300 cyberwarfare reservists say they won’t volunteer for duty, as overhaul advanced
Gallant quoted warning ministers IDF ‘will not be able to withstand’ certain number of key reserve members quitting service
Emanuel (Mannie) Fabian is The Times of Israel's military correspondent
Some 300 reservists in cyberwarfare units issued a letter on Tuesday saying they would not show up for volunteer reserve duty after the Knesset okayed the first reading of a bill to eliminate courts’ ability to rule on the “reasonableness” of government decisions.
“The Netanyahu government proved today that it is bent on crushing the State of Israel. Passing the law to cancel the reasonableness clause is the first step in the transformation of the State of Israel into a corrupt, backward, and weak state,” the letter read.
The reservists warned that “cyber capabilities that are sensitive and have the potential to be misused must not be entrusted to a criminal government that undermines the foundations of democracy.”
“Confidence in the government’s ability to direct offensive cyberactivity has been deeply fractured. This is a clear and immediate danger,” the letter said.
“Therefore, we, the 300 signatories… are immediately withdrawing from our voluntary reserve service. We will not develop capabilities for a criminal regime, and we will not assist in training the future generation of cyber [warfare soldiers],” they added.
Unlike most reservists who are called up for duty with a formal order from the Israel Defense Forces, pilots and other special forces show up for duty more frequently and in a voluntary manner, often not during an emergency, due to the nature of their position.
The military has said that it would discipline or potentially dismiss soldiers who refuse to show up for duty when ordered to, but stressed that no action would be taken against reservists who only threaten not to show up. It is unclear what measures would be taken against reservists who do not show up for voluntary duty.
Reservists — who are a key part of the army’s routine activities, including in top units — have been warning in recent months they will not be able to serve in an undemocratic Israel, which they charge the country will become under the government’s plans to overhaul the judiciary.
The calls to refuse to show up for reserve duty roiled the military earlier this year as the judicial overhaul was first announced and as it advanced, growing in number even as they were condemned by senior politicians in both the opposition and the coalition. The threats again increased in recent weeks as the government resumed moving ahead in the Knesset with some elements of the plan, after largely pausing the legislation in March following pressure by reservists on Defense Minister Yoav Gallant.
During a security cabinet meeting Sunday, Gallant said that should a specific number of reservists in key positions — such as pilots, special forces, and intelligence units — not show up for duty, it would be something the military “will not be able to withstand,” according to Channel 12 news. The exact number, said to be in the hundreds, was not published.
According to the Ynet news site, Gallant said during the meeting that the renewed calls for refusal were “playing with fire.”
The Israeli Air Force greatly relies on reserve pilots for missions. After pilots complete their initial 10 years of service, they show up for training and operations as reservists, often on a weekly basis, for around another 20 years.
IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Herzi Halevi said on Sunday that reservists “don’t have the right” to refuse to show up for duty, amid heightened security tensions across the region.
In contrast, former Shin Bet chief Yuval Diskin wrote in an op-ed published by Ynet on Monday that refusing to show up for volunteer reserve duty in protest of the judicial overhaul was “legitimate” and possibly a “heroic act.”
“Volunteering and heroism on the battlefield have safeguarded Israel from its adversaries, but today we face a different kind of battle — one that seeks to undermine the very essence and values of our nation. In this struggle, the burden falls heavily upon the shoulders of our brave fighters. Therefore, suspending volunteering for the reserves is not only the right course of action, but a democratic, legitimate, and dare I say heroic act that must be undertaken without delay to prevent further descent into the abyss,” Diskin wrote.
On Saturday night, thousands of IDF reservists held an overnight protest outside Gallant’s home in hopes he would intervene again as he did in March and help halt the overhaul.
Tuesday’s letter from cyberwarfare reservists came amid nationwide protests the morning after the Knesset gave initial approval for a bill to limit the Supreme Court’s oversight powers, as Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s coalition pressed forward with contentious legislation to radically constrain the independence and powers of the judiciary despite widespread opposition.
The legislation canceling the “reasonableness” yardstick used by the courts is one of several bills proposed by the Netanyahu coalition, composed of his Likud party and its ultranationalist and ultra-Orthodox allies. The overhaul plan has provoked more than six months of sustained protests by opponents who say it is pushing the country toward authoritarian rule.
Agencies and Times of Israel staff contributed to this report.
