Dozens of Israeli Air Force reservists announced on Sunday their refusal to participate in a one-day training as a protest against the judicial reforms proposed by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, which represents a shock for a country whose military is supposed to be apolitical. In a letter circulated by local media, 37 pilots and navigators from the F-15 squadron stated that they would not attend the scheduled training on Wednesday and would instead dedicate their time to "dialogue and reflection for democracy and national unity."
The religious-nationalist government seeks to implement judicial changes that include imposing restrictions on the Supreme Court, which Netanyahu’s government accuses of overstepping its authority. Critics are concerned that Netanyahu, who is being tried on corruption charges he denies, aims to undermine the judiciary's power. Israel is experiencing increasingly intense weekly protests, with some leaders, including former military leaders, asserting that the undemocratic shift in the government could justify collective dissent among the forces.
In their letter, the reservists stated that they would suspend their one-day protest if asked to carry out actual operations. A military spokesperson declined to comment on the letter but stated in a statement that the Chief of Staff, Lieutenant General Herzi Halevi, "is aware of the general climate and division, but he will not allow any harm to the Israeli military's ability to carry out its most important mission, which is to defend the security of Israel." The statement stressed "the importance of maintaining the neutrality of the Israeli military," but indicated that officers were instructed to discuss the issue with their subordinates.
Israel does not publish numbers of its military forces, making it difficult to assess the impact of the Air Force reservists' protest or similar threats made by reservists from other branches. Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich told Channel 12 television, "Israeli media is irresponsible and gives any reservist the opportunity to make statements." He added, "There are tens and hundreds of thousands of individuals who will continue to enlist in the army and serve in the reserves and who recognize that we are brothers and bear the responsibility for the great miracle of the Zionist project." Netanyahu, a former unit commander in Israel’s commando force, posted a picture of himself on Twitter from his conscription age with the comment, "When we receive a summons for reserve duty, we always answer the call. We are one nation."
