Outgoing Israeli Air Force chief Maj. Gen. Tomer Bar on Tuesday called for an independent inquiry into the October 7 disaster at the ceremony in which his top deputy, Omer Tishler, was appointed to replace him.
Bar said he would never forget the IDF’s and the IAF’s failure that day, allowing Hamas to invade southern Israel and kill 1,200 Israelis.
The outgoing air force chief also said he was proud that his branch of the military had dispassionately and aggressively probed its own errors on that day.
However, he said that for all of Israel’s citizens and the defense establishment to truly move on from that day, an independent inquiry must probe it.
Unlike a number of top IDF officials who have resigned or retired since October 7, notably former IDF chief Herzi Halevi and former IDF intelligence chief Aharon Haliva, Bar did not use the specific formula of a “state inquiry.” Rather, he left the make-up of his suggested inquiry vague for the political class to work out, insisting, however, that the current state of affairs, in which the political class had not been probed at all for two-and-a-half years, was unacceptable.
Bar said he would never forget the IDF’s and the air force’s failure that day
Further, Bar said he stood by the middle ground that he had taken during the protests against the 2023 judicial overhaul.
During that time, Bar allowed air force officials to oppose the judicial overhaul, which the vast majority did. He also allowed some reservist-pilots to delay showing up for their call-ups to have a dialogue with them regarding their concerns.
On the other hand, at one point, he said that pilots who missed their call-ups for more than a certain period would be removed from active duty until they restored their active status.
Moreover, some top officers who publicly urged other pilots not to respond to their call-ups faced sanctions, including the possibility of being forced out of the IDF.
Bar led the air force’s assassinations of Hamas military chief Mohammed Deif, Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah, and Iran’s supreme leader Ali Khamenei, as well as many other major attacks.
He also led the air force’s decisive interventions in Gaza, Lebanon, Iran, Syria, Yemen, and, on occasion, in Iraq and the West Bank.
Most crucially, Bar led the AIF’s historic bombing of Iran’s nuclear program in June 2025, which set back the threat by one to two years.
Taking office, Tishler said, “We are closely following what is happening in Iran and we are ready to bring the air force back eastward, if needed.”
Further, he stated, “We will not let our enemies build up their power on our borders – the air force is acting and will continue to act, with determination, power, and responsibility to remove threats from all fronts, at any range, and confronting any enemy.”
Addressing CENTCOM’s Air Force chief Gen. Derek France, Bar said, “Your presence here is very meaningful for us and for me personally. In the most complicated and sensitive situations, you and your forces have always stood with us. We won together, and we don’t take it for granted.”
A number of other foreign air force chiefs also attended the ceremony, and Bar thanked them, though not by name, partially due to diplomatic sensitivities.
Tishler addressed Israel’s “international partners” in attendance, saying, “Your presence here today reflects the trust and the deep personal, professional, operational, and historical bonds we have forged.
“During many months, we have been fighting together side by side, based on our shared values. I want to express my deep appreciation for your bold leadership,” he said.
Continuing, Tishler noted, “Your decisions and combat actions saved countless lives. This will be remembered by history and by the people of Israel. I am committed to our partnership, to taking the aerial domain to new heights, and to expanding our common efforts to new areas with new partners – together.
Tishler was appointed by IDF Chief of Staff Lt.-Gen. Eyal Zamir as the key military liaison with the US in preparation for the operations Roaring Lion and Epic Fury.
The incoming air force chief was born in Karmiel in 1975. He flew as a fighter pilot in both the F-15 and F-16 fighter jets and eventually commanded Nevatim Air Force Base, which hosts the F-35 aircraft.
In 2007, Tishler led an eight-aircraft combat mission to destroy Syria’s secret nuclear program.
Tischler played a pivotal role as the head of IAF Air Operations from 2021 to 2023, before becoming IAF Chief of Staff on September 26, 2023, just before Hamas’s invasion.
Because he was new to the role and he was not called in for any of the middle-of-the-night consultations in the hours before the offensive, Tischler was not apportioned any specific blame for the IDF’s failures in the air force probe or the later probe commissioned by Zamir.
