The INSS Insight “Why Don’t Arab Citizens Join the Protest Movement against the Proposed Judicial Overhaul?” attributes the lack of participation by Israeli Arabs in the protests against the judicial overhaul largely to indifference and alienation. The results of a February 2023 survey and a closer analysis, however, reveal a complex interplay of factors that hinder this sector’s involvement. These factors include geographical distance, historical experiences of repression, feelings of alienation, skepticism regarding the inclusivity...
Israel’s home front functioned well during Operation Shield and Arrow, the recent short round of fighting against Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ). There was no evidence of the impaired national consensus and undermined societal solidarity of recent months sparked by the political-social crisis, which raised questions about national security issues, including mandatory service in the IDF and the commitment to serve. The return to routine following the operation was swift. Overall, the limited round of fighting did not severely...
The protest by the reserve soldiers and the crisis confronting the IDF is examined here from three angles: non-volunteering, containment of the protest, and the conscription law. Even if the protest has ostensibly calmed down, the threat of non-volunteering for reserve service remains and is expected to resurface if, within the framework of the proposed judicial overhaul, the legislation on changes to the composition of the judicial selection committee moves forward in the Knesset, or if the conscription bill, in one version or...
No one can ignore the tremendous impact of the protest by IDF reservists on the public debate on military resilience, and, finally, on the (to date, temporary) suspension of the legislative processes spearheaded by the government. One of the prominent moments in the protests by reservists was the announcement by dozens of pilots that although they would report for operational duty, they would stop reporting for training exercises. Similar letters by officers from other units followed. Frequent reports named yet another unit joining...
The threat by reservists to refuse to volunteer – which is cast by the political leadership, large portions of the public, and even some among those serving in the IDF as tantamount to insubordination – represents nothing less than a sea change. The IDF, against the wishes and not at the instigation of the top military leadership, but specifically because of the mishandling of developments within the military due to the political crisis, has become a political actor. Moreover, the threat of refusing to serve has proven to be of much...
Since the outbreak of the widescale, unprecedented public protests sparked by the government’s proposed judicial overhaul, the Arab public has avoided any active or mass involvement in the events. This is a noteworthy phenomenon, because Arab citizens of Israel, who comprise one fifth of the country’s population, might well be the first to be adversely impacted, individually and collectively, if and when the judicial overhaul is enacted. The occasional calls made by a few Arab leaders to take part in the protest have generally been...
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Israel is facing an ominous combination of severe threats to its national security, widening rifts in its relations with the US, and increasing economic risks amid the global economic crisis. At the same time, Israeli society is in the midst of an unprecedented internal conflict stemming from the proposed judicial reform, which magnifies these threats and impairs our ability to tackle them. Without dwelling on the controversial contents of the reform, this much is clear: the...
The government of Israel should understand that proceeding with the proposed judicial initiative, which is undermining internal solidarity, damaging public trust in the government, and impairing governance, may well harm social resilience and consequently jeopardize Israel’s national security. Even if the government is determined to proceed with reforming the justice system, it should do so with caution and responsibility, based on broad public consent and in a way that does not entail harmful societal consequences.
