Aviv Kochavi
Aviv KochaviIDF Spokesperson

IDF Chief of Staff Aviv Kochavi sent a threatening message to Iran in a speech he gave at an awards ceremony Monday,

"Recently we have been hearing about the increase in Iran's threats against the State of Israel. If Iran and its partners, members of the radical axis, in the first or second circle of states, take action against the State of Israel - they will find themselves members of a very expensive partnership."

"The IDF will forcefully strike anyone who takes part, near or far, in action against the State of Israel or against targets within the State of Israel. I say these things simply and describe to our enemy the situation exactly - the response stages and all the plans have been prepared and practiced," he said.

Kochavi also addressed the serious incident in the Golani Brigade during which a soldier dd not act in response to a terrorist who threw a Molotov Cocktail at him. "Every soldier facing an enemy, whether in the course of duty or in war, must act quickly and decisively, strive for contact, and thwart any threat. The guidelines and instructions for opening fire are simple and clear: This is how IDF soldiers and their commanders behaved throughout the year in many incidents in which they thwarted terrorism and the enemy, and this is what we demand in all incidents."