Reservists threaten not to serve if govt overhauls judiciary

JERUSALEM, July 20 (AP): Cracks are emerging in Israel's military. The Middle East's best equipped and most powerful force is under one of the worst assaults it has encountered - a battle within its own ranks.

A contentious government plan to overhaul the country's judiciary has cleaved deep rifts within Israeli society. Those rifts have infiltrated the military, where reservists in key units have pledged not to show up for duty if the legislative changes are pushed through.

The letters, signed by thousands of reservists over the last seven months, have up to now mostly remained threats. But this week, 161 critical air force personnel announced they will stop their service, raising concerns about the military's readiness in the face of similar refusals at a time of heightened violence and tensions on several fronts. On Wednesday, hundreds of reservists from various units joined a rally in Tel Aviv, declaring they would not report for duty anymore.

Israel's military is compulsory for most Jewish men. After their three-year service is complete, many continue reserve duty well into their 40s or beyond.

Reservists make up a critical pool of soldiers who fill an important role in reinforcing the regular army. They cover a range of positions and forces, from air to land to sea to cyber.

As soon as Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government announced the overhaul in January, reservist-led protest groups become central to the grassroots movement demonstrating against the overhaul.

The protesters say they do not want to serve a country that they think is moving toward dictatorship if the overhaul moves ahead. They say the government is violating an unwritten social contract where soldiers risk their lives with the understanding that they are defending a democracy.

Many also believe that loosening judicial oversight could expose Israeli forces to war crimes charges at international courts.