Scots-born soldier heading up Israeli military’s Gaza comms steps down

Scotland-born soldier who has been the international spokesman for Israel’s military since the beginning of the war has stepped down from his post.

Lieutenant-colonel Richard Hecht, inset, who left the Glasgow suburb of Newton Mearns for Israel as a child in the 1980s, has been the main face of the Israeli Defence Force (IDF) since the October 7 attacks – but on Monday he said that he had “passed the baton” to colleague Nadav Shoshani.

“Won some lost some – but did my best,” he wrote on X. “Was an honour serving my country. Tnx for listening!!!”

He is understood to have been in the role since August 2022, having taken up the position a day before Operation Breaking Dawn, a three-day Israeli military offensive targeting militants in Gaza.

He has earned a reputation for outspoken statements which have sometimes verged on the controversial and irreverent social media posts. He was also behind the press briefing in which foreign journalists were shown graphic footage of Hamas’s attack – and the subsequent media visit to a kibbutz targeted by Hamas. In an interview with UK media shortly after the October 7 Hamas attacks, Mr Hecht said of the terrorists that the

IDF wanted “all people that came into Israel to be dead”.

Israelis paid tribute to his work on social media.

Yaakov Katz, former editor of the Jerusalem Post, wrote: “Good luck Richard. You are a mensch and professional who faced the greatest media challenge this country has ever known with professionalism and a constant pursuit of excellence, truth and the desire to learn. Best of luck in all your future endeavours.”

“Miss the NM accent,” added one man, Clifford Sim, in referthe ence to Lt-col Hecht’s Newton Mearns roots.

Lt-col Hecht, who joined the IDF at 18, has had a long career in the military.

Speaking to Jewish News in 2022, Lt-col Hecht explained why his family left Scotland for a traditional kibbutz, where children slept apart from their parents.

“Our parents wanted to make a new start, I think they were tired of the diaspora,” he said. “But it was traumatic: we left a very comfortable lifestyle to live in spartan Israel in the 80s.”