New IDF Chief's first speech

The new head of the IDF, Chief of Staff Lieutenant-General Gabi Ashkenazi, gave his first public speech yesterday to a graduating class of commanding officers. May God help him and the IDF succeed at increasing our strength and preparedness.

"We must prepare the military so it can respond to any and every conflict, while continuing to effectively battle terror. We must secure a strong, combatant military, fit and triumphant, in order to realize the IDF's purpose – the assurance of the existence, sovereignty and security of the state of Israel. Or in short – so we can defend this country and its people.

“Years ago, on this very stage, then-defense minister Yitzhak Rabin warned the graduates this college of the ‘trust me, it’ll be okay’ mentality rife in the army and Israel's society. It is apparent that through the years Rabin's words take on a validity we must recognize, an intensity we must assimilate and we must implement his warning every hour on the hour every day."

With God's help, it really will 'be okay', but Ashkenazi is right: we have to do our part and revamp the IDF into a strong, effective protective force we all know it can be.