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The defence minister of Israel has announced measures to ensure the country’s security after reports emerged that he was attempting to delay a judicial overhaul. This move led thousands of reservists to consider discontinuing their voluntary military service. The defence minister, Yoav Gallant, has been seeking to extend the parliamentary session to postpone the vote on the reforms until a consensus is reached, as reported by Israel’s Channel 12. The vote is scheduled for next week and pertains to the first part of the government’s proposed overhaul.
In response to media reports, Gallant’s office stated that he is working to achieve a wide consensus and secure the state of Israel while keeping the military separate from political discourse.
The defence minister’s intervention comes amidst a growing public mobilisation against the judicial overhaul. Thousands of protesters, carrying Israeli flags, gathered in Jerusalem after a four-day march aimed at “saving democracy.” These demonstrations have taken place every week for the past 28 weeks since the government announced its plans in January. Additional rallies were planned across the country in cities such as Tel Aviv, Haifa, and Be’er Sheva.
The protests have been accompanied by acts of defiance from reservists. Over 1,100 members of the air force published a letter threatening to cease their voluntary duty if the government proceeds with its plans to restrict the judiciary. Similar threats from reservists in other branches of the armed forces have raised concerns among senior officers regarding military preparedness.
Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari, the military’s chief spokesman, acknowledged the concerns, stating that the failure of reservists to report for duty “hurts the military and state security.” He further expressed his worry that the recent damage to cohesion within the military will take a long time to repair.
The ultranationalist national security minister, Itamar Ben-Gvir, reacted angrily to the reservists’ letter, accusing them of attempting to hold the Israeli government hostage. However, several former leaders of the Israeli military, the Mossad intelligence agency, and the Shin Bet internal security agency have come out in support of the reservists. They have called on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to delay the proposed overhaul, stating that it violates the social contract between thousands of reserve commanders and soldiers that has existed for 75 years.
The government claims that the overhaul is necessary to limit the power of the judiciary, which they believe has been pursuing a biased, leftwing agenda. Critics of the reforms argue that they would remove crucial checks on government actions, undermine minority protections, encourage corruption, and harm the economy.
This is not the first time that Gallant has attempted to slow down the proposed overhaul. In March, he issued a warning about the division caused by the reforms, stating that it posed an immediate danger to security. Netanyahu initially responded by threatening to dismiss Gallant, which led to further protests and a brief general strike. However, Netanyahu ultimately backed down, delaying the overhaul for three months and distancing himself from some of its more controversial aspects.
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