In the background of the reservists' protest, several hundred reservists announced Wednesday evening that they do not intend to report for reserve duty following the government's moves. Some announced that they would not report immediately, some if the legislation passes, and some later. The IDF Chief of Staff, Lt. Gen. Herzi Halevy, instructed the IDF commanders to speak with each of the reservists who announced their non-appearance, and the direct commanders of the reservists did indeed speak with the vast majority.
At this stage, the army explicitly states that the army is fit for war, and that competence can be clearly measured quantitatively. Of the hundreds of non-show notices, there is still no critical mass of pilots, and even if there were, a pilot does not lose his competence immediately, since the loss of competence is gradual. Thus, for example, a pilot somewhat loses his qualification if he does not perform a certain number of night and day flights per month, and then is required, for example, to fly in a simulator before returning to flying.
Tel Aviv Museum Now, dozens of reservists signing a "non-report" for service, photo: Navot Tzur
The IDF Chief of Staff, Lt. Gen. Herzi Halevi, visited Tel Nof Air Force Base today and spoke with the squadron commanders at the base who are coping with the challenge. "The IDF has been based on the reserve system since its establishment. These are the best people of the State of Israel and we cherish them. Without them, the People's Army model would not have lasted 75 years. The contract we built is the insurance certificate of the State of Israel. The calls for non-appearance hurt the IDF," said Lt. Gen. Halevi.
"The IDF's operational challenges exist night after night. The security reality requires us to act every day, in all arenas, alongside the IDF's readiness and preparation for the next war. The Air Force is required to realize its operational capabilities every day accurately and professionally in the face of security challenges."
The reservists' protest, signing a letter of non-appearance at the Tel Aviv Museum, photo: Gideon Markowitz
Declaration of cessation of volunteering of reservists, photo: Gideon Markowitz
The army is preparing for the possibility that the number of non-show notices will increase exponentially, in which case the IDF's state of competence will be fully reflected to the political echelon, but it will be necessary to examine how to reflect this to the public without harming state security. The army conducts a daily assessment of the situation, with an emphasis on the entire air, sea, land and intelligence branches. What is particularly troubling to the army at the moment is the issue of cohesion in the reserve world. At this stage, there is no significant incident in this area, but the concern is grave.
As defined by the IDF in advance, the treatment of those who refuse to report for a reserve order will be individual, and only after they do not actually appear, that is, not following declarations. The penalties on the agenda will be suspension, dismissal, release of adult reservists and even bandage.
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