Israeli pilots refuse to train over PM’S judicial reforms

Army chief says protests against Netanyahu plans for legal overhaul pose threat to military strength

ISRAEL’S army chief has reportedly warned Benjamin Netanyahu that the country’s military capabilities could be harmed if protests among the reserve forces spread.

Tensions are growing within the Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) after reservist pilots became the latest to join the protest movement against Mr Netanyahu, the prime minister’s, plans to overhaul the judiciary.

Reservists across the military have warned they will not show up for service if the judicial plans go ahead. On Sunday, 37 out of 40 reservist pilots in the small and elite 69th Squadron – known as “the Hammers” – said they will not be showing up for training in protest against the plans that many fear will be the beginning of the end of Israeli democracy. They are the only squadron in the air force operating long-range F-15 fighter jets.

The IDF relies heavily on reservists, who have a core, patriotic role in Israeli society. While reservists have protested throughout Israeli history, with thousands already voicing their discontent over the new hard-right government’s plans, Sunday’s concerted action was an unprecedented political move.

The scale of their involvement in the growing movement across the country will deal a blow to Mr Netanyahu’s attempts to label the protesters as Leftist “anarchists”.

“I’m very worried by the spread of refusal to serve, and of the discussion about the refusal to serve. Already, this could harm the IDF’S operational capacity,” Herzi Halevi, the armed forces chief, was said to have told Mr Netanyahu, according to leaks of the conversation in Hebrew media.

In an unprecedented meeting with the chief of the air force, dozens of senior pilots reportedly spoke of their concern that the new government could open them up to prosecution from the International Criminal Court.

The concerns, according to Israel’s Channel 12, were triggered after Bezalel Smotrich, the new finance minister, called for the Palestinian town of Huwara to be “erased”.

Pilots were reported to have told the air force chief that they would not carry out such illegal missions.

Some 250,000 people were estimated to have taken to the streets across Israel at the weekend in the ninth week of protests to preserve the independence of the judiciary. The new Right-wing religious

‘We are following with deep concern processes in the air force and are fearful of the tangible danger’

and nationalist coalition has plans to curb the supreme court, ostensibly to fight its over-reach and alleged corruption.

Critics from across society fear it will hand the government excessive power without checks and balances.

While the elite 69th air force squadron said it will still fly if it is called up to an operation, if the strikes result in repeated refusals to train it could affect the IDF’S “readiness” for military action. A letter was sent to Mr Netanyahu and Yoav Gallant, the defence minister, yesterday from every living former chief of the Israeli air force expressing their concern over national security.

“We are following with deep concern the processes taking place in the state of Israel and in the air force these days,” the letter was reported to have read.

“From a deep familiarity with the central and special weight of the [air] force in national security, which you are well aware of, we are fearful over the consequences of these processes and the serious and tangible danger posed to the national security of the state of Israel,” they wrote.