Gallant decries ‘dangerous’ threats by reservists not to show up: ‘A reward for our enemy’

Defense Minister Yoav Gallant says calls by military reservists to refuse to show up for reserve duty over the government’s plans to overhaul the judiciary are “a reward for our enemy.”

“The strength of the IDF rested then and rests today on the unity of its ranks… from the tank loader and signalman to the division commander,” Gallant says at an event at the 146th Reserve Armored Division, marking 50 years since the Yom Kippur War.

“Even today, the key to success in our missions lies in the unity of our ranks,” he says.

Gallant says the “calls that are being heard these days encouraging refusal and halting the volunteering of reservists threaten the unity of the ranks, are dangerous, and are a reward for our enemy.”

“I call on public figures from the right and the left, leave politics out of the army,” he continues.

“Refusal harms the IDF. Refusal harms the defense establishment. Refusal harms Israel’s security,” Gallant tells the troops at the event.

“We must all condemn refusal or calls for refusal, and remember very well that we all have one destiny, we are brothers, and the IDF is all of ours,” Gallant says.

“We have no other army to rely on and we have to take care to keep it united and leave it out of any dispute,” he adds.