Protests against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s judicial overhaul has intensified with demonstrations across Israel as a retired air force general said 161 of the corps’ reserve officers had vowed to no longer report for duty.
The officers, with ranks ranging from major to brigadier-general, notified the military of their decision over the last three days and would publish a joint statement – with names redacted – on Wednesday, Asaf Agmon told Reuters.
The drive by Netanyahu’s nationalist-religious coalition to change the justice system and curb some Supreme Court power has sparked unprecedented protests, bruised the economy and stirred concern for Israel’s democratic health among allies.
Some reservists have threatened not to heed call-up orders as part of the protest.
That has jarred a country for which the conscript military, which draws on reserves in wartime and requires they undergo regular training, was long an apolitical issue to rally around.
“This is the most impactful military protest so far – a critical blow to air force readiness,” said Agmon, a protest organiser and former brigadier-general who at 75 is past reserve duty age.
Reuters could not independently verify the identities of the 161 or, given that air force numbers are classified, assess the effect of such a walkout on military readiness.
Agmon described the 161 protesting reservist officers as headquarters staff who run air force operations.