In a ceremony presided over by Defense Minister Israel Katz, Maj. Gen. (Res.) Amir Baram was appointed today (Monday) as the 26th Director General of the Israel Ministry of Defense (IMOD). The ceremony was attended by IDF Chief of General Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir, former IMOD Director Generals, the Ministry’s senior management forum, the IDF Deputy Chief of General Staff, CEOs of defense industries, and heads of representative organizations.
Defense Minister Israel Katz stated: “I am pleased that all three candidates I considered suitable for the IDF Chief of General Staff position are present here today. This sends a powerful message that these three defense leaders are working together with their knowledge, determination, and commitment to contribute to Israel’s security during these challenging times.
Amir, your experience as IDF Deputy Chief of General Staff, responsible for force build-up and strategic relations with the United States and other partners, was the decisive factor in selecting you for this position. We must be capable of defending ourselves through our own strength. Therefore, all matters relating to force build-up, procurement, and armaments will now be under your leadership. Additionally, the Ministry’s extensive work supporting wounded veterans and bereaved families will continue with unwavering commitment. I am confident you will lead the IMOD with distinction and wish you great success.”
In his acceptance speech, IMOD Director General, Maj. Gen. (Res.) Amir Baram stated: “Together we will develop a ministerial strategy ensuring our defense establishment, including the IDF, maintains its capability to defeat all threats ‘from knife to nuclear’ – including those we cannot yet anticipate. We will tackle force build-up challenges while driving our organization to adapt to changing realities. We’ll foster strong communication with international partners, government ministries, IDF branches, and other organizations based on shared purpose, camaraderie, and mutual trust. Our focus will be finding the optimal balance between current operational readiness and long-term organizational development while allocating resources differentially to address key challenges. Our priority will be the defense establishment’s ‘value accelerators’: technology and personnel, combat capabilities, armament, security diplomacy, and, above all, the Israeli society and its people. I pledge to approach this role with values-based leadership and professional expertise, bringing humility, dedication, and confidence to the task. I deeply appreciate Minister Katz’s trust in selecting me for this position. I undertake this role with a profound sense of mission and responsibility, accompanied by a personal and deep belief in our ongoing mission to secure Israel’s future. Despite the complex challenges ahead, I am confident that together with the Chief of General Staff and under the Minister’s leadership, we will overcome these obstacles and prevail against all our enemies.”
During the ceremony, IMOD Director General, Maj. Gen. (Res.) Amir Baram acknowledged the Chief of General Staff, Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir, for his two-year tenure as IMOD Director General during the current war and thanked the IMOD Deputy Director General and Head of the Planning Department, Itamar Graff, for serving as Acting Director General in recent weeks.
