Former top general warns about protests rippling through reserves

A former head of Israel’s military intelligence is warning that the government should not lose sight of complicated security issues while pursuing its judicial overhaul, as a wave of protests sweeps through the military’s reserve corps, leading to threats to not serve.

“Nobody is refusing yet, but this is a flashing warning light before danger,” Aharon Zeevi Farkash tells the Ynet news site. “The legislative push is dangerous. If they are mistaken — it’s a disaster. … I’m in touch with other senior commanders. We are trying to calm things down.”

Farkash warns, “We’re in a complicated month before an explosion, and we need to speak about that first,” referring to various “dramatic developments” with the Palestinians and Iran, as well as domestic societal divisions.

“I think those responsible for managing the country need to take a look at this from the outside,” he says.