The Chief of Staff, Lt. Gen. Aviv Kochavi, and members of the General Staff Forum held a study day today (Tuesday) to mark Holocaust Remembrance Day.
Prior to the study day, the Chief of Staff met with CENTCOM Commander, Admiral Brad Cooper, with Holocaust survivor Bella Haim, and together they heard her testimony and personal story.
Mrs. Bella Haim was born in the town of Stoczek, Poland, and survived the Holocaust by fleeing with her family to Russia. Bella’s grandson, Yotam Haim, may he rest in peace, was abducted on October 7th and was unintentionally killed by an IDF force in the Gaza Strip.
Subsequently, the commanders held a meeting and discussion with Holocaust survivor Bella Haim, and the commander of the Combat Officers’ Training Center, Brig. Gen. Amir Farhi, who participated together in the “Witnesses in Uniform” delegation.
The day concluded with remarks from the Chief of Staff, Lt. Gen. Aviv Kochavi.
The Chief of Staff, Lt. Gen. Aviv Kochavi, said: “We have gathered here for an important and significant day to commemorate and perpetuate the memory of the six million people of our nation whose lives were brutally cut short by the Nazi oppressor. The stories, the pictures, and the testimonies carry with them not only the memory of destruction, but also the strength of the Jewish spirit – that spirit of hope, faith, and growth from within the rupture.”
“I want to address you first, Bella – your story and your life experiences are the embodiment of the Israeli story – of moments of cruelty, revival, and happiness. The fact that you came here today, with all the difficulty you surely carry – deeply moves me and us, and gives us strength. I read that you once said you decided to ‘continue to stand tall and let no one bring you down,’ and I wish to salute you for that – a woman who from birth was persecuted, who immigrated to the Land with all the difficulties and settled in Kibbutz Gvulot, who built a distinguished family and lost her grandson, and despite it all remained upright and inspiring – thank you.”
“To you, my colleagues on the forum – amidst today’s challenges, we may miss the magnitude of the change our people have undergone in the last eighty years. From a persecuted, helpless people, whose fate was left to the mercies of heaven – to a people with a state that fights on seven fronts simultaneously and eradicates anyone who seeks to harm it.”
“About two years ago, our enemies dreamed of a submissive and defeated Jewish people – but they were mistaken. In the face of an attempt to break our spirit and impose a reality of fear and destruction upon us – we went to war, a complex, prolonged, and multi-front war, which still demands of us firm resolve, heavy responsibility, and readiness to pay harsh prices for our freedom and right to exist.”
“We will no longer allow any enemy to issue a death sentence to Israel. In recent weeks, we launched Operation ‘Lion’s Roar’ – and in our actions, we have made clear to our enemies, near and far, that the State of Israel will act with determination, power, and responsibility in the face of any threat to its existence. This is a war of existence for our private and national home. This is a home that Holocaust survivors dreamed of returning to; a home built from the ashes, from memory, and from a deep promise never again to be defenseless.”
“We have the supreme duty to continue to stand guard over the people and the state, to defend the citizens of Israel with determination and responsibility, and to fortify our security in the state of the Jewish people. We will continue to command with a sense of mission and faith in the righteousness of the path, and we will be worthy of our ancestors’ dreams.”
“May the memory of the six million be blessed.”
“‘Am Yisrael Chai!’”