While Netanyahu has apparently ignored stark warnings from all sides, including the US President Joe Biden to the air force reservists, it seems that a fate of demise is certain for Israel. In fact, with Netanyahu ignoring the warnings about harms to the military, it seems that the Israeli military will go to the brink of fall.
These concerns are motivated by the fact that Netanyahu’s judicial overhaul bid faces staunch opponents in the military. Military personnel have warned that the plan will impair the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) and so far over 10,000 reservists have signed a petition of resignation should Netanyahu’s bid proceed. The resignation of forces that majorly include reservists will represent a great shock to the army body and its negative effects on the performance and capabilities of the personnel are so enormous that many commanders have warned against them.
breakdown alarm
The latest alarm about impairment of the military performance was rung by Tomer Bar, the commander of Israeli air force. In a meeting with the protesting reservists, Bar warned about growing susceptibility of the military body, especially the air force as the key force.
“The current assessment is that the Air Force is competent, but there is harm [to its readiness] that is worsening.... We shoulder the responsibility for security…While some of you may have issues, we expect you to keep coming.... I guess we all know what is coming next month; the challenge will appear with the resumption of the exercises in a large scale,” he was quoted as saying by i24 news network.
Netanyahu: Say nothing
The air force chief's warning about harm to the military drew Netanyahu’s anger. In a meeting with the army commanders, he told them to say nothing about army competence. But Amos Gilad, a reserve army general and the former director of the Political-Military Affairs Bureau at Israel's Defense Ministry, reacted to Netanyahu’s remarks, saying: “I am not sure these orders are legal. They [forces] serve Israel, serve the nation not the king. We have to warn and share our concerns with the prime minister.”
The meeting took place 48 hours after Netanyahu in a video conference reprimanded the army commanders, especially Bar, for what he said about harm to military's competence. According to the Israeli Channel 13, the voices raised several times in this video conference and Netanyahu asked Bar to deny the news reports citing his remarks questioning the efficiency of the army.
Addressing military weakness in Knesset
The military's weakness because of Netanyahu’s actions has
gone so serious that news reports talked about holding a meeting of
Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee of the Knesset to review the level
of competence of the army following warnings about harms to it in the
light of reservists’ insubordination. The session is set for Wednesday.
Israeli Hayom reported that the season was demanded by opposition
lawmakers and following Bar’s warnings. The newspaper added that
Netanyahu refused to hold a Security Cabinet meeting after the warnings
and this drove an opposition call for urgent session of the Knesset
committee.
/129