Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu attends an IDF officers\u2019 graduation ceremony at the Bahad 1 base, Feb. 19, 2026. Photo by Kobi Gideon\/GPO.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
\u201cIn the War of Redemption, we have refined this principle tenfold,\u201d he said. \u201cWe went far beyond the borders of the state, to the enemy capitals\u2014almost all of them. We operated in an unprecedented radius\u2014at an extreme range\u2014to fend off existential threats, as I promised on the first day of the war. We changed the face of the Middle East. And I tell you, no less important than that, we changed ourselves.<\/p>\n
\u201cToday, Israel is a stronger country than ever. Whoever boasted that Israel is as weak as a spider\u2019s web received the appropriate answer. Our iron fist struck hard at every aggressor.\u201d<\/p>\n
He noted that extremist forces in the region are rebuilding despite Israeli military achievements, placing the Middle East at a critical crossroads. \u201cThe extremist elements refuse to give up,\u201d he said. \u201cThey are reorganizing to challenge us anew.\u201d<\/p>\n
Netanyahu said that while Israel continues to work closely with Washington, it is moving toward defense independence. \u201cIn the coming decade, we will end reliance on American financial support for our defense budget and move from dependence to partnership,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
People\u2019s Army<\/strong><\/p>\nThe prime minister framed the ceremony as evidence of Israeli unity, highlighting the diversity of the new officers\u2014Jews and non-Jews, secular and religious, men and women.<\/p>\n
\u201cAs I passed among you, I felt the wondrous spirit that resonates within the People\u2019s Army. Because that is exactly what we have here: the People\u2019s Army,\u201d he told the graduates. \u201cThe IDF, all of its soldiers and commanders, come from among the people\u2014and the people place their trust in the IDF. They place their trust in you.\u201d<\/p>\n
He added, \u201cMany generations dreamed of this sublime moment, in which proud commanders would lead the defensive force of independent Israel. From a displaced and beaten people, we have become a people rooted in its homeland, proud of its strength, ensuring its future. And you are proudly representing this independence of the State of Israel.\u201d<\/p>\n
Netanyahu said the war had tested Israeli society much like the officers\u2019 training had tested their leadership, saying the country had moved from the shock of the Oct. 7 massacre to sustained military action across the region.<\/p>\n
<>During the war, he said, he had met some of the graduates while they were still enlisted soldiers in Gaza and was impressed by their determination and courage.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou charged into terrorist strongholds, destroyed enemy infrastructure and eliminated many terrorists,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
Addressing bereaved families and wounded soldiers, Netanyahu called rehabilitation \u201canother battlefield\u201d and pledged continued national support. He noted that four officers from the graduating class\u2014Omri, Eran, Ron and Eitan\u2014had been killed in action, saying their sacrifice formed part of a continuous chain of Jewish history and defense.<\/p>\n
\u201cTake care of yourselves, take care of one another and guard the eternity of Israel,\u201d he concluded.<\/p>\n
\u2018Don\u2019t test us!\u2019<\/strong><\/p>\nIn his address to the cadets, Defense Minister Israel Katz warned that Israel would confront every threat it faced.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe beheaded the leadership of the Houthi terror organization in Yemen that attacked Israel, and removed the threats of annihilation over the State of Israel in \u2018Operation Rising Lion\u2019 in Iran,\u201d Katz said, referring to the 12-day war last June. \u201cWe will not allow threats of annihilation against the State of Israel in the future and we will act against every threat, near and far.\u201d<\/p>\n
He added, \u201cI say from here to all our enemies: Do not test us and do not challenge our determination, because you will find a united people and a strong and victorious army facing you.\u201d<\/p>\n
IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir echoed this message, emphasizing the military\u2019s readiness across all arenas and the responsibility of the new officers to lead in a prolonged, multi-front campaign.<\/p>\n
He said the army would continue operating proactively to remove emerging threats and ensure Israel\u2019s security, stressing that the next generation of commanders must combine operational initiative with moral clarity in defending the country.<\/p>\n
\u201cAnyone who seeks to test our determination will encounter power that will exact an immediate and heavy price,\u201d Zamir warned.<\/p>\n
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