PanamaTimes

Sunday, Nov 02, 2025

Elite Israeli reserve fighter pilots and intelligence officers boycott training to protest against Netanyahu's right-wing government

Elite Israeli reserve fighter pilots and intelligence officers boycott training to protest against Netanyahu's right-wing government

Netanyahu's proposed judicial shake-up has resulted in mass protests for over two months, and now the IDF's top reserve pilots are joining them.

Most reservists in a top Israeli air force squadron are boycotting training in protest of the government's controversial judicial overhaul.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is planning to overhaul the legal system and is pushing forward despite mass protests claiming the move undermines liberal democracy.

Thirty-seven of the 40 reserve pilots in Israeli Air Force's 69th Squadron joined the protests by refusing to attend pre-scheduled training this week, the Jerusalem Post reports.

The 69th Squadron is one of Israel's most prestigious air force units, according to Haaretz. It flies F-15 Thunderbird aircraft that have conducted long-range missions targeting Iranian positions in Syria in recent years, said the Israeli outlet.

This move follows the reservists in the elite IDF 8200 intelligence unit, who are also striking in protest of government actions, the Post said, by not attending certain aspects of training.

The Israel reserve is 465,00-strong, and the mandatory service is part of the national ethos.

"Calls for insubordination hurts the Israeli military's ability to function and carry out its missions," said Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, per The Post.

Protesters clash with officers on horses as they are blocking a main highway during a mass rally against the government proposed judicial overhaul on March 4, 2023 in Tel Aviv, Israel.


According to Reuters, tens of thousands of people across Israel rallied against the law reform last night for the ninth week in a row, which would reduce the Supreme Court's abilities to contest to the legislature and the executive while simultaneously allowing lawmakers to appoint judges without contest.

Critics of this plan by Netanyahu's right-wing government say that this will weaken Israel's courts, and reduce civil liberties, per Reuters.

"There's a great danger that Israel will turn into a dictatorship. We came here to demonstrate over and over again until we win," School teacher Ophir Kubitsky, 68, said on Saturday, per Reuters.

Police attacked protesters on Wednesday, firing stun grenades and water cannons, according to Reuters.

Protesters responded by screaming "shame" and chanting: "We are the majority, and we are out on the streets."

Newsletter

Related Articles

PanamaTimes
0:00
0:00
Close
White House Refutes Reports That US Targeting Military Sites in Venezuela
Hurricane Melissa Strikes Cuba After Devastating Jamaica With Record Winds
U.S. Targets Maritime Narco-Routes While Border Pressure to Mexico Remains Limited
Argentina’s Markets Surge as Milei’s Party Secures Major Win
U.S. Treasury Sanctions Colombia’s President Gustavo Petro over Drug-Trafficking Allegations
‘I Am Not Done’: Kamala Harris Signals Possible 2028 White House Run
Ecuadorian President Daniel Noboa Alleges Poison Plot via Chocolate and Jam
Trump Accuses Colombia’s President of Drug-Leadership and Announces End to US Aid
"The Tsunami Is Coming, and It’s Massive": The World’s Richest Man Unveils a New AI Vision
U.S. Treasury Mobilises New $20 Billion Debt Facility to Stabilise Argentina
A Dollar Coin Featuring Trump’s Portrait Expected to Be Issued Next Year
Trump Stands Firm in Shutdown Showdown and Declares War on Drug Cartels — Turning Crisis into Opportunity
FBI Strikes Deep in Maduro’s Financial Web with Bold Money-Laundering Indictments
Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs Sentenced to Fifty Months in Prison Following Prostitution Conviction
New World Screwworm Creeps Within Seventy Miles of U.S. Border, Threatening Cattle Sector
Colombian President Petro Vows to Mobilize Volunteers for Gaza and Joins List of Fighters
Trump Orders Third Lethal Strike on Drug-Trafficking Vessel as U.S. Expands Maritime Counter-Narcotics Operations
US Launches New Pilot Program to Accelerate eVTOL Air Taxi Deployment
New OpenAI Study Finds Majority of ChatGPT Use Is Personal, Not Professional
Actor, director, environmentalist Robert Redford dies at 89
Florida Hospital Welcomes Its Largest-Ever Baby: Annan, Nearly Fourteen Pounds at Birth
Could AI Nursing Robots Help Healthcare Staffing Shortages?
In a politically motivated trial: Bolsonaro Sentenced to 27 Years for Plotting Coup After 2022 Defeat
In a highly politically motivated trial, Brazil’s Supreme Court finds former leader Bolsonaro guilty of plotting coup
Brazilian police say ex-President Bolsonaro had planned to flee to Argentina seeking asylum
Apple Introduces Ultra-Thin iPhone Air, Enhanced 17 Series and New Health-Focused Wearables
Nayib Bukele Points Out Belgian Hypocrisy as Brussels Considers Sending Army into the Streets
Brazil Braces for Fallout from Bolsonaro Trial by corrupted judge
Escalating Drug Trafficking and Violence in Latin America: A Growing Crisis
Uruguay, Colombia and Paraguay Secure Places at 2026 World Cup
The White House on LinkedIn Has Changed Their Profile Picture to Donald Trump
Trump Responds to Death Rumors – Announces 'Missile City'
Argentine President Javier Milei Evacuated After Stones Thrown During Campaign Event
Category 5 Hurricane in the Caribbean: 'Catastrophic Storm' with Winds of 255 km/h
Air Canada Begins Flight Cancellations Ahead of Flight Attendant Lockout
Southwest Airlines Apologizes After 'Accidentally Forgetting' Two Blind Passengers at New Orleans Airport and Faces Criticism Over Poor Service for Passengers with Disabilities
Mexico Extradites 26 Cartel Figures to the United States in Coordinated Security Operation
Asia-Pacific dominates world’s busiest flight routes, with South Korea’s Jeju–Seoul corridor leading global rankings
Spain Scraps F-35 Jet Deal as Trump Pushes for More NATO Spending
Trump Administration Increases Reward for Arrest of Venezuelan President Maduro to Fifty Million Dollars
All Five Trapped Miners Found Dead After El Teniente Mine Collapse
Nationwide Protests Erupt in Brazil Demanding Presidential Resignation
Mystery Surrounds Death of Brazilian Woman with iPhones Glued to Her Body
Absolutely 100% Realistic EVO Series Doll by EXDOLL (Chinese Company) used mainly for carnal purposes
Former Judge Charged After Drunk Driving Crash Kills Comedian in Brazil
Trump Steamrolls EU in Landmark Trade Win: US–EU Trade Deal Imposes 15% Tariff on European Imports
California Clinic Staff Charged for Interfering with ICE Arrest
Politics is a good business: Barack Obama’s Reported Net Worth Growth, 1990–2025
US Revokes Visas of Brazilian Corrupted Judges Amid Fake Bolsonaro Investigation
Brazil's Supreme Court Imposes Radical Restrictions on Former President Bolsonaro
×