Elite Israeli Air Force Pilots Vow To Sit Out Training In Protest Of Netanyahu’s Judicial Changes

Topline

More than two dozen reserve members of a key Israeli Air Force squadron said Sunday they would not participate in a scheduled training day this week, in protest of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s proposed judicial reforms, according to multiple reports, joining thousands of Israelis who have pushed back on the controversial changes.

An Israeli air force F-15 flies over Ovda airbase during the bi-annual multi-national aerial … [+] exercise known as the Blue Flag, near Eilat, southern Israel, Sunday, Oct. 24, 2021.

Key Facts

Some 37 pilots said they will be sitting out of reserve duty on Wednesday and instead will “devote our time to dialogue and reflection for the sake of democracy and national unity,” according to Reuters.

The pilots, members of the Israeli Air Force’s 69th squadron who operate F-15 fighter jets, said they will participate in “operational activity,” and will “report as planned” during the rest of the week, according to the Times of Israel.

In response, the Israeli Defense Forces’ Lieutenant-General Herzi Halevy said he is “aware of the public discourse and division but will not allow any harm to the IDF’s ability to carry out its most important mission – defend[ing]

The squadron is an important part of Israel’s military, reportedly carrying out strikes on Iranian-backed group Hezbollah in Syria in recent years, Haaretz notes.

On Friday, dozens of senior pilots held a meeting with the Air Force commander Tomer Bar, and expressed their concern about serving in the reserves amid the plans to restrict the judiciary, as well as the Finance Minister’s call for the state to “wipe out” a Palestinian town, the Times of Israel reported.

Tangent

The announced protest comes after 150 Israeli army reservists said they will stop reporting for duty if the judicial reforms proceed, according to Haaretz, which first reported news of the air force protest. On Wednesday, a group of reserve officers for the Israeli Defense Forces reportedly blocked travel on a main road to Jerusalem, in protest of the judiciary changes.

Crucial Quote

“When the reserves are called, we always show up. we are one,” Netanyahu tweeted in Hebrew on Sunday, along with an old photo of himself. He previously served as an officer in Israel’s commando unit, according to Reuters.

Key Background

Netanyahu is Israel’s longest-serving Prime Minister, leading the country for 15 years across three separate stints since 1996. He regained power in 2022 while also facing charges on bribery, fraud and breach of trust. The trial over the claims began in 2020, but has since been delayed. He has pleaded not guilty. In January, Netanyahu’s new administration—one of the most-far right governments Israel has ever seen— announced changes to the country’s judiciary that would weaken the Supreme Court and limit its ability to rule against the parliament, taking away a key check on the ruling party’s power. The country’s parliament, or Knesset, would be able to overrule a ruling from the court with a vote. There would also be changes to how judges are appointed. Netanyahu has argued the reforms would cut back on judicial overreach, but many critics have suggested the changes could grant his government vast new power and allow him to avoid bribery charges. Tens of thousands of protestors have taken to the streets of Israel weekly to protest the changes. Last month, President Joe Biden told the New York Times, “the genius of American democracy and Israeli democracy is that they are both built on strong institutions, on checks and balances, on an independent judiciary. Building consensus for fundamental changes is really important to ensure that the people buy into them so they can be sustained.”

Surprising Fact

The protests come as Israel and the West Bank face renewed tensions. A Palestinian gunman killed two Israeli settlers in the West Bank last month, leading a group of settlers to attack the West Bank village of Hawara.