Amid tensions with Defense Minister Yoav Galant, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu spent the days leading up to the holiday visiting various security branches. On the surface, he appeared calm and collected, but behind closed doors, Netanyahu was angry at the protest by reservists. He called on all parties to condemn the protest, stating that “there is no such thing as reservists doing as they please.” The Prime Minister further emphasized the threat posed by non-appearance of reservists, which could lead to a strike in the IDF. He even likened the situation in Israel to the ongoing demonstrations in France against changes in retirement age, wondering why the army there did not also consider striking. One of the generals who tried to defend the reservists was swiftly ignored, and Defense Minister Galant did not intervene. Overall, the Prime Minister expressed his dissatisfaction towards the protest and the behaviour of the army that costs the country 70 billion shekels per year.
Against the background of the tensions with the Minister of Defense, the Prime Minister who used the days before the holiday to visit the security forces reprimanded the champions following the reservists’ protest. “You are an army that costs the country 70 billion shekels a year – and you went on strike against the government,” he was furious
In the shadow of tensions with Defense Minister Yoav Galant, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu devoted the days before the holiday to a well-documented series of visits to the heads of the various security branches.
On the outside, Netanyahu appears to be smiling and calm, but it turns out that behind the scenes the Prime Minister was less solemn and even angry, when a significant part of Netanyahu’s anger was directed towards the protest of the reservists. A protest that Netanyahu calls on all parties to denounce.
According to a report in time, Netanyahu addressed the generals and slammed them: “You are an army that costs the country 70 billion shekels a year – and you went on strike against the government.” Netanyahu added: “This is not possible. There is no such thing as reservists doing as they please.”
Netanyahu repeated several times the claim that the threats of the non-appearance of the reservists means “the sword of the strike in the IDF will be drawn from the ground.” The Prime Minister even compared the crisis in Israel to the stormy demonstrations that have been going on in France for the past few weeks, against the background of President Emmanuel Macron’s plans to make changes in the retirement age “Why doesn’t the army there think of striking?”, he wondered.
One of the generals who tried to dispute the accusations against the reservists was quickly silenced. Defense Minister Gallant did not intervene.