IOF chief warns protests could harm operational capabilities

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IOF Chief of Staff Herzi Halevi is scheduled to meet this week with Israeli pilots and commanders from a variety of reserve units to tackle the alarming opposition to the revamp within the military ranks.

Halevi has cautioned Netanyahu that the occupation forces' operational capability may suffer as protests spread among the Israeli military in a closed discussion as reported by i24NEWS.

A military source revealed that Halevi will not meet with the 37 pilots of a 40-man Israeli Air Force fighter jet squadron who have indicated that they will not attend one of their scheduled training sessions later this week in protest of Netanyahu's judicial reform plan.

They were the most visible of an increasing number of military units, including some of the most elite, whose members have threatened not to show up amid widespread opposition to the Israeli government's plans.

Earlier Monday, all the living former IOF chiefs sent a letter to Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu and Minister Yoav Gallant, expressing concern about the government's continued drive to severely limit the judiciary's power.

Meanwhile, Israeli media reported on Sunday that 90% of the pilots of Squadron 69 in the occupation's air force decided not to comply with the training scheduled for Wednesday in protest of what they called "the steps of the judicial coup by the Netanyahu government."

Some 130 officers and soldiers in the Yahalom special unit of the Israeli occupation forces (IOF) signed a petition to Israeli Security Minister Yoav Gallant informing him that they would face difficulty serving in the IOF in case the controversial law regarding the judicial reforms passes, Israeli media reported Friday.

Illustrating the increasingly stark division between Israelis, the occupation's Knesset backed a key part of the controversial judicial overhaul at first reading in late February despite rallies that were held across several parts of the occupied territories as Israeli settlers continue to protest Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's "judicial reforms".

Hezbollah Secretary-General Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah tackled the Israeli internal crisis in his speech on Monday, assuring  the Palestinian people that everything currently going on in the Israeli occupation was "an indication of the Israeli entity nearing its end."

Read next: Top Israeli officials believe internal situation nearing explosion

Double the trouble

The Air Force issue is a two-layered problem, the Israeli media outlet noted. First is that "the Air Force is the most important security arm in Israel" and the other is that "there is no substitute for these pilots."

Likewise, "Israel Hayom" quoted sources as saying that "at least two additional squadrons are considering a move similar to the 69th Squadron protest act, one at Ramat David Air Force Base and the other at Tel Nof Air Force Base."

"There are voices calling on the Israeli army leadership to adopt strict measures against those who refuse to serve, just as the Israeli army did 18 years ago during the disengagement plan," the newspaper said.

The "reserve pilots are participating in the demonstrations, and some are even threatening to stop flying," it warned.

An entity in schism

Over the past month, divisions within the occupation entity have emerged. The former prime minister of the occupation government, Naftali Bennett, warned of an internal war in "Israel," calling for negotiations on the judicial amendments law.

Thousands of illegal Israeli settlers took to the streets of "Tel Aviv" again on Saturday, marking the ninth consecutive week of protests against the government's judicial overhaul bid.

The latest rally in "Tel Aviv" comes after a similar demonstration took place last Wednesday when Israeli settlers were confronted by the police using stun grenades and water cannons, leading to about 39 arrests and 11 injuries.

Israeli settlers closed roads and train stations in protest of a draft judicial amendments bill that Benjamin Netanyahu's government is seeking to pass, while Israeli Police Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir threatened protesters and ordered police to force roads open.