After the revolt of the reservists.. Will the army get involved in the protests in Israel?

Occupied Jerusalem -

The announcement by many officers and reservists in the Israeli occupation army and air force pilots of refusing military service in protest against what Benjamin Netanyahu's government calls "reforms in the judiciary", expresses a political and constitutional crisis and reflects the deepening rift in Israeli society.

With the demonstrations entering their fourth month to protest against the reduction of the powers of the judiciary in favor of the executive authority, the military institution is expressing its fear of the expansion of the phenomenon of refusal to serve within the reserve forces.

These fears were evident in the warning of the Chief of the General Staff of the Israeli Army, Herzi Halevi, against the involvement of the army and air force in political conflicts, in light of the wide participation of officers and reservists in the demonstration movement.

The Israeli Army General Staff believes that pilots and officers in the army and intelligence units should take part in the demonstrations.

Signs and indications of a crisis in the ranks of the reserve forces and the security establishment in general, especially in the Air Force and also former officers in the General Police Commission.

Sit-ins in Tel Aviv against the Netanyahu government's plan for reforms in the judiciary (Al-Jazeera)

Anxiety and fears

The reserve officer in the Israeli army, Amos Gilad, expressed his fear of the protest of the reservists and their tendency to refuse to be called up for military service in the future in protest against the reforms in the judiciary, as he fears the expansion of the phenomenon within the army if the Netanyahu government continues the reforms that the protesters describe as a "coup against democracy."

Gilad, who previously held the position of head of the political and security department in the Israeli Ministry of Security, believes that the situation in Israel is very worrying.

And that "the penetration of the protests into the security and military institutions is liable to expand and roll like a snowball so that more soldiers and reserve officers join the refusal of military service."

Gilad explained to Al-Jazeera Net that the so-called judicial reform led by the Netanyahu government is nothing but a "coup" as the continuation of the legislation may expand the refusal to call up the reserve service to turn into a phenomenon, indicating that this reflects the depth of the political crisis and the rift in Israeli society, whose repercussions are taking place. To the ranks of the army and the security establishment.

In front of the articulated station

The former Israeli security official believes that instead of temporarily isolating officers, reservists, and reservists in the Air Force for their role in leading the protest movement, the Netanyahu government should stop the so-called judicial reforms.

Gilad asked, Will Israel be able to move forward without the army and air force and without a prosperous and developed economy? He said, "Israel is at a critical point. Legislation must be halted and negotiations must be entered into to reach understandings. If Israeli democracy is undermined, you will not have an army or an economy, and you cannot The army has endured the expansion of the phenomenon of refusal to serve.”

Protesters say that the Netanyahu government's plan seeks to undermine and withdraw the court's powers (Al-Jazeera)

penetration and inversion

As for Yehuda Shaul, a member of the “Breaking the Silence” movement, which is an anti-occupation organization that documents violations of the Israeli army soldiers against the Palestinians, he believes that refusing military service in the ranks of the reserve forces on the background of protests against the weakening of the judiciary and the withdrawal of the powers of the Supreme Court, is in addition to other reasons for refusing to serve. military, including "anti-occupation".

However, Shaul explained to Al-Jazeera Net that the refusal of military service and the cessation of work and procedures for volunteering within the reserve forces, whether in the army, air force or intelligence, is an unprecedented case in Israel.

It is feared that the protests will permeate the military establishment if the Netanyahu government continues the legislation plan and brings about a coup against the judiciary and the Supreme Court, which is what the General Staff seeks to remedy.

Many reasons for evasion

Shaul believes that the refusal of reserve service may expand for various reasons. In addition to the political crisis, in addition to the refusal for "conscientious" motives and against the occupation and violations of the army soldiers against the Palestinians, as well as the accumulation of burdens on the reserve forces and battalions in light of the security escalation in the West Bank and Jerusalem and along the borders of the Fourth of July. June.

Shaul does not rule out that all these reasons will drive reservists, especially those with low ranks, to evade military service, a phenomenon that has come to be called "gray rejection."

real exam

With the expansion of protests against the plan to weaken the judiciary, undermine the Supreme Court, and initial signs of refusal to serve in the reserve forces, the Army General Staff finds itself facing a real test in light of the escalation in the West Bank and Jerusalem.

Despite repeated announcements by officers and reservists refusing orders to call up the reserve forces with the escalation of security tension, it is expected that more than 60 battalions will be called up in the army’s Central Command and sent to the West Bank and Jerusalem during Ramadan, according to Ron Ben-Yishai, a military affairs analyst in the Yedioth Ahronoth newspaper and the website. Ynet.

The military analyst explained that evading regular or reserve conscription would immediately harm the Israeli army's ability to "defend the country."

However, the "gray refusal" will be reflected in the decrease in recruitment to combat units and the failure to respond to call-up orders to train reserve forces, and "this is dangerous," according to Yishai.

It is believed that if the messages of reserve pilots in the Air Force and officers and soldiers of the Special Operations regime continue, and the phenomenon of refusing to serve in the reserve and refraining from volunteering expands, the Israeli army cannot bear this, which may burden it so that evasion costs Israel dearly.