Nearly 4,000 reserve soldiers in key positions have signed letters saying they will refuse to appear for volunteer reserve duty in protest against the government’s plans to introduce far-reaching changes to the judiciary.
In recent weeks, protests against the judicial overhaul have spread throughout the Israel Defense Forces, with reservists from dozens of units joining in with threats to end their voluntary service, according to a list compiled by Channel 12 News on Sunday.
At least 200 aircraft pilots and navigators, 90 headquarters employees, 50 air traffic control operators and 40 drone operators have signed such letters, according to the report. The overhaul was expected to further increase the number of pilots and other Israeli Air Force (IAF) personnel who refused to serve.
About 400 reservists from the elite Sayret Matkal commando unit submitted a letter to their commander on Sunday, saying they would not appear for voluntary reserve duty if the government went ahead with the judicial overhaul.
“We all hope that the disastrous legislation, as it is today, will stop. Hoping to see you at the next reserve [duty]After the sword was removed from the neck of democracy, the reserve commandos wrote in a letter published by the Ynet news site.
on Friday, many reserve pilots Reportedly told IAF chief Major General Tomar Bar that they would stop reporting for training this week. According to the Caen public broadcaster, at this stage, the denial was not affecting the preparedness of the force.
Reservist pilots had met Bar last week and warned him that there could be mass refusal to volunteer for service if the government goes ahead with its controversial move to change the judiciary. The group of pilots, who represented hundreds of others, told the bar that “we have sworn to serve the state, not the king.”
Example: IDF soldiers from Pulsar 401, a reconnaissance company of the Armored Corps, during training in the Golan Heights on April 11, 2021. (Israel Defense Forces)
Last week, some 420 members of the elite Shayet 13 naval commando unit wrote a similar letter to Defense Minister Yoav Galant, who previously commanded the unit.
According to Channel 12, at least 350 military doctors in the reserves have so far issued letters saying they are stopping or threatening to stop their voluntary service because of the judicial change.
On Sunday, Captain Nevo Erez, 57, another former Shayet 13 commander, informed the military that he was suspending his volunteer reserve duty, Haaretz daily reported. Captain Erez also worked for the Mossad spy agency until last year.
In recent weeks, at least 950 members of the Military Intelligence Special Operations Division and various cyberwarfare units announced their intention to end their volunteer reserve duty over the judicial overhaul.
For example: A soldier in the Military Intelligence Directorate of the IDF works on a computer. (Israel Defense Forces)
More than 350 other military intelligence reservists, according to a Channel 12 list; about 600 reservists from the Reconnaissance Unit of the Paratroopers Brigade; 120 reservists from a typical Artillery Corps unit; over 110 reservists from the Samson and Duvdevan infantry battalions; And 80 reserve members of the elite Egos unit, the reconnaissance unit of the Golani Brigade, and the Alpine reserve unit signed similar letters threatening to refuse to appear for volunteer reserve duty.
Unlike most reservists who are called to duty with a formal order from the IDF, pilots and other special forces are expected to train and complete missions more frequently and in a voluntary manner due to the nature of their positions.
The military has said it will discipline or potentially fire active-duty soldiers who refuse to report for duty when ordered to, but stressed that no action will be taken against those in reserve. Those who only threaten not to come on duty.
It is not clear what action will be taken against constables who do not report for voluntary duty.
Reservists – who make up a significant part of the army’s regular activities, including top units – have been warning in recent months that they will not be able to serve in an undemocratic Israel, which some allege will happen if the government’s overhaul plans are realised. If she goes, the country will become like this. ,
Example: A graduation ceremony for soldiers completing the IAF flight course at Hatzerim Air Base in southern Israel on June 29, 2023. (Oren Ben Hakoon/Flash90)
Calls refusing to appear for reserve duty began plaguing the military earlier this year after the judicial overhaul was first announced and have increased in number as it progressed, even That he was condemned by senior politicians from both the opposition and the coalition. After largely stalling the legislation in March following pressure from defense ministers on Defense Minister Galant, the threats resurfaced in recent weeks as the government began moving forward with some elements of the plan in the Knesset.
gallant in public at the end of March warning that the rift over the overhaul was creating divisions in the military that posed a real threat to Israeli security. In response to that warning, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ordered Galant’s dismissal, a move that sparked intense national protests, resulting in Netanyahu temporarily suspending the law for three months and Galant’s resignation. The dismissal had to be withdrawn.
The coalition is currently pushing a key bill from the package – legislation aimed at preventing courts from invalidating or even discussing decisions of the government and ministers on the basis of their “reasonableness”. It aims to pass the bill into law by the end of the month.
