IDF has a new chief in town. Who is General Eyal Zamir, Netanyahu's trusted aide?

Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu appointed retired Maj. Gen. Eyal Zamir as the next chief of staff of the Israel Defence Force (IDF). The Defense Ministry director-general was appointed for the role on Saturday. A brief statement from Prime Minister’s Office later confirmed the veteran general’s nomination.

Netanyahu’s office said that Zamir would take on the post on March 6 and will become IDF’s 24th chief of staff. Zamir’s nomination came following the resignation of Lt. Gen. Herzi Halevi last month, after he served that role for only two years, rather than the normal four-year term. In a video statement, Halevi said that he is stepping down over the military failures to anticipate Hamas’s October 7 attack in Southern Israel which ultimately led to the 15-month-long war.

Zamir was chosen among two other candidates who were named by the country’s new Defence Minister Israel Katz last week. They were Maj. Gen. Amir Baram, the current IDF deputy chief of staff, and Maj. Gen. Tamir Yadai, the former Ground Forces chief. All three were interviewed by the defence minister out of which Zamir was eventually chosen.

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Who is Eyal Zamir?

The 59-year-old general was considered twice for the role back in 2018 and 2022. However, ultimately, Lt. Gen. (res.) Aviv Kohavi and Halevi were selected instead, respectively. According to The Times of Israel, Zamir was born in the southernmost city of Eilat. Interestingly, he will be the first military chief in Israel’s history to have started his service in the Armored Corps.

The veteran general joined the military back in 1984 after completing the tank officer’s training course. He eventually rose through the ranks and went on to command the 7th Armored Brigade in 2003 and the 36th Armored Division in 2009. Zamir later served as PM Netanyahu’s military secretary from 2012 and 2015.

After that, he was appointed as the commander of the IDF Southern Command and was responsible for overseeing the military response to the violent protests organised by the Hamas along the Gaza border. From 2018 to 2021, Zamir served as deputy chief of staff, his final role in the army at the time, before heading to the United States to become a visiting research fellow at the Washington Institute think tank.

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He was later appointed as the director general of the Defense Ministry in 2023, a position he currently serves. It is not yet known who will be his deputy in the IDF and who will be replacing him at the Defense Ministry when he puts his military uniform back on.

Halevi congratulates his successor

Meanwhile, Halevi issued a statement and congratulated Zamir for this new feat. “I have known Eyal for many years, and I am sure that he will lead the IDF forward in the face of the expected challenges and wish him great success,” Halevi said in a statement Saturday. “In the coming weeks, we will complete a professional and high-quality handover,” he added.

IDF Deputy Chief Baram who will also be stepping down from his role at the end of this month also congratulated the retired general. “I do not doubt that he will carry out his tasks excellently while demonstrating combat and strategic leadership, which is necessary in light of the current challenges,” he said.

After assuming the post, Zamir will be responsible for appointing numerous commanders, both because appointments of senior officers have been on hold, and because several top generals are expected to resign over the October 7 attacks after Halevi’s departure, The Times of Israel reported.