Israel’s Military Cohesion, Preparedness Threatened as Judicial Reform Sparks Backlash

As the Israeli government advances with its judicial reforms, the army's longstanding position above politics is being seriously challenged

The judicial overhaul launched by the Israeli government at the beginning of the year has plunged Israel into a major crisis, striking to the heart of what was the country’s consensus: its military.

For decades, the Israeli army has been treated as above political conflicts. Military service in Israel has been viewed as both a civic duty and a rite of passage. But as Israel finds itself divided between supporters of the government’s proposed reform and those who vehemently oppose it, the army has been caught in the crosshairs for the first time.

As part of the opposition to the judicial reforms, military reservists who volunteer for service began threatening to not show up for service should the legislation proceed. After the first part of the legislation passed last month, those reservists have started to deliver on their threats. Many units in Israel, especially top commando units and fighter pilots, are highly dependent on reservists for their daily performance.

What we are seeing is the use of military force with the purpose of harming military fitness in order to achieve a political goal

This protest has drawn intense criticism from supporters of the government but also its opponents, many of whom say the use of army service as a tool to demonstrate is illegitimate.

“What we are seeing is the use of military force with the purpose of harming military fitness in order to achieve a political goal,” said Professor Kobi Michael, a senior researcher at the Institute for National Security Studies. “The damage to military preparedness is enormous, but also this has harmed the status of the military within Israeli society and breached the trust between the political and the military echelon.”

“This harms Israel’s deterrence because the debate is being held publicly, in front of its enemies,” Michael added.

On Monday, Israel’s chief of the General Staff, Lt. Gen. Herzi Halevi, came under fire on social media for being weak in the face of dissent among military reservists. Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, who has voiced his discomfort with the coalition’s policies in the past, backed him up.

“The people of Israel have benefited that in these complex times … Halevi is leading the Israel Defense Forces,” Gallant posted on X (formerly known as Twitter).

On Sunday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was briefed by the top military brass that reportedly warned him that the continued domestic conflict will harm the army’s ability to defend Israel in case of a war.

There are growing concerns among military commanders over the loss of reservists who have stopped their volunteer duty in protest of the judicial overhaul. Reserve pilots usually report for duty once a week, performing not only combat operations but also instrumental roles in the training of new pilots. A lengthy period of absence has an immediate effect on the operational abilities of the air force, but also on the future generations of pilots currently receiving instruction who might be forced to skip critical sections of their training.

“It is still too early to say preparedness has been harmed, but it has to be stopped now,” said Professor Emeritus Shmuel Sandler from the Department of Political Studies at Bar-Ilan University. “Netanyahu must take a political risk and stop the legislation. In parallel, the chief of staff has to convince the reservists that they have done enough, their action is beyond politics, it poses a strategic threat.”

According to media reports, Netanyahu postponed a scheduled vacation to attend the urgent briefing on Sunday. The reports said the Israeli premier yelled at the senior defense officials, accusing them of taking their concerns to the public, thus harming Israel’s deterrence.

“The prime minister ordered that the IDF’s fitness and preparedness be maintained in times of routine and emergency, for any challenge,” Netanyahu’s office released a statement announcing the meeting. The statement then repeated the basic duty of the military and its chief of staff.

Despite a respite in the contentious legislation due to the parliament being on summer break, the turmoil in the military appears to continue and perhaps even intensify, as the impact of the protests among reservists seeps even deeper.

Facing a myriad of security threats, any dent in Israel’s preparedness could have major consequences.

On Sunday, an operative from the Lebanese-based Hizbullah terror organization hurled a Molotov cocktail at the Israeli border, causing damage to the water infrastructure of a nearby Israeli town. This was just the latest in a series of incidents in which Hizbullah has been testing Israel and perhaps waiting for Israeli retaliation.

In the past, seemingly small incidents have spiraled into a larger conflict. The 2006 war between Hizbullah and Israel began with a cross-border incident in which Hizbullah fighters killed three Israeli soldiers and captured two others. Israel’s immediate retaliation then saw an escalation to a monthlong war, killing over 1,000 Lebanese civilians and causing major damage to infrastructure in Lebanon. Approximately 160 Israelis were killed, most of them soldiers.

“Every day Hizbullah is testing the limits, walking a tightrope very securely,” Michael said. “In the end, there could be a misperception on their part, if they take it to the brink and we will find ourselves in a conflict. They might think the time is ripe to attack Israel.”

Hassan Nasrallah, the leader of Hizbullah, has referred to the internal crisis in Israel in recent speeches, mocking it for its perceived weakness and waiting for what he believed is Israel’s impending demise.

Every day Hizbullah is testing the limits, walking a tightrope very securely

Israel is also under threat from Iran, whom it considers its archenemy due to its nuclear threat. Israel is hesitantly watching on the sidelines as it appears the US is about to reach understandings with Iran on its nuclear program. Iran also poses a threat to Israel by supporting local organizations such as Hizbullah and the Palestinian Islamic Jihad.

“Iran is still careful and still deterred,” Michael explained. “But on the other hand, it sees an improvement in its regional and international status, with what is happening in Israel helping Iran. Iran has many ways to bother Israel through its proxies without being directly involved, but as Israel’s situation becomes more complicated, Iran feels a greater range of opportunities.”

“There is not an immediate threat, but miscalculations can happen at any minute,” Sandler added.

In addition to the judicial overhaul, the ultra-Orthodox Jewish parties in the coalition are looking to promote legislation granting a blanket exemption for ultra-Orthodox males from conscription to the military, granting them rights and benefits like the ones granted to Israelis who have completed military service. This has contributed to the increased public outcry and has had an effect on the military itself.

While military service in Israel is mandatory for both men and women upon reaching the age of 18, ultra-Orthodox or Haredi Jews have been exempt from this duty since the founding of the state. A series of arrangements have allowed ultra-Orthodox men to receive an exemption by proving they are engaged in full-time religious studies. All religious women in Israel, including the ultra-Orthodox, can receive an automatic exemption with no study requirement.

The arrangement for the men was based on a belief among the ultra-Orthodox that Torah study had a value to the state that was equal, if not superior, to military service. When the exemptions were first put into place, Israel’s population was much smaller than it is today, as was the percentage of ultra-Orthodox Jews in the population. Today, they make up about 13% of Israel’s 9 million citizens, a significant increase over their proportion of the population—just 1%—in 1948, upon Israel’s establishment.

As the years have gone by, secular Israeli society has become increasingly frustrated with the exemption for the ultra-Orthodox.

“If the government moves forward with this, it will provide fuel for the protests and ignite them in a way we have yet to witness,” Michael said. “This cuts to the core of the army as the people’s army. Such a law impacts the future of the army and society. This is an anti-democratic law that perpetuates inequality.”

The issue of conscription has become part and parcel of the crisis engulfing Israel. It also has the potential of creating a political crisis within the otherwise cohesive coalition. Netanyahu has reportedly told the ultra-Orthodox parties that the law needs to be toned down to avoid public backlash. His request was apparently met with refusal from the parties, who believed that Israel’s most right-wing government to ever govern in Israel would provide the first opportunity to affix and legalize the exemption.

“There will be major backlash and the Haredi leadership should be careful in pushing for this,” Sandler said.

Israel’s army continues to be in the middle of one of the most heated debates that has preoccupied society in recent decades. While the dust has yet to settle and the direction the country is taking is unclear, this will likely change Israel for years to come.