Israeli reservists threaten to quit over judicial overhaul

More than 11,000 Israelis in the military reserve said last week they would quit if the government's judicial overhaul continues. But now that the law has been passed, military officials and experts say it will take time to test the sincerity of those warnings.

The military says the vast majority of those who participated in last week's joint statements have yet to resign or formally decline direct appeals. Since most reservists are only called up a few times a year, it can take weeks or months before a significant number of reservists are forced to follow through on their threats. "People still seem to be sleeping on the decision."

In the meantime, the military is trying to persuade the relatively few who have already withdrawn to change their minds, Col. Hecht said. "We tell them, 'We need you, only together can we defend this house,' Colonel Hecht said.

Yet even the possibility of so many withdrawals has alarmed military leaders. than countries in the region," Lt. Gen. Herzi Halevi, head of the Israel Defense Forces, said Sunday.

If the pilots follow through, it could quickly and significantly damage the Air Force's capability: Reserve pilots often fly combat missions across the Middle East, as they typically have more experience than most professional pilot corps.

But as of Tuesday it was unclear how many of them would actually back down.

"We can't really say," said Relik Shafir, a former general, fighter pilot and member of an influential group of retired pilots opposed to the judicial overhaul.

Some pilots might wait to see if the Supreme Court strikes down the new law in the coming weeks, he said. And, he added, “Some of them can chicken out. People are people."