IDF kicks out Air Force reservists who publicly called to end 'politically motivated' fighting in Gaza

Following the publication of a letter by Air Force reserve officers urging the government to bring home all the hostages, even at the price of ending the war against Hamas, Israel Defense Forces (IDF) and the Defense Ministry swiftly took action against the signatories.

“We, the retired and reserve fighters of the Air Force, demand the return of the hostages home without delay, even at the cost of immediate ceasefire,” the letter stated. 

“During this time, the war primarily serves political and personal interests, and not security interests,” the open letter continued.

“Continuation of the war does not contribute to any of the declared goals of the war, and will bring about the deaths of the hostages, of IDF soldiers and innocent civilians.” 

“As has been proven in the past, only an agreement can return hostages safely, while military pressure mainly leads to the killing of hostages and the endangerment of our soldiers,” the letter concluded.

“We call on all citizens of Israel to mobilize for action.” 

The Israel Air Force (IAF) sought to prevent the publication of the letter; however, despite the efforts of IAF Commander Maj.-Gen. Tomer Bar, the letter was published in major Israeli newspapers on Thursday morning. 

Shortly after, the IDF and the Ministry of Defense announced they would release any active reservists who signed the letter from duty.

“It is impossible for someone who does a shift in the cockpit to later come out and express a lack of confidence in the mission,” the IDF statement said.

“This is an impossible anomaly. We recognize the right of every reserve service member to express his opinion – but as long as he does not use his position in the IDF.” 

IAF Chief Bar announced the disciplinary action on Thursday morning. The move, which was backed by IDF Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir, is intended to “keep the IDF above all controversy.” 

Military leaders indicated they would continue to act decisively against "those who try to bring politics into the army." 

A group of reservists who opposed the refusals to serve called on Defense Minister Israel Katz to stop paying the salaries of the reservists who signed the letter. 

The group, which calls itself “The Reserveniks Generation of Victory,” said the IAF reserve officers are threatening “the IDF, Israeli society and elected officials, all in the name of their military rank,” and insisted they “must stop receiving benefits from Israeli citizens and the body they are trying to harm.”

"We, the reserve soldiers who serve unconditionally, call on the Minister of Defense to stop the budgetary pensions for those former soldiers,” the statement continued.

“In this way, it will be made clear to those who seek to return us to the days of disobedience and politics in the IDF that it is impossible to try to destroy the army and the chain of command and at the same time live at its expense.” 

The military also said it is carefully checking the list of names, and that every signatory who is an active reserve service member would be dismissed. 

Additionally, a comparison between the published version of the letter released Thursday morning and a draft from several days earlier revealed that at least five active reservists had requested their names be removed, possibly out of concern over disciplinary consequences.

The defense minister criticized the letter for attempting to undermine the IDF's efforts in Gaza, saying he trusts the military leadership to take appropriate action.

"I strongly reject the letter from the Air Force reservists and the attempt to undermine the legitimacy of the just war that the IDF is leading in Gaza to return the hostages and defeat the murderous terrorist organization Hamas," Katz stated. "I trust the judgment of the Chief of Staff and the Air Force Commander and am convinced that they will deal with this unacceptable phenomenon in the most appropriate way."

The publication of the letter echoed similar statements by groups like Brothers in Arms, where reservists urged other IDF and IAF reservists to refuse to serve in protest of the coalition government’s proposed judicial reform laws

However, the current letter did not explicitly call for a refusal to serve.

Rather, it questioned the motives, the goals, and the return to combat operations – a move decided by the political leadership and carried out by the military. 

Following the announcement of the dismissals, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu issued a statement supporting the move.

"I fully support the Minister of Defense and the Chief of Staff in their decision to dismiss the signatories of the letter," Netanyahu wrote. "Refusal is refusal – even when it is said implicitly and in laundered language."

Netanyahu also drew a connection between the letter and the previous calls for refusal to serve during the judicial reform protests in 2023.

"Statements that weaken the IDF and strengthen our enemies in a time of war are inexcusable," he said. "This is an extremist fringe group that is trying again to break Israeli society from within. They already tried to do this before the October 7th, and Hamas interpreted the calls for refusal as weakness."

He addd, "This noisy fringe group is being mobilized for one goal – to overthrow the government. It does not represent the fighters or the public. The IDF is fighting – and we are all behind it."