IOF infested with resignations, service boycotts as protests continue

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Former Air Force commanders urged in a letter on Monday the Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Police Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir to halt the legislative procedures on the judicial reform and find an immediate solution to the current situation.

According to Israeli media, the letter was written following the refusal of 37 reservist pilots - out of a total of 40 - of the Air Force's 69th Squadron to show up for training sessions scheduled this week, in protest of the new judicial plan.

Israeli newspaper Maariv said on Monday that the issue with the IAF pilots should "should take away our sleep."

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The newspaper further reported on a lot of pilots expressing will to join the protest. "These Air Force pilots are an important part of the reserve force which our most important security institutions depend on. This [pilot protest] includes those who are part of permanent and regular service," it said.

The newspaper pointed out that these protests "are not only taking place in the Air Force, but similar messages, petitions, and statements came in the past weeks from every combat or intelligence unit in the army."

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 newspaper 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.

Sounding the alarm

Reports about reservist pilots abandoning service were preceded yesterday by the announcement of most of the members of the 69th Squadron in the Air Force that they will join the boycott of training drills this week in protest of Netanyahu's government judicial reforms.

Among those who are deeply concerned by the situation is the Israeli chief of staff.

"The Chief of the General Staff is highly concerned, and therefore he kickstarted talks with the Prime Minister," Israeli Channel 12 military affairs commentator Nir Dvori said on Sunday.

Commander-in-Chief Herzi Halevi, according to Dvori, told Netanyahu that he was highly concerned about desertion becoming a trend in the Israeli occupation forces, which would hurt its operational capabilities.

In response to calls from the left to refuse service, Gallant, said on Monday that "the situation requires us to talk, and quickly. We are facing large and complex external challenges, and any call for refusal to serve harms the [operational] function of the Israeli army, and its ability to carry out its tasks." 

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An Israeli Air Force officer submitted his resignation over the judicial overhaul, while many Israeli pilots threatened to stop volunteering in reserve service.

Moreover, Israeli media reported that 130 officers and reservists from the "Yahalom" engineering unit for special missions signed a letter informing Gallant that they "find it difficult to serve if the judicial reforms were approved."

The Israeli protests, which began last December with tens of thousands of settlers, turned into massive demonstrations in their ninth week, reaching almost a quarter of a million protesters last Saturday.