Major General Amir Eshel Appointed Commander of the Israeli Air Force
In a ceremony held today in Tel Aviv’s “Rabin” (Hakirya) Base, Major General Amir Eshel was appointed Commander of the Israeli Air Force. Minister of Defense, Mr. Ehud Barak, the IDF Chief of the General Staff, Lieutenant General Benny Gantz, as well as members of the general staff and their families attended the ceremony.
10.05.12
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Major General Amir Eshel, the new IAF commander
Maj. Gen. Amir Eshel replaced Maj. Gen. Ido Nehushtan, who has held the position for the past four years and has completed 37 years of military service.
Minister of Defense Barak conveyed his best wishes to Maj. Gen. Eshel, and said: “for the past two generations, the IAF has been Israel’s most critical and decisive component and the keystone of its deterrence capabilities.”
The IDF Chief of the General Staff, Lt. Gen. Gantz, thanked Maj. Gen. Nehushtan for his service, saying: “we have the best Air Force in the world. The IAF has an immediate, significant and strategic value.”
Maj. Gen. Nehushtan said: “the IAF operates every day, every minute, 365 days a year, across Israel and around the world guarding the State of Israel.”
Nehushtan wished the best to Maj. Gen. Eshel and said that he solely trusts him to stand at the head of the Israeli Air Force.
Maj. Gen. Eshel thanked the Defense Minister and the IDF Chief of the General Staff for trusting him with the position and said: “Maj. Gen. Ido Nehushtan leaves a strong and capable Air Force designed in his image. We face significant challenges, but are ready for any future task.”
