‘We swore to serve the kingdom, not the king,’ reserve pilots tell air force chief
In meeting with IAF head Tomer Bar, reservists reportedly say passage of overhaul bills may spark significant refusal to volunteer for duty, harm operational capabilities
Reservist pilots met Monday with Air Force chief Tomer Bar, warning him of potential mass refusals to volunteer for service if the government advances its controversial push to overhaul the judiciary, Hebrew media reported Tuesday.
The group of pilots, who represented hundreds of others, told Bar that “we swore to serve the kingdom, not the king,” according to reports by news outlets that weren’t confirmed by the Israel Defense Forces.
Pilots warned that some were considering ceasing their reserve duty over the coalition’s renewed unilateral efforts to pass the overhaul, warning that the passage of the so-called “reasonableness” bill, or any other element of the plan, could lead to a significant number of refusals that could harm the army’s operational capabilities, the Ynet news site reported.
The meeting was held as the Knesset debated a bill to block judicial review of the “reasonableness” of politicians’ decisions. The draft legislation passed its first reading early Tuesday morning. Coalition members have railed against the refusal threats, equating them to refusal to be drafted into mandatory military service in the first place, which is illegal unless an individual has an exemption.
The atmosphere of Monday’s meeting was “sincere, deep and tense” and it lasted three hours, Ynet reported citing unnamed sources with knowledge of the matter.
During the sit-down, pilots individually gave their opinion on how they saw the potential of refusals to grow if each stage of the overhaul is passed.
The Walla news site said Bar praised the pilots over recent successful operations, which some pilots said had been close to posing a “very tough” moral dilemma. Bar reportedly responded by saying he understood what they were going through but said the Air Force wouldn’t tolerate insubordination and asked that they keep things “as they’ve been for 70 years now.”
The news site also reported that four pilots in the same squadron said Tuesday morning that they would not show up for a training session scheduled for later in the day, with the military looking into the matter.
Unlike most reservists who are called up for duty with a formal order from the IDF, 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 positions.
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 some charge the country will become if the government’s plans to overhaul the judiciary are realized.
On Tuesday, 300 reservists in cyberwarfare units issued a letter saying they would not show up for volunteer reserve duty in response to the first vote on the “reasonableness” bill.
The calls to refuse reserve duty spread through the military earlier in the year when the overhaul was first proposed and advanced, proliferating even as they were denounced by senior politicians in the opposition and government. Threats again surfaced in recent weeks as the government renewed its legislative push, after largely pausing 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 IAF 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.”
Monday’s meeting came on the eve of nationwide protests held the morning after the Knesset 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 Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s 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.
Emanuel Fabian contributed to this report.
