Eshel will take the stage at The Jerusalem Post Annual Conference on June 1, joining other distinguished members of the Israeli and American defense community.
Who was the first Israeli Air Force commander to commission and fly the F-35 Adir for the IAF?
The answer: Major General (Ret.) Amir Eshel.
Eshel will take the stage at The Jerusalem Post Annual Conference on June 1, joining other distinguished members of the Israeli and American defense community.
Eshel is also a former director-general of the Ministry of Defense (2020–2023). As the son of Holocaust survivors, he led the historic flyover of the Auschwitz concentration camp in 2003 while serving as commander of Tel Nof Airbase. That moment, widely seen as both symbolic and deeply personal, reflected a full-circle story of Jewish sovereignty and strength in the modern era.
Who are some of the other defense leaders set to join the event?
Major General Amikam Norkin, former commander of the Israeli Air Force; Lt. Gen. (Ret.) Richard Y. Newton III of the U.S. Air Force; and Tzachi Hanegbi, former minister of justice, minister of national security, and head of the National Security Council. Together, they bring decades of operational experience and strategic insight at a time when regional tensions and global alliances are rapidly evolving.
This year, the conference centers on the idea of a “new Middle East,” not just from a political lens, but through the people, ideas, and partnerships shaping the region right now. And security, as any American Jew or Israeli knows, is key. From cutting-edge defense technology to shifting geopolitical realities, the conversations on stage will reflect the urgency and complexity of this moment. For more information or to purchase tickets: https://conferences.jpost.com/new-york-2026