IAF Squadron Pilots Raise Protests Over Domestic Issues
At the beginning of this week, a group of pilots of the Squadron 69 of the Israeli Air Force posted a statement regarding their boycott of the judicial reforms commenced by Benjamin Netanyahu’s government. The group of almost 40 fliers initially decided that they would not participate in periodic air force drills. Instead, they would conduct talks regarding democratic issues in the state and the role of the Supreme Court in national politics.
The Squadron 69 is considered an elite unit utilizing F-15I fighter jets. The statement made by the 69th Squadron reserve pilots:
“On Wednesday, March 8, we will devote our time to discourse and thinking for the sake of democracy and the unity of the people, and therefore we will not report to reserve duty on this day, with the exception of operational activity. During the rest of the week, we will report [for duty] as planned.”
The decision of the reserve pilots of Squadron 69 led to a huge public outcry that moved even Prime Minister Netanyahu himself. Former commando of the Israeli Defense Force, Netanyahu shared his picture from his service period stating, that: “When we’re called for reserve duty, we always turn up. We are one nation”.
On 3 March, senior pilots met with IAF Chief Major General Tomer Bar to express their concerns that the new hardline government’s conduct could expose them to prosecution by global bodies such as the International Criminal Court. Israel has never ratified its signature on the Statue of Rome, the ICC’s founding treaty, and does not recognize the ICC’s jurisdiction. On 6 March, IDF chief of staff Herzi Halevi met with the pilots and other personnel about the protest. The same day a group of ten ex-IAF chiefs penned a letter to the Prime Minister to address the issue, being deeply concerned with the situation, stating: “We are fearful over the consequences of these processes and the serious and tangible danger posed to the national security of the State of Israel”
According to Haaretz on Tuesday, the day before the planned protest, the pilots decided to reverse their decision on the boycott and set aside their protest. Major General Bar suspended one of the leaders of the reservist pilots, Col. Gilad Peled. Peled, one of the public faces of the protest, is set to appeal the decision. An IDF statement said Peled had “acted contrary to the guidance of the chief of the [Air] Force, and in a manner that is inappropriate for the rank and status of the officer”. The 69 Squadron incident underlines the growing tensions within the parts of the IDF regarding the country’s political situation and direction.