Criticism erupted in Israel over the dismissal of Air Force pilots who called for the end of the war in Gaza, with opposition leaders condemning Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. The decision to expel around a thousand Air Force members who wrote a letter demanding the cessation of attacks on Gaza to serve Netanyahu’s political and personal interests once again pitted the government against the opposition. Opposition leaders condemned Israeli Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir and Air Force Commander Tomer Bar for approving the discharge of soldiers who signed the letter advocating for the halt of attacks in Gaza and Netanyahu’s support for the decision. Lapid: Netanyahu Misinterpreted the Letter

Yair Lapid, the leader of the opposition Future Party, took to social media to criticize the decision, drawing a parallel to the compulsory military service rejection by ultra-Orthodox Jews (Haredis).

Lapid pointed out the distinction between opposing war in the letter and calling for refusal to serve, suggesting Netanyahu misinterpreted a letter that did not include the word “refusal” as a call to refuse service.

Claiming that if Netanyahu truly cared about this issue, he should declare an end to the “massive refusal” by the Haredis today, Lapid stated, “Those who encourage and support the Haredis’ massive refusal and evasion should not preach morality.” Golan: The Real Refuser is Netanyahu Himself

Yair Golan, the leader of the Democratic Party, referred to Netanyahu, stating, “The real refuser is the person heading the government who jeopardizes the state’s security, undermines the Israeli army, and leads Israel to moral, civil, and security destruction.”

Golan emphasized Netanyahu’s refusal to really fight for the captives, rally everyone to defend the State of Israel, and take responsibility for the events of October 7, stating, “The real refuser is Netanyahu.” Highlighting that the soldiers who signed the letter are not “refusers,” Golan stressed that they were defending the State of Israel.

“Serving Personal Interests Instead of Security”

A letter signed by nearly a thousand Israeli pilots and reservists, criticizing the Israeli government for serving “political and personal interests instead of security” in the attacks on Gaza, which seeped into the Israeli media, sparked debates.

In the letter signed by 970 Israeli pilots and reservists, a call was made to end the attacks on Gaza and retrieve the Israeli captives held by Hamas. The letter claimed that the attacks on Gaza did not serve the targets set by the Netanyahu government, highlighting that the attacks resulted in the deaths of Israeli captives, soldiers, and civilians in Gaza. Israeli Education Minister Yoav Kisch stated that those who signed the letter should be expelled from the military. It was reported that Israeli Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir and Air Force Commander Tomer Bar approved the decision to discharge soldiers who signed the letter demanding the end of attacks in Gaza, and Israeli Defense Minister Yisrael Katz authorized actions concerning the letter for Bar and Zamir. Netanyahu also expressed his support for the decision.