them, learn from them, and lead them with humility and faith. They are your greatest asset. I am sure you will lead the theater forward with safety and responsibility.”
“The true strength of the Haifa theater is not in steel, not in weapon systems, nor in technological means. The true strength is the people. Your spirit. Your commitment. Your camaraderie. The ability to continue even when it’s difficult, even when the heart worries about home, family, friends on another front,” concluded Brig. Gen. Socholiczky.
The Commander of the Haifa base, Brig. Gen. Erez Ben-Zion, said: “The Haifa theater is the heart of the Navy’s capability. Here, people connect the power of the ships to the mission, here our ability to maintain readiness, fitness, and operational continuity at all times and in all situations is tested. This is the primary mission of the northern maritime theater to defend the State of Israel, to defend the citizens, the personnel, the ports, the infrastructure, and the forces.”
“Command is first and foremost responsibility,” concluded the incoming commander. “Responsibility for the mission, responsibility for the people, and responsibility to navigate the sea whether it is rough or calm. The Haifa base, the northern theater, is much more than infrastructure; it is people, it is accumulated experience, and it is a chain of command based on trust, professionalism, and camaraderie. I believe in you and trust that together we can accomplish any mission.”