Roughly two hundred Israel Air Force reserve pilots are refusing to take part in reserve duty, in protest of the government’s judicial reform plan. The protesting pilots informed the IAF commander Friday that they will no longer be participating in reserve duty, until further notice. The group said they maid there decision after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s televised address Thursday night , in which he pledged that the government would move forward with the judicial overhaul plan, even as he called on the Opposition to negotiate a compromise. During his speech, Netanyahu also vowed to get directly involved in the judicial reform, following passage of the Incapacitation Law , limiting the ability of the Attorney General to declare a prime minister unfit for office only to situations in which the premier suffers from physical or mental incapacitation. The reserve pilots said they will reassess their decision in two weeks, but added that in the meantime it is clear to them that Netanyahu will not stop the reform plan, something which will in their opinion lead Israel to become a dictatorship. In addition, roughly 150 reserve IDF officers and soldiers from the Unit 8200 intelligence division have signed a pledge not to participate in reserve duty, effective this coming Sunday.
The Palestinian Authority’s (PA) prisoners' administration on Thursday announced an agreement with the Israel Prison Service, which resulted in a planned hunger strike by imprisoned terrorists, which was planned for the month of Ramadan, being cancelled. The administration said in a statement that the prisoners' leadership "preserved their rights" after "intense negotiations". No official in Israel has confirmed the agreement. A Palestinian Arab source claimed that the terrorists received a promise that their imprisonment conditions would not be harmed and that prisoners’ showering time in the Nafha prison would be extended to 20 minutes, after National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir ordered to allocate a showering time of only about four minutes for each terrorist prisoner, and to provide a total time of one hour of running water to each prison wing in which terrorists are held. The director of the Palestinian Prisoners Club, Qadura Fares, told the Arabic-language Ashams Radio that the ambiguity surrounding the understandings reached by the parties is intentional, "because neither side wants to provoke the other side." Fares added that, from now on, any change in the conditions of the terrorist prisoners will be discussed in the Security Political Cabinet “and it will not be decided based on Ben Gvir's personal whims." Senior members of the Israel Security Agency (Shin Bet) and the National Security Council were involved, including the head of the NSC Tzachi Hanegbi, assisted by representatives of the Israel Prison Service. As noted, Ben Gvir was not involved in the talks, and will not decide on his own in the future about worsening the terrorists' prison conditions. These details, however, contradict the announcement made by the Minister of National Security, who stated that no agreement has been made with the terrorists and that his policy is being implemented. "I trust Major-General Katy Perry, head of the Israel Prison Service, and the command staff who made it clear to me last night that no agreement was made with the terrorists in the prisons and that my policy is being implemented," wrote Ben Gvir in a statement to the media. Ben Gvir continued, "The 'price of the loss' that the Israel Prison Service clarified to Hamas is the message I asked to convey to all prison commanders, that if there is a hunger strike, we will discuss the implementation of the conclusions of a committee which called to deny the terrorists all their rights, starting already this Ramadan. I assume that Hamas understood the message and apart from individual prisoners there is no hunger strike in the prisons." A Hamas spokesman, meanwhile, welcomed the cancellation of the prisoners' hunger strike and said, "Israel's agreement to the prisoners' demands before they went on strike represents a new victory and emphasizes their ability to meet challenges. This is a message from our people - we are capable of winning any campaign we wage." Related articles: Terrorist prisoners preparing for hunger strike during Ramadan Ben Gvir 'visits' hospitalized terrorist Hunger striking terrorist to be released 'We prevented hunger strike by terrorists at start of Ramadan' Jailed terrorists have more than once used the method of hunger strikes in order to pressure Israel to release them or improve the conditions of their imprisonment. Israel has several times in the past caved to the pressure and released some hunger strikers. At times, the terrorists were found to be secretly eating during the hunger strike. A prominent example of this was in 2017, when the Israel Police released footage of archterrorist Marwan Barghouti, who was caught eating in secret while maintaining the pretenses of his own hunger strike.
Israel Security Agency (Shin Bet) chief Ronen Bar held a conversation with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, during which Bar discussed with Netanyahu the increase in security threats alongside the "rift in Israeli society". According to a report on Channel 12 News on Thursday, Bar told Netanyahu during the meeting that the convergence between the threats is bringing the State of Israel closer to "danger zone". This is not the first time that Bar has warned the Prime Minister about the recent threats. Bar's call joins similar calls from the heads of the defense establishment regarding the legislation of the judicial reform. Defense Minister Yoav Gallant was quoted as calling for a halt to the legislation accompanying the reform. In addition, it was reported that IDF Chief of Staff Herzi Halevi also recently presented intelligence materials to the Prime Minister with explicit warnings. Against the background of the calls to stop the judicial reform, MKs and ministers from the Likud signed a petition stating that if someone in the faction decides that he is not committed to the decision of the majority in the Likud, he is in essence tearing the Likud apart and will be treated accordingly. Meanwhile on Thursday, Netanyahu delivered an address to the nation on the government's planned judicial reforms. In his remarks, the Prime Minister acknowledged the concerns of those who oppose the reform and said, "I believe that it is possible to pass a reform that will provide an answer to both sides, that will restore the proper balance between the branches of government and, beyond that, that will preserve the individual rights of every citizen in the country. We did not come to run over and trample. We came to balance and correct. We are determined to responsibly amend the democratic reforms that will restore the balance between the branches." Related articles: Shin Bet Director, COGAT, to participate in Aqaba summit Shabak chief warns Ben-Gvir inciting Jerusalem violence The warning which led Netanyahu to delay building's demolition Rise in incitement against Prime Minister Netanyahu "The best way to achieve a balanced reform and prevent a rift in the nation is through dialogue and achieving as broad an agreement as possible. Unfortunately, until now the representatives of the opposition have refused to enter this discussion. Almost three months have been wasted because of this refusal. I hope that will change in the coming days," he said. The opposition was quick to reject Netanyahu’s call for dialogue, describing his statement as an “illusion”.
