Israel’s new army chief pushes hardline military agenda

Israel’s new military chief, Eyal Zamir, used his inaugural speech in Tel Aviv to push a hardline agenda, vowing to lead the army “to victory” and bring captives back from Gaza “in any way possible.”

His comments, reported by The Times of Israel, also called for broader participation in the army, a veiled warning to ultra-Orthodox groups that oppose conscription.

Declaring the military “the army of the people,” Zamir stressed the need for unity to confront so-called external threats.