10,000 IDF Reservists Threaten Not To Volunteer If Judicial Reform Legislation Passes

JERUSALEM (VINnews) — In a last-ditch bid to prevent judicial reform legislation of the reasonability law, approximately 10,000 Israel Defense Forces reservists  announced Saturday night that they will suspend their volunteer reserve duty in protest of the government’s plans.

At a press conference in Herzliya, leaders of Brothers in Arms announced the move, which IDF officials say will affect national preparedness and the ability of the army to mobilize the  required forces when necessary.

“We’ve tried everything, This is where we draw the line. We pledged to serve the kingdom and not the king. We are determined, we are fighters, we love this country and we will not give up on it,” said Eyal Naveh, one of the leaders of Brothers in Arms.

He claimed that the leaders were representing some 10,000 reservists from dozens of units who would end their volunteer duty if the government continues to advance the controversial legislation.

Captain (res.) Nevo Erez, a former commander of the elite Shayetet 13 naval commando unit and a former senior official in the Mossad spy agency, said at the conference that he would not be able to serve in what he branded a dictatorship.

Appealing directly to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, he said, “You and only you are responsible for what is happening here. We had faith in the government but the government disappointed us. I will not volunteer to serve in a dictatorial state.”

Earlier Saturday, nearly 500 active reservists in the Military Intelligence Directorate issued a letter announcing that they too were suspending their volunteer reserve duty in protest of the overhaul.

The Military Intelligence reservists in their letter called on the government to “immediately stop the dictatorial moves that violate the contract between the government of Israel and its citizens.”

“Although we have called many times for negotiations and broad agreements on the issues at hand, unfortunately not only did the negotiations at the president’s residence not go well, but the government continues to advance the coup all the more forcefully,” the letter read.

The reservists said they were informing their commanders “with great sadness, that we are suspending our volunteering for reserve service until further notice.”

The letter, addressed to the head of the IDF Military Intelligence Directorate, Maj. Gen. Aharon Haliva, was signed by 904 reservists, 487 of whom show up frequently for duty.

On Friday, over a thousand Israeli Air Force reservists issued a letter announcing that they would suspend their volunteer reserve duty in protest of the judicial overhaul. By Saturday evening, the number of signatories to the letter reached 1,192, including more than 400 pilots.

IDF chief Herzi Halevi was expected to speak to Netanyahu Sunday about the growing number of reservists suspending their volunteer service and the expected impact on military readiness, according to Hebrew media reports.

The government is set to approve the legislation Monday which will curb the ability of judges to use the subjective “reasonability” test regarding decisions of the executive arm, as part of the current judicial reforms. Government officials have said that the legislation must go through as failure to do this will constitute blackmail by the military, which creates a dangerous precedent.

The IDF appears to be facing an unprecedented threat, with thousands of reservists calling to end their volunteer reserve duty. During the 2005 Gaza Strip disengagement, the IDF anticipated a large wave of insubordination by members of the standing army, although few ended up actually refusing to carry out the evacuation orders. The IDF has announced that it will discipline and even dismiss from active duty reservists who do not show up for duty but would not intervene against those who threaten not to show up.