New IDF And Shin Bet Leadership To Work Well With Netanyahu

 Nadene Goldfoot                                                   

Eyal Zamir (Hebrew: אייל זמיר; born 26 January 1966) is an Israeli military officer who is the current Chief of the General Staff of the Israel Defense Forces, age 60 in January.  

The current head of the IDF is Lieutenant General Eyal Zamir, who holds the title of Chief of the General Staff. He assumed office on March 5, 2025, succeeding Herzi Halevi.  

 He's held his office for the past 9 months, so he's not that new.  Zamir was born and raised in Eilat. He was one of three children born to Shlomo and Yaffa (nee Abadi) Zamir. His grandparents were immigrants from Yemen and Syria. His father was a Lieutenant Colonel in the IDF who decided to settle in Eilat after being stationed there.

Zamir is a graduate of the Inter-Service Command and Staff College, and the National Security College. He holds a bachelor's degree in political science from Tel Aviv University, a Master's degree in national security from the University of Haifa, and is an alumnus of the General Management Program for Senior Executives (GMP) of The Wharton School, where Trump attended.  

   Maj.-Gen. (Res.) David Zini and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

   (photo credit: MAAYAN TOAF/GPO)

David Zini is the current head (director) of the Shin Bet, Israel's domestic intelligence agency.  He assumed office on October 5, 2025. 

"Prime Minister Netanyahu announced this evening his decision to appoint Major General David Zini as the next head of the Shin Bet," the statement began."

“Maj.-Gen. Zini has served in many operational and command roles in the IDF, including: A fighter in the Sayeret Matkal (Netanyahu's well known unit being the hardest of all )(General Staff Reconnaissance Unit), commander of the 51st Battalion in the Golani Brigade, commander of the Egoz unit, commander of the Alexandroni Brigade, founder of the Commando Brigade, and commander of the Training and Doctrine Command as well as commander of the General Staff Corps,” the statement said.

                       Major-General (Res.) David Zini
 David Zini is 51 years old (today) as of December 4, 2025. He was born on January 9, 1974, in Jerusalem, Israel. and will be 52 years old January 9, 2026.  Zini is a retired Israel Defense Forces major general and has been serving as the head of the Shin Bet (Israel's domestic intelligence agency) since October 5, 2025. 

The Shin Bet, Israel's internal security agency, is most comparable to the FBI (Federal Bureau of Investigation) in the United States.  Both agencies share a primary focus on internal security and counterintelligence within their respective countries. They also compare it to  the British MI5.  Shin Bet’s key missions are countering espionage, subversion, and sabotage; dealing with Jewish extremists, mainly on the West Bank; protecting individuals, such as the prime minister, and, in recent years, conducting cyber operations. Shin Bet’s director answers directly to the prime minister.

Before long, the organization started gathering intelligence, recruiting a network of collaborators – young and old, rich and poor – insinuating itself into all areas of Palestinian life, penetrating town and villages, exploiting religious rivalries, and also making extensive use of underworld figures. 

Then how did they miss the October 7th 2023 attack?  Israeli intelligence did detect some suspicious activity on Hamas militant networks before the attack, The New York Times reported on Oct. 10, 2023. But the warning wasn’t acted upon or fully understood in its entirety – similar to what happened in the United States shortly before the terrorist attacks on Sept. 11, 2001.

     The Great March of Return 2018 

Critically for his future success, Zamir was Netanyahu’s military secretary from 2012 to 2015, then leader of Israel’s southern command for the next three years until 2018.  In his final year in the southern command, Zamir’s troops “confronted” Palestinian protesters from Gaza taking part in the Great March of Return on March 30, 2018.  The 2018–2019 Gaza border protests, also known as the Great March of Return, were a series of demonstrations held each Friday in Gaza near the Gaza-Israel border from 30 March 2018 until 27 December 2019, in which Israel killed a total of 223 Palestinians. Wikipedia

Dates: Mar 30, 2018 – Dec 27, 2019

Location: Gaza Strip

Goals: Lifting of the Israeli blockade on Gaza; Achieving the Palestinian right of return;

“Intelligence analysis is like putting a thousand-piece jigsaw puzzle together from individual pieces of intelligence every day and trying to make judgments for policymakers to actually do something with those insights,” said Javed Ali, a counterterrorism and intelligence scholar who spent years working in U.S. intelligence.

All three men, Netanyahu, Zamir and Zini developed their skills by serving in the Sayeret Matkal Unit.  They speak and think the same language.  This should bring out the best in all of them.  

Resource:

https://theconversation.com/how-did-israeli-intelligence-miss-hamas-preparations-to-attack-a-us-counterterrorism-expert-explains-how-israeli-intelligence-works-215410#:~:text=2.,focused%20on%20different%20intelligence%20issues.

https://www.jpost.com/israel-news/article-855125

https://engelsbergideas.com/notebook/a-little-history-of-shin-bet/#:~:text=Often%20compared%20to%20the%20US,directly%20to%20the%20prime%20minister.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Zini#:~:text=David%20Zini%20(Hebrew:%20%D7%93%D7%95%D7%93%20%D7%96%D7%99%D7%A0%D7%99,commander%20of%20the%20Egoz%20Unit.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chief_of_the_General_Staff_(Israel)#:~:text=The%20Chief%20of%20the%20General,office%20on%205%20March%202025.

The Art Of Killing In A War, Elbit's Business

 Nadene Goldfoot                                                   

Our mission of Elbit is to empower our customers with the tools and technologies necessary to face the future with confidence. We build on our core competencies to tailor total solutions that meet our customers’ specific needs. Drawing on our multidisciplinary expertise, we anticipate our customers’ needs and help them realize their vision.

Weapons and military technology used by terrorist organizations such as Hamas and Hezbollah are primarily acquired through illicit networks, with Iran identified as the main state sponsor and supplier. 

These groups generally do not purchase weapons directly from legitimate, publicly-listed arms companies, which are subject to international sanctions and regulations. Instead, the weapons are often smuggled, domestically manufactured with foreign know-how, or acquired through black markets. Often they had even made their own lethal  brand. 

Iran primarily supplies its proxy groups with arms and ammunition acquired through domestic production, as well as through imports and technology transfers from countries like Russia, China, and North Korea.       All the terrorists from Hamas, Hezbollah, Iran, involving Syria andLebanon are involved against killing Israelis, whether they are IDFor civilians.  

I just read the most irrational article about Jews in a synagogue angry over companies that are supplying arms for Israel:

Elbit Systems is the Israeli defense firm whose technology is widely used by Israel’s military and, in some cases, by U.S. law enforcement and border security agencies. A protest outside Wilshire Boulevard Temple — one of Los Angeles’ oldest synagogues — ended with two arrests Wednesday after demonstrators confronted attendees at an event featuring a speaker from Elbit Systems.  

  The Wilshire Boulevard Temple, known from 1862 to 1933 as Congregation B'nai B'rith, is a Reform Jewish congregation and synagogue at 3663 Wilshire Boulevard, in the Wilshire Center neighborhood of Los Angeles, California, United States. Founded in 1862, it is the oldest Jewish congregation in Los Angeles.  I fear they've also lost their deep history of their people and how long Israelis have been fighting  to keep Israel.  We not only have this Reformed group losing their grip on being Jewish, but it has shown up in our own very orthodox in Israel !  

                            Yair Lapid, Netanyahu's  opposition 

                  Yeshiva students not in IDF

"Top rabbis order Yeshiva students to ignore IDF call-ups amid brewing coalition crisis.  Haredi parties escalate threats to bolt government if Netanyahu fails to pass ultra-Orthodox draft exemption law within weeks; Lapid demands PM condemn calls for refusal.  

I wasn't the only only shocked and disappointed at these demonstrators!  The reaction was swift. “This behavior is abhorrent and has no place in Los Angeles,” Mayor Karen Bass said. The Jewish Federation of Greater Los Angeles called the demonstration “antisemitism and hate disguised as dissent,” while ADL California said, “Blocking or invading a house of worship is not legitimate protest. It’s intimidation.”

So the very beginning and very end of the spectrum of Judaism are people unwilling to help their only Jewish country, Israel, who was able to rise out of the ashes after 2,000 years of waiting and prayers, like their past kings, Saul, David, and yes, even Solomon would have.  It's all the others, the citizens of Israel who really care about her, both there and in the diaspora. Well, there's no David amongst this group of Yeshiva students that I can see ! Have they touched upon our history going back to Moses?  

In facing these facts, I can only bring to mind the mothers I knew of IDF 18 years olds who had to face their sons finally being part of the IDF and facing the fighting.  They shuddered and never had another night's sleep after saying good-bye, waiting for them to return. By today, many of them had also done their 2 years of service when young, too.

People Chosen To Work With Netanyahu

 Nadene Goldfoot                                                      

Head of Mossad as of June 2026:  Roman Gofman is a Major General in the IDF.  Beyond Daniel Silva's fictional narratives, the Mossad (The Institute for Intelligence and Special Operations) is Israel's national intelligence agency responsible for a wide range of real-world foreign intelligence and covert operations. Its primary duties extend far beyond fictional heroism to encompass critical national security functions. Some real-life work as been such operations as:1. Rescue of Jewish Communities: A unique humanitarian role involves organizing and carrying out the secret emigration and rescue of Jewish people from hostile or dangerous countries where official emigration is not possible (e.g., the covert evacuation of thousands of Ethiopian Jews in the 1980s). 2. Capture of Adolf Eichmann: In one of its most famous missions, Mossad agents located and abducted the high-ranking Nazi war criminal Adolf Eichmann in Argentina in 1960 and brought him to Israel to stand trial for his crimes during the Holocaust.

A statement from the PMO said Gofman was “multi-talented” and “has demonstrated creativity, initiative, stratagem, a deep understanding of the enemy, profound discretion, and the capability to safeguard secrets.”“These qualities, as well as his leadership and courage, were evident at the outbreak of the [Israel-Hamas War], when he rushed from his home and fought in person against Hamas terrorists in the Western Negev, where he was severely wounded,” the statement said.

Prime Minister Netanyahu appointed Roman Gofman to replace David Barnea as head of the Mossad, starting in June of 2026. Born in Belarus in the former USSR, Gofman is a Major General in the IDF. He served as Netanyahu’s military secretary last year. The military secretary to the Prime Minister (Hebrew: המזכיר הצבאי של ראש הממשלה, HaMazkir HaTzva'i Shel Rosh HaMemshala), is the senior military adviser to the Prime Minister of Israel on military and national security issues. As a member of the Military Staff, the position is privy to most products of the Israeli Intelligence Community. The position's current incumbent is Aluf Roman Gofman.

David Barnea, Present head of Mossad: David "Dadi" Barnea (Hebrew: דוד (דדי) ברנע; born 29 March 1965) is an Israeli intelligence chief who serves as the current director of the Mossad, having taken over from Yossi Cohen in June 2021.  He will be 61 when he leaves this post in June 2026 having served 4 years. 

Palmach:  the striking arm of the Haganah in May 1941.  They worked underground till May 1948, and then became part of IDF.
  

Barnea was a special person who had a special father.    Barnea was born in Ashkelon and grew up in Rishon Lezion. His father, Joseph Brunner (Barnea), fled with his family from Nazi Germany and immigrated to Israel at the age of three. Joseph was a graduate of the Hapoel HaMizrachi Yeshiva in Bnei Brak and joined the Palmach at the age of 16. He fought with the Third Battalion of the organization in Nabi Yusha and Safed and then served as an officer with the rank of Lieutenant Colonel in the Israeli Air Force. He was also a manager at Tadiran.                               

Patria disaster. When the Zionists killed 267 Jews who were fleeing the Nazis

His mother was special, too.   His mother, Naomi, was born on board the SS Patria and worked as a teacher and school principal.

Our David Barnea studied at the Military Boarding School for Command in Tel Aviv,⁣ and enlisted in the IDF in 1983.

Bibi Netanyahu also served in the same unit of Sayeret Mastkal.  Young Benjamin Netanyahu during his time as a soldier in Israel’s elite Sayeret Matkal. Before rising to the highest levels of Israeli politics, he served with distinction, repeatedly returning from studies abroad to answer the call of duty. A legacy of service that runs deep in the Netanyahu family.  

 He did his military service with the General Staff Reconnaissance Unit (Sayeret Matkal). Benjamin Netanyahu was also in that unit. 

David in the Center.  Egypt, Israel, Palestinian, September 10, 2023 in Herzlia meeting

 David also later studied in the United States, obtaining a bachelor's degree from the New York Institute of Technology and an MBA from Pace University. He then worked as a business manager at an investment bank in Israel.

According to commentator Amit Segal, "In the past 13 months, the prime minister has replaced the heads of the IDF and Shin Bet, as well as his defense minister. And now, with the appointment of Roman Gofman to lead the Mossad, Netanyahu has finally finished remaking the top brass of Israel’s security establishment in his image." Meanwhile, the IDF struck Hezbollah targets in southern Lebanon today.

Resource: 

https://www.jpost.com/israel-news/article-879162

https://www.timesofisrael.com/netanyahu-taps-his-military-secretary-roman-gofman-as-next-mossad-director/

Of Two Bodies Of Hostages Left, One Returned , Identified

 :Nadene Goldfoot                                                   

The body of Thai hostage Sudthisak Rinthalak was returned to Israel overnight, leaving the body of just one Israeli hostage, Ran Gvili, still in Gaza.  He was 43 when he died.  Rinthalak was a hard working agricultural employee who came to Israel after his divorce "to find" himself.  His family has been informed and plans are underway to repatriate his body.  His body was returned after forensic experts completed identification efforts overnight.

Rinthalak, an agricultural worker from Thailand, was murdered by Hamas-led terrorists near Kibbutz Be’eri on October 7, 2023, and his body was taken captive to Gaza by the Palestinian Islamic Jihad.

Rinthalak’s family and Thai Ambassador to Israel Boonyarit Vichienpuntu conveyed “their thanks and deep recognition to Israel for the efforts to return Sudthisak and the constant support for the family since the war broke out,” said the Prime Minister’s Office. 

Rinthalak is survived by his parents, Thong Ma and Orn, and his older brother, Thepporn. He was previously divorced and had no children and Thai Ambassador to Israel Boonyarit Vichienpuntu conveyed “their thanks and deep recognition to Israel for the efforts to return Sudthislak and the constant support for the family since the war broke out,” said the Prime Minister’s Office.              

Sudthisak returned  from Be'eri            Ran Gvili Last Hostage awaiting

 With his return, the body of just one slain hostage remains in Gaza: police officer Master Sgt. Ran Gvili, who was killed and abducted while battling terrorists in the border community of Alumim on the morning of October 7.

Resource:

https://www.timesofisrael.com/body-of-sudthisak-rinthalak-thai-farmer-and-family-breadwinner-returned-to-israel/  By Emanuel Fabian, 

ToI Staff and Agencies

Lebanon Has Trump Under Their Spell

 Nadene Goldfoot                               Lebanon

According to a post from Israel on X from the Prime Minister's Office: "Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has instructed the Acting Director of the National Security Council to send a representative on his behalf to a meeting with government-economic elements in Lebanon. 

This is an initial attempt to establish a basis for a relationship and economic cooperation between Israel and Lebanon." I feel this is in response to a new directive from Trump who thinks the terrorist sitting in Lebanon's President seat is  just the cat's pajamas;  he's so cool. 

                               President Joseph Aoun

Lebanon's present president is Joseph Aoun, who was elected by the Lebanese parliament on January 9, 2025, after more than two years of a presidential vacuum. Challenges: His presidency faces significant challenges, including a severe economic crisis and the task of asserting the state's monopoly on arms, which brings him into confrontation with the powerful armed group Hezbollah. 

                                    Nawaf Salam

The prime minister of Lebanon, officially the president of the Council of Ministers, is the head of government and the head of the Council of Ministers of Lebanon. The prime minister is appointed by the president of Lebanon, with the consent of the plurality of the members of the Parliament of Lebanon (after the Taif Agreement, 1990). By convention, the office holder is always a Sunni Muslim.

The current prime minister is Nawaf Salam. He was tasked by President Joseph Aoun to form the new government after mandatory parliamentary consultations on 13 January 2025, having received 84 out of 128 votes.

Lebanon's attitude towards Israel  is primarily shaped by the internal power dynamics involving the state government and the Iran-backed militant group Hezbollah, which wields significant influence and remains vehemently anti-Israel. Hezbollah, however, continues to view Israel as an enemy and maintains an armed militia, which the Lebanese army has struggled to disarm fully. Hezbollah's leaders and supporters frequently express hostility toward Israel, viewing continued resistance as essential.  The border remains a major flashpoint. Israel conducts daily strikes in Lebanon, targeting Hezbollah operatives and infrastructure, while warning that a failure to disarm the group could lead to a full-scale war. 

                                         Syria

Syria to join US-led coalition to defeat IS group after Trump meeting on               November 10, 2025.                                   

Jolani above:  'If you didn't have a rough past, you wouldn't have a chance', says Trump on al-Sharaa (al-Jolani).  Trump has expressed his support for al-Sharaa/Jolani, who until recently was designated a terrorist by the US government.                                   

  Abu Mohammad al-Jolani/Sharaa, born October 29, 1982, is only 43.  

Abu Mohammad al-Jolani (also known as Ahmad al-Sharaa) was a former terrorist, and still is a jihadist who was the leader of the al-Qaeda-affiliated group Jabhat al-Nusra in Syria. He later severed ties with al-Qaeda and rebranded his group to Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), which has been designated as a terrorist organization by the U.S.. Following the toppling of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad in December 2024, al-Jolani became Syria's interim president and used his birth name, Ahmad al-Sharaa, prompting the U.S. to drop the bounty on him. 

Ahmad al-Sharaa, widely known by his former nom de guerre Abu Mohammad al-Jolani, has a complex and evolving relationship with Israel, rooted in his history as a former al-Qaeda commander but shifting dramatically since his group, Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), took control of Syria in late 2024. 

The United States and the United Nations previously designated al-Jolani as a global terrorist with a $10 million bounty on his head due to his leadership of Jabhat al-Nusra, the official al-Qaeda affiliate in Syria. During this period, his nom de guerre "al-Jolani" (meaning "of the Golan") was a reference to his family's origin in the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights, a potent anti-Israel symbol. 

Syria and Lebanon have a long and complex connection defined by shared history, direct political and military intervention by Syria, and strong sectarian and political ties. Syria's influence was evident during its nearly three-decade military occupation of Lebanon and continues to affect its politics today, particularly through its alliance with Hezbollah. More recently, the Syrian civil war has led to hundreds of thousands of Syrian refugees entering Lebanon, and has further complicated their relationship by dividing Lebanese opinion and increasing security tensions on the border. 

Syria will join the international coalition to combat the Islamic State group, marking a shift in US foreign policy in the Middle East, a senior Trump administration official has confirmed.  But this groups is to work on economic issues.  

Syria and Lebanon officially remain in a state of war with Israel, with no formal diplomatic relations. However, recent political changes, particularly in late 2024 and 2025, indicate a complex and potentially shifting dynamic, with some government factions signaling a readiness for de-escalation, while hostilities persist due to non-state actors and border disputes. 

The recent fall of the Assad regime in December 2024 has significantly altered the landscape. While Syria does not formally recognize Israel, and the two countries fought several wars, the new government, led by Ahmed al-Sharaa, appears more pragmatic and open to dialogue. (Is he just trying to soften up Netanyahu and then make hismove?).  Since becoming the de facto leader of Syria, al-Sharaa has rebranded himself as a statesman, using his birth name and actively working to distance himself and his government from his jihadist past. His current approach to Israel is characterized by caution and a focus on Syrian sovereignty rather than explicit aggression: 

The U.S. is mediating direct negotiations between Israel and Syria to de-escalate tensions and restore the 1974 ceasefire agreement.  Despite potential diplomatic shifts, the situation remains volatile. Israel has conducted frequent airstrikes in Syria to prevent Iran from establishing a military presence and to counter groups like Hezbollah. Both sides are currently engaged in military operations and skirmishes. 

Resource:

israelAM

https://jewishbubba.blogspot.com/2024/11/why-lebanon-fell-for-hezbollah.html

https://jewishbubba.blogspot.com/2025/07/al-qaeda-terrorist-back-in-saddle-in.html

https://jewishbubba.blogspot.com/2025/07/goldfoot-benjamin-gantz-hebrew-9-june.html

https://jewishbubba.blogspot.com/2025/08/turkey-former-ottoman-empires-hatred.html

https://jewishbubba.blogspot.com/2025/08/juggling-iranian-hezbollah-units-near.html

 https://jewishfactsfromportland.blogspot.com/2014/06/past-action-of-hezbollah-towards-jews.html

https://jewishfactsfromportland.blogspot.com/2014/06/palestine-copying-hezbollah-run-lebanon.html

https://jewishbubba.blogspot.com/2021/12/israels-success-amid-former-ottoman.html

https://israel-nadene.blogspot.com/2010/10/israels-northern-border-neighbor-new.html