Israeli media outlets that lean to the left, both Hebrew and English, are replete with reports of “thousands” of IDF reservists threatening to refuse service if the government advances the judicial reform legislation.

However, a look at media outlets associated with the right, such as Channel 14 News, Makor Rishon, and others, show that these reports are completely exaggerated and in some cases, false. Many signatories of the various refusal petitions are middle-aged, in their fifties and sixties, and haven’t served in the reserves for years.

In addition, many reservists are now calling out against the calls for refusal, in petitions, and on Sunday, at a press conference in Jerusalem.

Yaron Rosenthal, a paratrooper commander, stated: “The threats in the refusals are fake threats: fake petitions, fake refusals, a gun without bullets – we need to move forward with the judicial reform.”

Journalist Chanan Amiur posted a link on Twitter with a “petition of about 600 paratroopers in favor of refusal” and broke down the falsehoods.

He wrote:

1. There aren’t 600 names in the petition
2. Only a few of the names are of active reserve service age, almost all of them are old and irrelevant
3. The list includes names that are unfamiliar to the staff, soldiers who were eliminated along the way, mysterious initials, etc.
4. Conclusion:
The publicity agencies of the protest are forced to publish this nonsense, in order to cover up a clear fact: refusal in the paratrooper brigades, regular and reserves, is completely negligible, has no effect, and in fact does not exist.

The army command must clearly announce: Anyone who refuses, in any active military role, is immediately removed from his status in his unit with no possibility of returning to it in the future.

(YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)