Reservists in Israel’s military are staging what’s effectively a work slowdown in protest of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s conservative policies that critics decry as an attempt to undermine the nation’s democracy, as well as in protest of rampage Jewish settlers conducted through a Palestinian town last week, the Times of Israel reports.
In the latest, highest-profile action, ninety percent of a F-16 fighter squadron, the IAF’s 69th Squadron, said they would not train during a recent scheduled call-up. They join other reservists who show up to their assigned stations for their service time but refuse to actively participate in training exercises or classes. Other military units have also reported smaller-scale actions by reservists, most of who state opposition to Netanyahu’s plan to remove a significant amount of power for the nation’s judiciary, a move many see as retaliation: Netanyahu pleaded guilty to two corruption charges in January 2022.
The pilots told their commander and the IAF’s chief that they would participate in operational missions, but they would refuse to train in the air or on the ground, in an effort to balance national security with political action. The action has the support of some in the nation, with Economy Minister Nir Barkat praising the pilots’ balance saying, “We only have one air force, one army, and one democratic Jewish state in the entire world. Even when there are disputes in the nation, it is our duty to protect our army at all costs. Those who support the [judicial] reform, we need to strive for broad discussions and agreements among the people of Israel.”
A spokesman for Netanyahu’s administration responded to the protests, saying anyone who didn’t show up for the defense forces’ duty could “go to hell.” The 69th is a legendary squadron in an air force with a rich tradition of success. Pilots of the squadron destroyed a Syrian nuclear reactor in 2007.
Separately from hundreds of reservists signed a petition of protest against the judicial reforms proposed by Netanyahu, dozens of senior pilots met with IAF chief Tomer Bar Friday to express their opposition to a statement by Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich’s call for Israel to “wipe out” the Palestinian town of Huwara, where settlers ran through the town, setting on fire hundreds of buildings–many occupied–in retaliation for a shooting days before. Other pilots noted that future military actions potentially ordered by the hardline conservative political leaders could lead to war crimes accusations for the pilots.