Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu responded on Friday afternoon, during a press briefing in London, to the announcement by pilots in the reserves that they will not be attending training flights in the coming week, in protest of the government”s judicial reform plan.
“Surrendering to refusal to serve is a terrible danger for Israel. Surrendering to refusal to serve will lead to refusal on the other side as well. The state cannot exist without the IDF,” said Netanyahu.
“People who were responsible for the security of the country suddenly crossed all lines with such cynicism. I’m waiting to see one ‘former’ [top commander] who will stand up and say no,” he added.
Netanyahu also commented on the fear that protests against the judicial reform would take place on Memorial Day and said, “Even if I stopped the legislation, it would not help, because those who want to provoke on Memorial Day would do so anyway.”
Netanyahu”s comments came after about 200 senior pilots announced they would no longer be participating in reserve duty, until further notice.
The group said they made their decision after Netanyahu”s televised address Thursday night, in which he pledged that the government would move forward with the judicial overhaul plan, even as he called on the opposition to negotiate a compromise.
During his speech, Netanyahu also vowed to get directly involved in the judicial reform, following the passage of the Incapacitation Law, which limits the ability of the Attorney General to declare a Prime Minister unfit for office only to situations in which the premier suffers from physical or mental incapacitation.
The reserve pilots said they will reassess their decision in two weeks, but added that in the meantime it is clear to them that Netanyahu will not stop the reform plan, something which will in their opinion lead Israel to become a dictatorship.
In addition, roughly 150 reserve IDF officers and soldiers from the Unit 8200 intelligence division have signed a pledge not to participate in reserve duty, effective this coming Sunday.
(Israel National News’ North American desk is keeping you updated until the start of Shabbat in New York. The time posted automatically on all Israel National News articles, however, is Israeli time.)
