Reservists Defiantly Withdraw Support Amid Israel's Political Crisis and Judicial Reform Protests

Over 1,000 members of the Israeli Air Force, including over 400 pilots, have announced that they will be halting their volunteer reserve duty in protest of the government's effort to overhaul the judiciary. Senior coalition lawmakers have condemned the protest, likening it to an attempted military coup. Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich urged the protesters to retract their "mistake," while other far-right lawmakers expressed more combative language against the pilots. The government plans to move forward with the passage of the first piece of overhaul legislation next week, despite the growing protests. Defense officials have warned that the increasing number of reservists dropping out of volunteer duty could affect national military preparedness.