IDF Chief of Staff Lights Final Chanukah Candle With Chashmonaim Brigade, Praises Chareidi Soldiers

On the final night of Chanukah, IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir lit the eighth candle together with soldiers of the Chashmonean Brigade, the IDF’s new Chareidi combat unit, which began drafting its first recruits earlier this year.

Addressing the soldiers, Zamir drew a direct parallel between their service and the story of Chanukah. “You are the Maccabees of our time,” he told them. “You are defending the people of Israel while maintaining a Chareidi way of life.” He praised the soldiers for embodying both sacrifice and responsibility, describing them as “an example of fighting spirit and mutual responsibility.”

Zamir spoke of the IDF’s efforts to expand enlistment across all sectors of Israeli society, stating that “the IDF is the people’s army, and it has a duty to be open to all segments of the population.” He noted that the army is actively working to broaden its ranks and to create additional pathways for Chareidi enlistment, in order to ensure military readiness in the face of evolving security challenges.

Zamir said that Israel “cannot exist without a strong, alert and capable army,” stressing that national security depends on unity and shared responsibility.

“You are proof,” he asserted, “that it is possible to safeguard the State of Israel and the Torah of Israel together.”