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Dozens of Israeli Air Force reservists said on Wednesday they would refuse to appear for duty if Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s right-wing government went ahead with a controversial plan to overhaul the country’s justice system.
The threat comes after Netanyahu said his government would proceed with reform after talks with the opposition to reach a compromise stalled.
Since then, coalition lawmakers have worked to introduce a legal change to what is known as a “standard of reasonableness” that critics say would allow the government to make arbitrary decisions and give it too much power.
Israeli media reported that 110 Air Force veterans signed the letter on Wednesday saying that if the law is passed in Parliament now, or any other law proposed as part of the reform, reservists will not appear on duty.
The letter stated: “Such legislation gives the government unlimited power without any restrictions on the part of the judiciary and will bring us to the point of no return.” We will not serve the army in a non-democratic country.
The pilots are seen as the most generous members of the army and an indispensable component of many Israeli battle plans. Similar messages have also been issued from reservists in other forces in recent days.
The Netanyahu government’s plans to reform the judiciary plunged Israel into an unprecedented crisis earlier this year, prompting a barrage of threats from reservists, who make up the backbone of the country’s compulsory military, that they would not show up for service if the plan was followed through.
As the threats mounted, Defense Minister Yoav Gallant addressed the nation about his concerns over the reform he introduced to the military, leading to his sacking by Netanyahu in a move that sparked mass spontaneous protests and a day-long labor strike.
This pressure prompted Netanyahu to halt reform. But once settlement negotiations faltered, Netanyahu said he was moving forward.
Another bill in the pipeline would limit the influence of the bar association, a key player in selecting judges, which recently elected in a landslide to lead a staunch opponent of reform.
The reform also sparked a protest movement that attracts tens of thousands every Saturday and which during the height of the crisis blocked major roads and halted trains, at one point succeeding in forcing Netanyahu to be flown to the airport on a foreign flight rather than drive. .
As the legislation moves forward, protests are set to ramp up the pressure again, with another day of unrest planned for next week.
Netanyahu, who is on trial for corruption, and allies in his national religious government say reform is needed to rein in an overly intrusive judiciary and restore power to elected officials.
Critics say the plan will upend Israel’s delicate system of checks and balances and push the country toward dictatorship.
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