20 July 2023; MEMO: Around 300 Israeli army reservists announced on Wednesday that they are suspending their voluntary service as doctors in protest against the judicial overhaul being pushed through by the far-right government coalition. The announcement came a day after 161 air force reservists said that they would no longer turn up for voluntary duty.
Israel's Kan public broadcaster reported Dr Ori Yisraeli, who has served as a reserve doctor for 40 years, as saying: "Israel without a strong judicial authority let its soldiers face legal suits in the international courts. This will undermine cohesion among soldiers."
READ: Israel minister says protests may affect judicial overhaul drive
Outside Tel Hashomer military base in Ramat Gan, representatives of doctors, paramedics and other staff in the Israeli army's Medical Corps held a press conference before handing their protest letters to the head of the corps, Brigadier General Professor Elon Glassberg.
"This year marks 30 years of combat service as a fighter and as a combat medic, but I will never serve an undemocratic regime," Dr Or Goren, the manager of the Ichilov Hospital's operating theatre. "This is not how I wanted to end my military service, but the government forced this terrible decision on me."
In recent weeks, protests against the judicial overhaul have roiled the Israel Defence Forces, with reservists from dozens of units threatening to stop their voluntary service, the Times of Israel pointed out. The threats have ramped up in recent days as the government races ahead with a bill restricting the use of the "reasonableness" judicial test by the Supreme Court, which is part of its planned overhaul of the judiciary in the occupation state.
