Published: 7 March 2023
Last updated: 5 March 2024
Army reserve medics and cyber specialists will stop reporting for duty; Entebbe veterans invoke PM’s dead brother in protest.
Nearly all reserve members of an Israeli Air Force fighter jet squadron on Sunday said they would not show up to one of their planned training sessions later this week, in protest of the government’s plan to radically restrict the power of the country’s judiciary.
The pilots are the most-high profile of a growing list of IDF personnel protesting the overhaul.
More than 200 reserve doctors and 150 cybers-pecialists say they won’t show up for duty if the government does not halt the legislative process related to the judicial coup
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu described the reservists ’threat not to report for duty as an “existential” threat to Israel.
“Israeli society has always rejected conscientious objectors and “sanctified the joint service… We never gave these objectors a foothold anywhere, neither in the regular army nor in the reserves,” he said.
Out of the 40 reservists in the IAF’s 69th Squadron, 37 said they were boycotting the Wednesday exercises.
The squadron — known as the Hammers — operates the F-15I fighter jets out of the Hatzerim Airbase in southern Israel.
In 2007, the squadron carried out a strike on Syria’s nuclear reactor, in a mission known to much of the world as Operation Orchard and in the IDF as Outside the Box. It has also been involved in carrying out hundreds of strikes against Iranian entrenchment in Syria over the past decade, receiving a citation from the military chief in 2018 over the operations.
The reservists notified IAF chief Tomer Bar and the commander of the squadron of their intention to not show up for training this week but said they would report for duty if required for operational missions.
“On Wednesday, March 8, we will devote our time to discourse and thinking for the sake of democracy and the unity of the people, and therefore we will not report to reserve duty on this day, with the exception of operational activity. During the rest of the week, we will report [for duty] as planned,” the reservists said in the letter.
In 2007, the squadron carried out a strike on Syria’s nuclear reactor, in a mission known to much of the world as Operation Orchard, and in the IDF as Outside the Box. It has also been involved in carrying out hundreds of strikes against Iranian entrenchment in Syria over the past decade, receiving a citation from the military chief in 2018 over the operations.
The reservists notified IAF chief Tomer Bar and the commander of the squadron of their intention to not show up for training this week, but said they would report for duty if required for operational missions.
“On Wednesday, March 8, we will devote our time to discourse and thinking for the sake of democracy and the unity of the people, and therefore we will not report to reserve duty on this day, with the exception of operational activity. During the rest of the week, we will report [for duty] as planned,” the reservists said in the letter, quoted by Channel 12 news.
Reserve soldiers, and former members of the security establishment in particular, continue to take an active part in leading the protests.
Among those opposing the legislation are veterans of the Entebbe raid, who served under Yoni Netanyahu, the PM’s brother who was killed during the raid.
The elite commando squad that rescued hostages in Entebbe in 1976 published a letter on Saturday slamming Netanyahu for sacrificing the State to protect his own interests. Netanyahu is on trial for corruption and the judicial override legislation could keep him out of jail.
“We were privileged to be among the handful of fighters to break into Entebbe, under our cool-headed and brave commander Yoni Netanyahu, who consciously and with open eyes sacrificed himself for the State of Israel and the people of Israel.
“It’s sad, but you, Bibi, are consciously and with open eyes sacrificing the State of Israel and the people of Israel for your own interests,” they wrote.
READ MORE
Elite Israeli Reserve Air Force Pilots: We Won't Train Next Week Due Constitutional Coup (Haaretz)
37 of 40 reserve pilots in key fighter squadron refuse to train over judicial shakeup (Times of Israel)
Entebbe rescue squad blasts Netanyahu for 'sacrificing country for own interests' (Times of Israel)
Over 200 Israeli Reservist Military Doctors Say Won't Show Up to Duty Over Judicial Coup (Haaretz)
ANALYSIS
Pilots’ alarm shows Israel now in danger of entering a death spiral (David Horovitz, Times of Israel)
Only Netanyahu can avert catastrophe – by halting his bid to neuter the courts and instead negotiating genuine reform. It might cost him his coalition, but it would save the state
Netanyahu's trial produced a coup. Now the trial is crawling and the coup is galloping. Just as planned (Gidi Weitz, Haaretz)
Although the prime minister claims he isn't afraid of prison, he understands how damaging a prolonged trial can be to him. Even Hollywood mogul Milchan's message is not encouraging
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Some Likud ministers said to tell Netanyahu, Levin legislative blitz must stop (Times of Israel)
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The billionaire media mogul, philanthropist and former New York mayor, is the latest pro-Israel stalwart to warn that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s proposed judicial reforms could be catastrophic.
US lawmakers demand action from Biden on Israel's judicial overhaul, annexation threat (Haaretz)
They're coming out with separate letters lambasting the Netanyahu government's moves, voicing fears about the security situation in the West Bank and Israel's possible annexation of land there
Why this leading Israeli right-wing figure is ‘praying for the government’s fall’(Haaretz)
This should have been the finest hour for Assaf Sagiv, one of Israel’s leading conservative thinkers. After all, a right-wing government could implement what he’s been preaching for years. But he’s frightened, and he’s not alone. Even the theoreticians of the right-wing Kohelet Policy Forum are terrified, he says
Hundreds of thousands protest government; new ‘disruption day' called for Thursday’
Police use water cannon, horses as hundreds attempt to block Ayalon Highway; former Likud minister urges her party’s MKs to oppose overhaul: ‘Why do you stay silent?’ (Times of Israel)
Photo: A protestor holds a placard that says: my land is burning during a demonstration. Over 400,000 people protested all over Israel for the ninth consecutive week. (Photo by Eyal Warshavsky / SOPA Images/Sipa USA)
