Former IDF Chief of Staff Herzi Halevi and the military's new chief Lt.-Gen. Eyal Zamir visited the Western Wall in Jerusalem after the chief of staff changeover ceremony in Tel Aviv on Wednesday.
It is a longstanding tradition for the incoming and outgoing chiefs of staff to visit the Western Wall together, and the two were joined by the Rabbi of the Western Wall and Holy Sites, Rabbi Shmuel Rabinowitz, and the IDF Chief Rabbi, Brig. Gen. Rabbi Eyal Karim.
Both Zamir and Halevi left notes between the stones of the Wall and signed the guest book of the Western Wall Heritage Foundation.
The changeover ceremony
The ceremony was led by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and in the presence of all of the leaders of the defense establishment in Tel Aviv.
Along with the entire IDF high command, Mossad Director David Barnea and Shin Bet Director Ronen Bar were also in attendance, as well as CENTCOM chief Michael Kurilla.
Netanyahu said that although Zamir had lost the race for IDF chief twice, the third time was a charm and now is “the time of Zamir.”
He said that he had been very impressed by Zamir’s capabilities as his personal military secretary, in particular his ability to coordinate between the defense and political echelons.
After visiting the Western Wall, Zamir and Halevi went to the national Mount Herzl Cemetery before a final joint ceremony exclusively for the defense establishment was held at military headquarters in Tel Aviv.
During the last joint ceremony, Zamir carried out an extended salute to honor the soldiers who have fallen during the war.
Yonah Jeremy Bob contributed to this report.