Israel: soldiers and spies stand against Netanyahu’s judicial reform

Hundreds of reservists belonging to cyber intelligence units, air force or navy, former heads of the Shin Bet (internal intelligence), 400 army officers, some of whom headed the Mossad (foreign intelligence), in short, the crème de la crème of Israel Security forces move against Netanyahu government’s judicial reform Its purpose is to limit the Supreme Court’s ability to invalidate laws and to give the majority political coalition the power to appoint judges. Media interviews, public letters, grassroots action, denial of service, everything is good to condemn this reform. Thus, reservist sailors blockaded the Haifa port in protest.

Another initiative, that of veterans of the Entebbe commandos who participated in the 1976 rescue of 98 hostages. Their commander, Prime Minister’s brother Yoni Netanyahu was killed in this operation. In his letter, he writes: “Yoni Netanyahu, who knowingly, and with his eyes open, sacrificed himself for the State of Israel and the people of Israel” while “It is sad, but you, Bibi, knowingly and with your eyes The sacrifices the State of Israel and the people of Israel make are open to your own interests.” Reference to the fact that the Prime Minister is accused of corruption, fraud and treachery, which is the main reason for this judicial reform.

“This is an unprecedented situation”

Some figures have long been critical of the current prime minister, but many others have been his close allies or have even been appointed by him. This is the case with the head of the Mossad, Ephraim Halevi, who recently declared during an interview on CNN: “I am saddened by this, but I cannot accept that he continues to lead the country” and near the reservoirs “Every reason to refuse is to serve.”

Former Mossad chief Efraim Halevi told CNN that Benjamin Netanyahu knows Israel is different these days than it was a few years ago.#netanyahu , #Israelhttps://t.co/naECf5ovBk

– Jerusalem Post (@Jerusalem_Post) March 16, 2023

For Zak Nerayya, a former military intelligence officer and who was also a diplomatic advisor to Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin, “The Israeli army is the people’s army, so it is normal that we give our opinion, but the refusal of some reservists to serve This could lead to an existential crisis within the army, as reservists are the skeleton of the army. This is an unprecedented situation.”

Israeli soldiers have put pressure on their hierarchy or politicians before. And usually they got their way. This was especially the case during the Second Intifada in the early 2000s. The refusal of some to serve in the Palestinian territories may have contributed to Prime Minister Ariel Sharon’s decision in 2005 to withdraw troops and civilians from the Gaza Strip. But, “this is the first time that it is not intended to influence security policy,” says Audi Lebel, an expert on civil-military relations at Bar Ilan University. This time, it is a question of persuading the government to modify or even abandon its judicial reform. “As long as the model here is that of a popular army, the weapon of military blackmail is present”, says this expert. At the same time, perhaps this is the only pressure that could persuade Netanyahu to suspend his reforms.

Catherine Duperron – Correspondent in Jerusalem