Monday, 16 January 2023 / 23 Tevet 5783 - President Isaac Herzog welcomed outgoing IDF Chief-of-Staff Lt.-Gen. Aviv Kochavi and incoming Chief-of-Staff Lt.-Gen. Hertzi Halevi to the President's Residence today following their handover.

 The President received the chiefs of staff, after which they continued to a meeting and a toast in honor of their handover.

 Later, the President and the First Lady hosted the chiefs of staff and their spouses for a celebratory lunch, where the President gave the outgoing chief of staff a special farewell gift: a scan of the original the Prayer for the State of Israel, composed by the President's grandfather, Chief Rabbi Yitzhak Isaac Halevi Herzog, as stored in the State Archives, designed and printed by an Israeli studio.

 President Isaac Herzog’s remarks:

 "This is a very moving and joyous moment, as two of the State of Israel's finest sons hand over command of the Israel Defense Forces.

 Without the IDF, there is no State of Israel, no life in the State of Israel, and no ability to develop as a people and as a state. This is therefore an opportunity to thank you and wish you success.

 First of all, thank you to you, Lt.-Gen. Aviv Kochavi for your decades-long service to our people and state and for safeguarding our security in so many operational cycles and your immense contributions to the IDF.

 This is an opportunity to wish you success from the bottom of my heart, Lt.-Gen. Herzi Halevi. You have come to your role with immense experience and many skills. I wish you success with all my heart. Your success and the IDF's success are the State of Israel's success.

 I thank you, dear Lt.-Gen. Aviv Kochavi, for having made the value of mamlakhtiyut one of the IDF's core values. And I am pleased to thank you, Lt.-Gen. Herzi Halevi, for saying and underscoring that the IDF must be beyond all politics.

 The IDF is beyond any political arguments! The IDF is essential to the State of Israel. The IDF is the basis of Israel's security.

 This is an opportunity to say something about the families of those serving in the professional army, and this is also an opportunity to say something to the credit of those in the professional army, and of course also soldiers in mandatory service and reserves—they are the ones who bear the burden, day by day, hour by hour, and someone has to come and say thank you and give them backup in their day to day lives. Competition in the market and beyond is intense and we want the best of the best in the IDF to continue bearing the burden. The huge challenges facing us as a nation in terms of security are truly immense, from near and far.

 This is an opportunity to remind the general public that beyond every argument between us, in the end, we have enemies who wish us harm and we must be ready for any confrontation and any challenge, anytime and anywhere. Thank you all and good luck!"