IDF spokesman Daniel Hagari today (Wednesday) condemned the publication of a video depicting an IDF soldier calling for assistance during a battle, only for the air force pilot on the other end to demand to know where he stands on the judicial reform debate.
"In the last few days, a video has been distributed whose purpose is to create internal incitement within the IDF, which must be fully condemned. Unity is a supreme value for the IDF. We completely reject all statements against the commanders and soldiers of the air force, whether regular soldiers or reservists. These are the best soldiers and commanders in the IDF, who risk their lives night after night," said Hagari.
“The camaraderie and putting one’s life at risk occur in every operational activity between the aerial soldiers and the ground troops, who act as one army for the security of the State of Israel,” he added.
Culture and Sports Minister Miki Zohar, who shared the video on Twitter, deleted it after it caused an uproar.
Zohar wrote that he had come across “a clip that tried to convey a unifying message in a thoughtful manner” and that he shared it in order to "echo the message that we are brothers" during the current controversy surrounding the judicial reforms, which has seen a growing number of air force reservists state that they will refuse to report for duty in protest against the reforms.
“Unfortunately, a media outlet decided to take it out of context and present it as offensive toward some corps. This obviously wasn’t the goal and therefore I’ve deleted it," the minister said.
National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir also shared the video on his social media and has refused to delete it as Zohar did.
"I do not intend to delete the video that clearly illustrates the danger of refusal [to serve]. The video in question is intended to illustrate the tangible damage that is created in the attempt by elements who are a minority within a minority to refuse and incite refusal," Ben-Gvir said.
"Those who refuse [to serve] because they are protesting against the reforms, whether they are from the Air Force or from another force, endanger the security of the citizens of Israel," he added.