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Zamir: Rabin warned against complacency that contributed to Oct. 7 failures

Israel Defense Forces Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir attends a briefing in a command center in Southern Lebanon on June 21, 2026, as the IDF continues operations near the border with Hezbollah. Credit: IDF.
Israel Defense Forces Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir attends a briefing in a command center in Southern Lebanon on June 21, 2026, as the IDF continues operations near the border with Hezbollah. Credit: IDF.

Israel Defense Forces Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir said on Monday that a culture of complacency was one of the reasons for the events of Oct. 7, 2023.

Speaking at a ceremony marking the 31st anniversary of former Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin’s Nov. 4, 1995, assassination, Zamir pointed to the “it will be fine” mentality against which Rabin had warned.

“As an IDF officer, do not say ‘It will be fine.’ Say ‘I am responsible,’” Zamir said at the Rabin Center. “A commander must feel the weight of the absolute responsibility placed upon him and act constantly to fulfill it.”

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