Opinion Brothers of the heroes of glory, the IDF must not be brought into this debate | Matan Kahana in a personal column to his fellow pilots | Israel Hayom

My fellow Air Force Reserves.

We have known each other for almost 30 years.

Basically from the day I entered the gates of the flight school until now.

As a flying flower and as a young pilot I raised my eyes to you in admiration.

I had the privilege of flying with the heroes of the Yom Kippur War who sacrificed their lives sortie after sortie and returned to battlefields where only a few hours earlier they had lost their best friends.

I had the privilege of flying with my captives, who after their return from Hell insisted on flying again because they knew that the State of Israel needed them.

I was privileged to fly with the abortive champions of the First Lebanon War.

When I grew up I also got to command you.

You knew how to keep us all together.

Air Force pilots, photo: Ami Shoman

I always knew you were my support.

The support of the corps commanders.

You were and are the senior leaders in the squadrons, those who, thanks to their personality and level of professionalism, go out at the head of the force for the most dangerous missions.

You who knew how to enter the commanders' rooms and give good advice.

You who knew how to call every warm-up and make sure they don't forget to call you.

You, in your wisdom and devotion to your friends, the squadron and the Air Force, knew how to keep us all united around the lofty goal - defense of the State of Israel.

You know better than anyone.

Without you there is no air force.

And without the Air Force, the State of Israel is vulnerable.

Very vulnerable.

I know you very well.

I know how difficult it was for you to lead and participate in tasks that you were convinced with every inch of your being that they could have been prevented if only there had been a different government.

I know how much it hurt you inside to participate in missions where uninvolved people were hurt and your whole being screamed that it could have been prevented.

Without the Air Force, the State of Israel is vulnerable.

Very damaged, photo: none

And yet you were always there.

Always at the top of the force.

Always keep your squadrons that will meet the tasks in the most professional and ethical way.

Always in state.

And I know how hard it is for you right now.

And how much from your point of view "now it's different"

Unfortunately, too many of the coalition leaders simply do not know you.

They don't even realize that all of you, literally all of you are volunteers.

They don't understand that you can't force anyone to be a pilot or navigator.

Neither in reserve nor regularly.

People who have not done for the State of Israel a tenth of what you and your fellow reservists in all branches of the IDF have done, dare to call you derogatory names. They call you anarchists and traitors. IDF into this debate.

It is the holy of holies where politics does not enter.

Continue to protest with all your might as citizens who love their people and their country, and continue to show up in the squadrons.

Air Force pilots at the ceremony of awarding wings, photo: Dodo Greenspan

Although it doesn't seem like it, I believe that eventually we will reach an agreed outline.

I believe that in the end the moderate forces in the coalition will come to their senses and understand the unimaginable prices we will pay as a people for the continuation of the legislation in the existing outline.

I am convinced that in the end they will appeal to the president of the country.

To his understanding that no side should emerge victorious from this confrontation, because then we would all lose.

My brothers are reserve servants.

The prices we paid as a nation for not reporting to the reserves are unfathomable to me.

The basic value of evil, burned into all IDF fighters, the one in whose name we went into battles and dangerous operations with our brothers who think exactly the opposite of us, may receive a blow from which we will have difficulty recovering.

Continue to protest with all your might as citizens who love their people and their country, and continue to report to the squadrons as fighters who know that the continued existence of the country rests on your shoulders and the shoulders of your friends in the other reserve units.

We have no other country.

The author is a MK, former Minister of Religions and a colonel in the reserves, served as a fighter pilot and commanded a squadron.

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