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The Director General of the Israel Ministry of Defense, Maj. Gen. (Res.) Eyal Zamir (Center), in mid-January signing the first contract under the U.S. aid package given during the recent war. (Israel Ministry of Defense.)

JERUSALEM — Israel’s Minister of Defense Israel Katz has tapped Maj. Gen. (Res.) Eyal Zamir to be the new Israel Defense Forces Chief of Staff, the government here announced Feb. 1.

Zamir will take up his post after serving for two years as Director General at Israel’s Ministry of Defense, a role in which he interfaced regularly with the Israeli defense industry.

He will replace Herzi Halevi as Israel’s top officer. Halevi, who assumed his role in January 2023, announced on Jan. 21 that he stepping down; as the commanding general during the Oct. 7, 2023 attacks by Hamas, Halevi had come under increasing pressure over the military’s failures to protect Israel from the attack.

“I congratulate Major General (Res.) Eyal Zamir on his appointment as the 24th Chief of the General Staff of the Israel Defense Forces. I have known Eyal for many years, and I am confident that he will lead the IDF forward in the face of the challenges ahead,” Halevi said in a statement. “In the coming weeks, we will complete a professional and high-quality transfer of command over the IDF.”

It was not clear from the statement if Halevi’s desire to leave in March may be moved up now that a successor has been appointed.

Zamir was born in 1966 and joined the IDF in 1984, serving in the Armored Corps during the First and Second Intifadas. We was eventually named the commander of the 36th Division, which includes the IDF’s 7th Armored and 188th Armored as well as Golani Infantry, making it one of the most powerful, and tank heavy, of the IDF’s regular divisions.

In the last decade and a half Zamir served as Military Secretary to the Prime Minister, and later as head of IDF Southern Command. During his time at Southern Command, he faced off against increasing threats from Gaza in 2018 when there were increased protests along the Gaza border fence. Given those high profile roles, he was seen as a candidate for Chief of Staff twice before: he lost out to Aviv Kochavi in 2018 and then Halevi in 2023. As a consolation prize, he was appointed Deputy Chief of Staff under Kochavi and then moved to the Defense Ministry in 2023.

In that role, he played a key role in the IDF’s formulation of the Momentum multi-year plan. This plan was supposed to streamline the IDF’s ability to confront Hamas and Hezbollah in case of a ground war, making the IDF more effective and lethal in multiple domains using the latest technology — though the nature of the conflict since Oct. 7 has raised questions about whether that approach was the correct one.

Zamir’s background in the armored corps is unique for a chief of staff. Halevi, Kochavi, Benny Gantz, Moshe Yaalon and Shaul Mofaz were paratroopers, while Gadi Eizenkot and Gabi Ashkenazi came from Golani infantry backgrounds.

Industry may find someone who is very open to their new ideas. Zamir played a key role in many of the defense industry deals since the beginning of the war, such as procuring more munitions and interceptors for Israel’s air defenses, and investing in “Blue and White” Israeli local industries to produce material.

One of the most recent deals Zamir played a role in was the first contract signed under the new US aid package, which includes, which a dedicated $5.2 billion allocation to strengthen Israel’s air and missile defense systems.

The CEO of Israel Aerospace Industries, Boaz Levy, put out a statement in the wake of Zamir’s appointment, saying “We would like to thank Maj. Gen. (Res.) Zamir for the fruitful cooperation during his tenure as Director General of the Ministry of Defense, which helped lay additional foundations for ensuring the security of the State of Israel.”

Zamir is believed to have beaten out two other top officers for the role, both of whom quickly issued statements of support.

IDF Deputy Chief of the General Staff, Maj. Gen. Amir Baram, said “I have no doubt that he will excel in this role, demonstrating the necessary combat leadership and strategic vision given the current challenges. I will assist my commanders in the preparation and transition process as needed, and I wish Eyal a smooth and successful entry into this important position.”

Maj. Gen. Tamir Yadai, the IDF’s head of the ground forces, also congratulated Zamir. “From my many years of acquaintance with Eyal, I can attest that he is an experienced and excellent officer, and I am confident that he will lead the IDF successfully through the many challenges of this time,” Yadai said.