The IDF chief medical officer’s headquarters requested on Wednesday that reservist medical officers who signed a letter calling for the end of the ongoing war and the return of the hostages remove their signatures, emphasizing that “there is no place for politics in the army.”
The letter was signed by 208 reserve doctors and sent to Defense Minister Israel Katz and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on the night of Passover. Since then, about a hundred more signatures have been added.
The IDF claimed that they are not trying to immediately expel the doctors but rather get them to remove their names from the petitions. They're being more lenient with the doctors than with the Israel Air Force pilots, who signed a similar petition and were simply removed from their positions.
One of the letter’s organizers told Israeli state broadcaster KAN, "I was called an hour ago. I was informed that the chief of staff had directed the chief medical officer to hold talks with the doctors and clarify that it is illegitimate to mix politics and the military, even though we made it clear that we would report for reserve duty."
'Withdrawing my signature was not an option'
Another reservist doctor explained to KAN that he was asked if he would refuse to report for duty. "I said no, and that was enough for them," he said. “I made it clear from the start that withdrawing my signature was not an option. The letter does not call for refusal and explicitly states that we will report for duty. We are demanding the return of the hostages and an end to the war, which serves no purpose other than satisfying personal and political interests that endanger the lives of both hostages and soldiers.”
While organizers of the letter claimed that at least one medical officer who signed the petition had already been dismissed, the IDF denied this, KAN reported.
In an official statement, the military stated, “The IDF values and appreciates its reservists. The Medical Corps reservists have shown extraordinary dedication, saving lives throughout the war and putting their own lives at risk. IDF commanders maintain open communication with the reservists. No doctors serving in the reserves have been dismissed. The IDF will continue to act professionally to achieve its goals and will not allow internal disputes to affect its ranks.”
Yonah Jeremy Bob contributed to this report.