IDF kicks out reservist pilots who signed letter threatening to shirk duty

Major General Tomer Bar, the commander of the Israeli Air Force, on Thursday said that active reservists who signed a letter, threatening not to serve over the current military plan in the war, will no longer be part of the military.

The decision was made with the support of IDF Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir, affecting about one in 10 of the 950 who signed the document. The letter called for the immediate release of hostages held in the Gaza Strip, even at the cost of a ceasefire, but the vast majority no longer serve in the military.

"We cannot accept a situation where military personnel use their status to oppose the war while participating in it," said a military spokesperson. "It is impossible for a soldier to leave a command post to express his defiance towards his superiors and war objectives."

Major General (ret.) Nimrod Sheffer, one of those who organized the letter, strongly reacted against Bar's decision. "I am surprised that the commander is threatening these people, who have served hundreds of days during these last eighteen months," he said. "Our call is to the government, not the air force."

Colonel (ret.) Zeev Raz, also a signatory, described the decision as a "serious mistake."

"It's obvious that even the signatories would show up immediately if called," he said. On the other hand, the Reservists for Victory movement praised this decision, even calling for "massive sanctions against those who seek to dismantle Israeli society and the IDF."

The text in question asserts that "the continuation of the conflict contributes to none of the stated objectives, and will lead to the death of hostages, IDF soldiers, and innocent civilians, as well as the depletion of mobilized reservists." The authors stressed that "as proven in the past, only an agreement can bring the hostages back safe and sound, whereas military pressure mainly leads to their execution and puts our soldiers at risk." The letter calls on Israeli citizens to "demand everywhere and by all means: stop the fighting and bring back all the hostages – now. Every day that goes by puts their lives at peril. Any further hesitation is a disgrace."