Yesterday (Thursday), June 25th 2020, a ceremony was held marking the end of the IAF flight course at “Hatzerim” AFB, where 40 graduates of the 180th flight course received their wings and were certified as air crew fighters. These fighters will become part of the tip of the operative and strategic spear of the IDF, and they will lead the operational activity of the Air Force in years to come.
The ceremony was confined due to Corona virus restrictions and in order to keep both the graduates and their families as safe as possible. The ceremony was held commemorating the centenary of the foundation of the Jewish paramilitary organizations. Among the participants were the President of the State of Israel, Mr. Reuven "Ruvi" Rivlin, the Prime Minister, Mr. Benjamin Netanyahu, the Minister of Defense and Alternate Prime Minister, Mr. Benny Gantz, the Chief of the General Staff, Lt. Gen. Aviv Kohavi, the Commanding Officer of the Israeli Air Force, Maj. Gen. Amikam Norkin and the graduates' families and friends.
The graduation ceremony took place after three years of training to become a combat officer and flight crew and after receiving an academic degree from the Ben-Gurion University of the Negev in Be'er-Sheva. From next week, the graduates will be stationed in different squadrons of the Air Force where they will start their operational training.
The President of the State of Israel, Mr. Reuven "Ruvi" Rivlin: "These are unusual days. You would have imagined more vocal applause from the crowd. You definitely deserve it. But our fight against the Corona virus requires us to do everything we can in order to avoid and fight the spread of the virus. This is the place to say - we are stronger together! The State of Israel should bring together under one roof all those who are participating in the fight against the virus, to improve data sharing and to strive for synchronization. Together we will create an iron fist against the pandemic and we will defeat it... And we also have female cadets! My dear female cadets: today you join a long and growing line of insightful, powerful and talented women who have spread their wings. While women still struggle to serve in any unit they wish to in the IDF, your achievement makes me very happy. You have worked very hard, overcome every obstacle and you have made it to the finishing line. You are the best of the lot. I know that either here in the crowd or in homes all over the country, there are young girls who are watching you and will dare to dream of unlimited possibilities because of you. Thanks to dreams like these, and thanks to your abilities, we will have a stronger, smarter and more diverse military".
The Prime Minister, Mr. Benjamin Netanyahu: "We take every threat against Israel by Iran and Pro-Iranian proxies gravely. And in this place - the IAF's Flight graduation ceremony - I say again: whoever will try to attack us does so at his own peril. Our reaction to the Iranian aggression in our area is meant to protect us, first and foremost. But this struggle, this effort, is in the interest of regional stability. In a similar way, our ability to fight the Corona virus is in the interest of the entire area, and creates opportunities for public cooperation with different countries in the region. Soon, the UAE and Israel's Ministers of Health will announce a joint initiative in the fight against Corona virus. This cooperation will be in research and development, technology, and in many other fields that will improve the health security in the entire area. This is an outcome of long and focused negotiations over the past few months. This will be good for many in our region. The stronger and more powerful we are, we deter our enemies and bring our friends closer. This mission, to translate Israeli might into deterrence of our enemies and to strike against them if needed, now lies on your shoulders as well".
The Minister of Defense and Alternate Prime Minister, Mr. Benny Gantz: "for three years you endured rigorous training, and from now on you are the envoys of an entire country, carrying within your wings its might. We wish you to fly the sky in peace and return to land in peace. To the heads of the Hamas, I remind them that they will be the first to pay for any aggression. The IDF is the strongest military in the region, and any harm that will affect the Israeli civilians will claim a powerful and painful price. We will not tolerate any threat on Israel's borders, and we will make sure that Iran will never obtain nuclear weapons which will affect the stability of the Middle East and the entire world".
The Chief of the General Staff, Lt. Gen. Aviv Kohavi: "There are special moments in life, this is one of them, especially for you, the families. The pilots who stand here are mainly an outcome of your education and values and you deserve to feel satisfaction and pride. Dear graduates, I talk about satisfaction. This morning, I spoke with a group of pilots who executed a mission elsewhere and came back safe and sound. You want to feel what they felt while talking to me. The feeling of meaning, the feeling of fulfillment, and you are going to feel it. But the satisfaction will not only come from the important mission you have, but from the privilege of being officers in the IDF. Israel has the most moral and professional military".
The Commanding Officer of the Israeli Air Force, Maj. Gen. Amikam Norkin: “We stand here on the IAF Flight graduation ceremony on the 72nd IAF day, and the world around us isn't the same as it used to be. The world today deals with a worldwide pandemic that is going to stay with us for some time, all countries are dealing with financial challenges and the Middle East continues to change quickly. Through all these the IAF has adjusted itself to a reality of operational activity alongside the Corona virus, and even increased its activities in different arenas. Thanks to our cooperation with the Intelligence Directorate, we can prevent Iranian abilities from being a threat on Israel's borders, and alongside the Northern and Southern Commands, we protect our civilians and prepare for every scenario. Today as well, we have a very simple principle- we have to protect ourselves by ourselves; this has been the main tenet of the IAF for the past seven decades. Dear graduates, in a minute you will become fighters and will join a very special team. A group of people who are guided by their sense of justness and driven to excellence by virtue of their mission. The eyes of the entire IAF look up to you. You are a very small yet influential team. In a short time, you will also be there, beyond enemy lines, you too will make an impact. The challenges you will face- will be more complex. I know we can face them".
