More than 1,000 pilots and other personnel in the Israeli Air Force reserve said on Friday they would drop their military service if the government pushes through a controversial plan next week to reduce the judiciary without wider consensus.
In a joint letter released Friday, 1,142 Air Force reservists — including 235 fighter pilots, 98 transport pilots, 89 helicopter pilots and 173 drone operators — said they would not serve if the government continued with its plan to reduce the ways the Supreme Court could overrule the government.
“Legislation that allows the government to act in an extremely unreasonable manner will damage the security of the State of Israel, will lead to a loss of trust and a violation of my consent to continue risking my life – and will lead, with deep sadness and lack of choice, to the suspension of my volunteer work on the reservations,” the letter said.
If such a large number of reservists press ahead with their threat, defense officials have said it could significantly affect the air force’s capability and operational readiness.
Israeli fighter squadrons rely heavily on reserve pilots who regularly hold civilian jobs but who volunteer several days a month to train or participate in combat and reconnaissance missions.
The total number of professional and reservist pilots has never been reported by the Israeli Air Force. But officials say Israel’s regular attacks in Gaza and Syria, patrol missions over Israel and surveillance missions over Lebanon and the occupied West Bank are often led by reserve pilots and drone operators. Many of them have more experience than the full-time corps. An Israeli attack on Iran would also rely heavily on reservists.
Even a short break from training can affect their ability to fly, as it would take time for any pilot to be combat ready again.
The move reflects the deep social fault lines widened by the government’s judicial plan.
In a vote next week, the government is seeking to prevent the Supreme Court from overruling the national government using the legal standard of “reasonableness,” a concept judges use to block ministerial appointments and challenge planning decisions, among other things.
The government and its supporters say the legislation will improve democracy by giving elected lawmakers more authority and allowing them to more easily implement the policies they are elected to. The court can still override the government with other legal measures.
“Israel will remain a democratic state,” Netanyahu said in a speech on Thursday. “It will remain a liberal state.”
He also criticized reservists who have tried to shape government policy by refusing to serve. “In a democracy, the military is subservient to the government — it doesn’t force the government,” he said. “If elements in the military, with threats, try to dictate policy to the government, that is not acceptable in any democracy.”
The opposition fears that the legislation will undermine the quality of Israeli democracy, remove a major check on the government’s overreach and allow the government – the most ultra-nationalist and ultra-conservative in Israeli history – to build a less pluralistic society.
Hiba Yazbek contributed reporting from Jerusalem.
