A group of Air Force pilots sent a letter opposing the continuation of fighting in the Gaza Strip, on account of the return to fighting being too "political," KAN reported for the first time on Tuesday evening.
The letter caused a storm within the air force, with Air Force Commander Major General Tomer Bar threatening that anyone who signs the letter will not be able to continue serving in the reserves, KAN added.
This is despite the fact that the letter did not include a threat of refusal or cessation of reserve service.
According to KAN, Bar was most troubled by one paragraph in particular: "At this time, the war serves mainly political interests and not security interests. Continuing the war does not contribute to any of Israel's stated war goals and will lead to the deaths of hostages, IDF soldiers and innocent civilians."
One of the signatories told KAN that Bar met with Corps commanders in recent days to discuss the issue, with IDF Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir in attendance.
A military official responded by saying: "All the Air Force commander tried to do was prevent an active reservist from calling for a halt to the fighting on the grounds that the war is personal and politically motivated. The implication of that is a lack of trust, and it can ultimately harm cohesion and national security."
The IDF responded to the report of the letter, saying, "The IDF, including the Air Force, is committed to and actively working towards achieving all the objectives of the war, including the return of all hostages.The letter was not received by the IDF."
Previous refusals
In March, dozens of reservists from the IDF medical corps wrote a statement saying they would not be willing to return to fighting in Gaza, citing international law violations and the lack of progress towards the second phase of the hostage deal.
In the same month, the IDF terminated the reserve service of an Israeli Air Force reservist navigator who posted on social media that he would not show up for reserve duty because of the resumption of fighting in the Gaza Strip.
Alon Gur, wrote that “a line was crossed; at the point where the state again abandons its citizens in broad daylight; in which the cynical and cold political considerations exceed every other consideration; where human life has lost their value; where a government assassinates its own gatekeepers in every way possible; where the king becomes more important than the kingdom; No more.”
In October, 138 IDF soldiers, 17 of whom were in their regular service and the rest of whom were in reserves, signed a letter expressing that they could not continue to serve if the government did not advance a hostage deal.
President Isaac Herzog has previously said that, given Israel is a democracy, soldiers have the right to protest, however refusal is not permitted: "We have one state and we have one army, which must remain above all political disputes."
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that "incitement to refusals is contrary to democracy,” which "threatens to do away with Israel’s security."