Netanyahu in a pickle over reservists' refusal to show up for service

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: Israeli media
15 Jul 2023 11:49

Israeli media leak a recording of the Israeli occupation Prime Minister rebuking reservists.

Israeli occupation PM during a weekly cabinet meeting in occupied Al-Quds, on July 9, 2023 (AP)

Israeli media reported that as protests continue to roam the Israeli occupation over the government's plans to pass a judicial overhaul that would limit the powers of the Supreme Court, 170 reservists in the occupation army's top special forces unit, Sayeret Matkal, announced that they would no longer show up for service.

This comes as Israeli occupation Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's coalition is now pushing a bill intended at barring judges from dismissing or debating government and ministerial actions based on their "reasonableness". The coalition hopes to have the bill signed into law by the end of the month.

"We are aware of the potential harm that could be caused by our cessation to volunteer for reserve duty in the unit, but where things currently stand we have no other course of action available to stop the destruction that the planned laws will cause to all of us," the letter read, as cited by the Israeli Channel 12.

According to the channel, the organizers want to have at least another 80 reservists sign the letter in the following days.

The Times of "Israel" mentioned that Sayeret Matkal "is primarily responsible for intelligence-gathering missions" and operations outside occupied Palestinian territory, noting that Netanyahu has served in the unit.

In the same context, Kan news reported that a number of reserve pilots, including senior officers, informed Israeli occupation Air Force Commander Tomer Bar on Friday that they would stop showing up for training starting next week in rejection of the judicial overhaul.

In addition, 106 reserve pilots in non-combat posts announced that they would stop showing up for service for the same reason, as per the news website.

In the same context, Channel 12 reported that the Israeli occupation military is debating whether to put more pressure on Netanyahu's government in order to protect its operational capabilities.

The Israeli Channel 13 also said that beginning next week, the military will closely monitor every declaration by an Air Force reservist in order to maintain a clear image of the force's capacity to carry out its tasks.

Nonetheless, in his weekly Yedioth Ahronoth column, Israeli journalist Amit Segal revealed on Friday that Netanyahu does not intend to put an end to the judicial reform legislation over reservists' refusal to show up for service and told confidants in closed-door meetings that "Israel" "can get by without a few [Air Force] squadrons, but not without a government."

This came only a few days after Channel 13 leaked a recording of the occupation Prime Minister rebuking reservists, who subsequently accused him of jeopardizing "Israel's" security.

During a meeting with legal advisors, Netanyahu was heard ranting about occupation troops refusing to show up for service in protest of the judicial overhaul, which stands as clear proof of the state of blunder that the Israeli occupation Prime Minister is experiencing.

"I can’t imagine anything more serious, organizing a mass effort to break the law… It’s inconceivable… This harms the body of the state, national security," he was heard raging.

It is noteworthy that a Channel 12 survey conducted on Friday revealed that 67% of Israeli settlers fear civil war, while 29% don't. The remaining 4% answered that they don't know.

According to the survey, 56% of those who voted for Netanyahu's coalition in the Knesset indicated they feared such a scenario, while 41% said they did not. The numbers in the opposing group were 85% and 14%, respectively.