181st IAF Flight Course

Yesterday (Wednesday), a Graduation Ceremony of the IAF Flight Course was held at the Hatzerim Air Force Base, where 39 graduates of the 181st flight course received their wings and were certified as air crew fighters. Last Monday, officer ranks were awarded to the graduates, fighters, and air crew, who will become part of the tip of the operative and strategic spear of the IDF, and they will lead the operational activity of the Air Force in years to come.

The ceremony was held in the spirit of the "Aerial Fighter" and was led by the President of the State of Israel, Mr. Reuven "Ruvi" Rivlin, the Chief of the General Staff, Lt. Gen. Aviv Kohavi, the Commanding Officer of the Air Force, Maj. Gen. Amikam Norkin and the graduates' families and friends.
Also in attendance (virtually) were the Prime Minister, Mr. Binyamin Netanyahu and the Minister of Defense, MK Benny Gantz.

The graduation ceremony took place after three years of training to become a combat officer and flight crew and after receiving an academic degree from the Ben-Gurion University in Be'er-Sheva. Starting next week, the graduates will be stationed in different squadrons of the Air Force where they will start their operational training.

The ceremony was confined due to coronavirus restrictions and in order to keep both the graduates and their families as safe as possible.

The Prime Minister, Mr. Binyamin Netanyahu:
"We continue to oppose Iran's and its proxies’ attempts to entrench militarily in Syria. We will not compromise on this issue, just as we will not compromise on the attempts of our enemies to develop precision guided missiles in Syria, Lebanon and elsewhere. We will not allow Iran to acquire nuclear weapons.

We do not take lightly the threats made against us, and yet we do not shy away from them. Our policy is clear and consistent: whoever tries to harm us will suffer a crushing blow. In the face of danger, the Air Force is ready to act - at any range, in any arena and toward any target.

At the same time, in the air space of the Middle East there are also positive developments, even very positive. There are opportunities and risks in the sky, opportunities and threats. Our goal is to reduce the risks and maximize potentials. Our goal is to always ensure Israel's aerial superiority by cultivating the qualitative advantage and strategic power of the State of Israel."

The Minister of Defense, MK Benny Gantz:
"The Air Force is improving its capabilities; it is changing and evolving, and is fully and continuously prepared for any mission. Our enemies need to know - we will not hesitate to use force to prevent harm to Israeli citizens, and we will not hesitate to prevent our enemies, especially Iran and its proxies, at any time, any destination and in any range of action."

President of the State, Mr. Reuven Rivlin:
“Recently, I heard your commander, the commander of us all, the Chief of the General Staff, Aviv Kohavi, say words that are important for me to quote here: 'Since its establishment, the IDF has played a significant role in Israeli society, being an army of the people. There is no other army like this in the world-- that takes the best people of its nation, educates them on the principles of patriotism and brings the different groups living here together with each other. Along with all this, it also teaches each recruit that there is no task that cannot be performed.'

So said the Chief of the General Staff and I salute him. To continue in his words-- and I am asking that during this time, with an election shamefully looming over us in the near future, we heed them with full force: ‘The role of the IDF as an exemplary organization, led by patriotism - with the state, its affairs and principles above all - is more significant now than ever before. The light that guides us, all of us, is the security of the nation, and we, all of us, must be devoted to this principle.' These are the words of the Chief of the General Staff, which I am taking to heart these days, and I pledge that I will stand firm in the face of any attempt to cast doubt on them."

The Chief of the General Staff, Lt. Gen. Aviv Kohavi:
"A case such as the one that took place yesterday, in which an IDF general was attacked, a man who has spent his entire life fighting for all the citizens of the State of Israel, is a is an extremely severe act which crosses a red line, and deserves condemnation. The members of the Jerusalem faction who attacked the general attacked the very people who ensure their security in Israel; they attacked the IDF.

They demonstrated outdoors, but in fact demonstrated a loss of values, and trampled on an important and central mitzvah. They need to do some reckoning, them and their leaders. And you, meanwhile, the new pilots, you continued to concentrate on one thing, on defending the people, on defending the state and defending all parts of the people. We remember and strive to be one nation, and do everything possible to be united. You are the best, and you join the best Air Force."

The Commanding Officer of the Air Force, Maj. Gen. Amikam Norkin:
"At the end of this year, I am so proud of the men and women of the Air Force, of the commanders, who were able to make the necessary adjustments and managed to accomplish every mission and objective, despite the pandemic. A year in which, despite the coronavirus, the Air Force continued to engage in extensive operational activities, even more than in previous years. We operated in a variety of arenas, expanded our margins of performance, and in combination with our partners from the entire IDF, we contributed to the realization of the strategic goals of the State of Israel."