The very existence of the "Warrior Talk" in the 69th Squadron gives us hope. It shows that both sides do not want to let things get out of control. They understand that there is much more that brings them together than divides them. That is what they have in common – the State of Israel, the IDF, and the Israeli Air Force – is dear to everyone. That the argument is over what is allowed and forbidden to say.
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The IAF has made an enormous effort to reach this moment. Its senior officers, especially Brig. Gen. Guy Davidson, commander of the Hazerim Air Force Base, cleared their entire schedules over the past few days for this task. Plans of the attack on Iran, the campaign between wars in Syria, training exercises, and purchasing – they all became of secondary importance when there was an understanding that the backbone of the IAF – the reserve pilots – is currently undergoing profound upheaval that is likely to put the IAF's and the entire IDF's fitness for combat under question.
Speeches can be made regarding whether reserve soldiers are allowed to refuse to serve and under what conditions they are allowed to do so. An infinite number of words have been written about this over the past few days. Even if the answer is that they are not allowed to do so, a responsible government and army must do two things: the first is to listen to the voices heard and try to understand where they are coming from. The second is to see what can be done to address the issues, not worsen them.
The IDF is trying to do just that. Therefore, it is refraining from relieving the pilots, knowing that doing so might cause a dangerous snowball effect. The 69th Squadron is not alone: similar debates on the option of refusing to serve have been held in almost every squadron in the IAF, and in several of them, letters have already been written, and investigations have already been made. A rift that would not have been possible to close could have been opened. Therefore, the decision (that the IDF's Chief of Staff, Herzi Halevi, was a partner in) is not to punish them but instead hear them out. In the future, after the uproar quiets down, the IDF and the IAF will need to think about what needs to be done to prevent something like this in the future.
On the other hand, the government is doing the opposite. Its continuing charge towards judicial reform shows that it is not listening to the voices being made heard. Several of its members' responses demonstrate their deliberate attempt to wreak destruction. It is difficult to quantify the damage that was done by ministers Galit Distel Atbaryan ("a bunch of crooks") and Shlomo Karhi ("they should go to hell"), following Yair Netanyahu ("terrorists") and other ministers ("anarchists"). There is not one conversation with reserve soldiers in which statements like these were not made, which begs the question of whether this government, its ministers, and public figures are worthy of the endangering of our lives. Tami Arad, the spouse of IAF weapon systems officer Ron Arad, who was taken captive when he was part of 69th Squadron (then a Phantom fighter jet squadron), precisely put it into words when she wrote yesterday to Karhi in a Facebook post: "In the years of this country's existence, my husband and his friends went to hell to protect our beloved country. However, you and your friends in the government, most of whom did not even serve in the IDF, are shocked. What did they already say? Irony has committed suicide."
The one to join the effort to stem the tide was Defense Minister Yoav Gallant. In a conversation with reserve soldiers, along with the IDF Chief of Staff, he spoke against the insubordination and said that it is eroding the country's security, but also stated that "those who lash out at IDF soldiers, whether they are from the right or the left, have no place in the public system." It is doubtful whether his words will make his government colleagues, who are focused on getting likes on social media at the expense of our country's best men, budge even a little bit. The only one who can bring change is Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who remains silent even though the ultimate responsibility falls upon his shoulders.
Without a statement of leadership from Netanyahu and his government's attention to the voices, this hot potato is left to the IDF and the IAF. The discussion that took place today in the airforce shows us that there is still something left to discuss and someone to discuss it with, but we cannot be mistaken: this crisis is still upon us, and it is bigger, more threatening, and more volatile than ever.
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