The Israel Defense Forces issued a report Thursday evening on the status of the army's competence in light of the judicial reform protests and the growing movement of IDF reservists calling to refuse service. The IDF determined that there is harm due to refusal, but it is under control. Military officials stated that there is much talk about the refusals, but there are no actual cases of refusals yet, mainly just threats that cause great concern among the top generals of the IDF.
The Chief of Staff reported to the Defense Minister that hundreds have so far declared their failure to report, but noted that the IDF remains fully fit for war. The IDF currently has hundreds of reservists who have said they will not report to the reserves. In addition, conversations were held with officers who expressed a desire to stop volunteering and they were asked to talk to their commanders in case of dilemmas.
IDF chief takes a firmer line on no-show reservists https://t.co/ujWuJpnSgZ via @JNS_org
— drdivine (@drdivine) July 20, 2023
The army emphasized that there are currently no significant events in its cohesion, even among soldiers in regular service. But the issue is very preoccupying to the IDF, which fears that the protest could develop into a complex incident. The Chief of Staff instructed the commanders to talk to the soldiers to make sure the unity of the ranks is maintained. It was reported that the conduct is done only according to purely professional considerations, without political any considerations.
Former IDF Chief of Staff and Prime Minister Ehud Barak, responded to Netanyahu who claimed 'efforts are underway to reach agreements, the IDF cannot bend Democracy' - This following a report that over 500 Military Pilots signed a refusal to appear for duty letter. ➡️ pic.twitter.com/2H3eUST51I
— Or-ly Barlev in English (@OrlyBarlevEng) July 21, 2023
Earlier on Thursday, Chief of Staff Herzi Halevi visited the Air Force base at Tel Nof together with the commander of the entire corps, Major General Tomer Bar. The two watched a joint exercise of special unit “669”. Afterward, the Chief of Staff had a short private talk with all the leading commanders of the corps, and “expressed his appreciation for their work and their operational actions.”
The Chief of Staff directly addressed during the visit the threats of the reservist's refusal letters. "These days the IDF is concerned with maintaining competence and cohesion, even when there is tension around us. This happens in internal dialogue and external dialogue with the people and accurate monitoring of the image of competence, there is no other way."
Netanyahu: IDF refusals the real threat to democracy https://t.co/zAUNbI3HaW via @JNS_org
— David Shapiro (@shapiro40) July 18, 2023
According to him, "the operational challenges of the IDF are held night after night. The security reality requires us to act every day, in all arenas, alongside the readiness and preparation of the IDF for the next war. The Air Force is required to exercise its operational capabilities every day in a precise and professional manner in the face of security challenges.”
