The Hebrew newspaper Yedioth Ahronoth published a report stating that the new Chief of Staff of the Israeli army, Eyal Zamir, and the Air Force Commander, Tomer Bar, prevented the publication of a petition signed by 950 reserve and retired combat pilots who refused military service after the resumption of the war on Gaza.
Bar met with a number of officers two days ago with the aim of preventing the petition’s publication, according to the newspaper.
It said that Zamir later attended the meeting and accused the soldiers refusing service of trying to “drag the Air Force into political protests,” demanding that they support Bar and strengthen his arsenal.
Subsequently, Israeli media reported that dozens of Air Force pilots in mandatory and reserve service are threatening Benjamin Netanyahu’s government with a strike if all hostages held by Hamas are not returned, “even if it costs stopping the war.”
These officers argue that continuing the war “only serves narrow personal and political interests” and depletes the military establishment.
While the petition has not been officially published, a text attributed to it has been circulated, stating: “We, Air Force soldiers in reserve and retirement, demand the return of the kidnapped to their homes without delay, even if it costs an immediate halt to the war. Continuing the fighting serves none of its declared goals and will claim more lives.”
This comes amidst rising internal pressure on Netanyahu’s government, with Tel Aviv witnessing yet another demonstration on Monday evening against the Prime Minister and his government, condemning the dismissal of senior security leaders and legal officials, and the continuation of the war in Gaza.
Edited translation from Al-Masry Al-Youm
