Former head of the IDF Spokesperson’s Unit Hidai Zilberman stepped into his new role Wednesday as Israel’s next defense attaché to the United States.

Zilberman officially replaced Maj. Gen. Yehuda Fuchs in a ceremony held with family members and other invitees.

Fuchs will become the next head of the IDF Central Command, after spending two years in Washington in his former position.

“The collaboration and tight coordination between the U.S. and Israel constitutes a critical component in dealing with our shared challenges, especially in a complex region such as the Middle East,” Fuchs stipulated in the ceremony.

The general slated to travel to Washington said: “The United States is the most important and significant of all our allies and a real partner in dealing with challenges.”