The Chief of the General Staff at the Ceremony Marking 52 Years Since the Passing of the Former Prime Minister and Minister of Defense, David Ben-Gurion

A ceremony marking 52 years since the passing of the former Prime Minister and Minister of Defense, David Ben-Gurion, was held today (Wednesday) led by the Chief of the General Staff, LTG Eyal Zamir, with the participation of members of the General Staff Forum and additional attendees at the Ben-Gurion Heritage Institute in Sde Boker.

From the remarks of the Chief of the General Staff, LTG Eyal Zamir: “Command responsibility is the ability to continue onward - forward - with confidence, with integrity and with humility, even when it is difficult. Military leadership is the willingness to bear the burden before everyone else. And as Ben-Gurion believed: ‘Leadership is the ability to bear a burden, even when the burden feels unbearable’. This burden is ours, and it is a privilege - a burden we carry. I carry it. This is command responsibility that cannot be transferred or shared.

Since that difficult day, the IDF is operating and defending in every arena. Today it is clear to us beyond any doubt: explanation is not enough, criticism is not enough - courageous, purposeful, reality-shaping leadership is required. Leadership that recognizes failure and also dares to lead change. Not frightening, drowning leadership but uplifting and inspiring leadership. Not evasive leadership, but leadership that looks the truth in the eye and sets a new direction. Command responsibility is to rebuild. This is the central essence of leadership.

The IDF is ‘the nation’s leadership factory’; the leader must be ‘first to sacrifice, first to bear responsibility, first to fix’. This is the test of our command today - not only to deal with what was not, but to lead toward what will be. This is our moral, professional and national imperative, and this is the ‘Ben-Gurion legacy’ that we preserve and advance. It is a central component of our ability to endure.

Alongside the recognition of pain - we look today with tremendous pride at the IDF’s achievements. But pride is not satisfaction. It obligates us to remain alert, to continue building a better and stronger military, with more precise command and with military leadership that looks far ahead and leads the next generation of troops. This is where command responsibility turns into national growth. This is where military leadership gives rise to rebirth. Because from responsibility - we must grow. From responsibility we must lead, and that is what the IDF is doing.

The responsibility since that difficult day - in every arena, every day, every hour, we stay committed: we will continue to fight, we will continue to improve, the IDF was born as the army of the people and it is a remarkable mosaic. The army and defender of the Jewish state, drawing its strength from the people and operating solely for the people”.

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