PM slams ‘conditional service’ by reservist protesters, appearing to soften tone

13 August 2023, 6:59 pm

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IDF reserve soldiers sign a declaration intending to end their volunteer reserve duty, outside the IDF headquarters and near the Tel Aviv Museum in Tel Aviv, July 19, 2023. (Chaim Goldberg/Flash90)

After Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu meets with top security officials, including military chief Herzi Halevi and air force head Tomer Bar, the premier appears to soften his tone against reservists who have stopped showing up for volunteer duty or threatened to do so in protest of the government’s judicial overhaul.

While Netanyahu and members of his government have used the term “insubordination” to refer to the reservists’ actions, a statement issued by his office after the meeting instead brands their moves “the phenomenon of conditional reserve service,” a shift in language that draws notice from Hebrew media outlets and political analysts.