IDF Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir spoke at the President's Outstanding Soldiers Award ceremony, stating: "Throughout all the years of the state, the IDF has been an anchor of stability and cohesion, unifying and connecting all parts of Israeli society, standing above and beyond any dispute." He added, "The IDF is a living reminder that we have much more that unites us than divides us. Within these uniforms, there is no left or right, no center or periphery, there is one people, with one goal, with a shared hope for security, mutual responsibility and peace."

