Israeli army in dire situation if reservists end their service
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Israeli army spokesperson warns that the capabilities and efficiency of the military will be severely impacted if reservists carried out their threats and quit service.
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Israeli occupation soldiers from the Golani Brigade take part in a military training exercise on January 19, 2015 (AFP)
The Israeli occupation military is severely suffering from the fallout of the political crisis storming the entity over the government's judicial reforms, which is affecting its capability and driving away its most experienced officers, Israeli media reported on Sunday, citing senior officials.
Recent anti-judicial reforms protests have positioned two political camps in the face of each other, with one being led by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and the other by former Prime Minister Yair Lapid who also leads the opposition, in a head-butting competition.
Violent clashes are erupting on an almost daily basis between the opposition and police controlled by Netanyahu's allies, as Israeli settlers demonstrate against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's judicial overhaul.
Read more: Israeli army faces threat of disintegration: Israeli think tank
Reservists from critical units, on top of which is the Air Force, began declaring their refusal to show up for service in protest against the government's precoders. This has pushed the entity deeper into what was described by its officials and analysts as the most dangerous period it has ever witnessed.
"Israel is days away from harming the competence of the Israeli Air Force," the Israeli occupation army spokesperson warned. "If the [military personnel's] threats to refuse service are carried out, the efficiency of the Israeli army will be greatly damaged."
"There is a very disturbing path that preoccupies us, especially since the best army members, who play a key part in the army's war preparations, have announced that they will not join the service."
According to the Israeli media, veterans of the Israeli elite units said, "The situation in the army is worse than described, and the wave of refusal to serve extends from reservists to the permanent forces."
Read more: Israeli settlers marching in the tens of thousands toward Knesset
Israeli media revealed fears among top officials that the current fracture in the social fabric will lead to the disintegration of its "army from within," noting that the last few days were very difficult for the military's senior leadership.
Behind closed doors, Israeli Chief of Staff Herzi Halevi warned earlier that it is expected that mass tensions across the entity could "divide the army."
So far, thousands of reservists, which are the core pillar of the IOF, have declared they will end their service if judicial reform plans proceed.
A large number of reservists joining the protest move are pilots in the Israeli Air Force, which is considered to be a central power to the entity's war capabilities and a key element in its military action plans, prompting the government to sound the alarm on the ongoing duty ditch and questioning the reliability of the air force in any future wars.
With no signs of the internal division ending soon, and as deep polarization continues to eat away at the entity's political and social structure, senior officials have concluded that, even if the conflict ends today, its repercussions might carry on for decades to come.
