A group of reservists from Israel's elite military units and intelligence services said they would not respond to summonses starting Sunday, escalating protests against the far-right government's plan to amend the Judicial Authority Law.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu warned that violence and chaos would not be tolerated as mass demonstrations entered their 11th week.
In a letter distributed to Israeli media, 450 protesters who described themselves as volunteer reservists in the army's special forces, and 200 who described themselves as volunteer reservists in operations related to cyberattacks, including members of the Mossad intelligence service and the Shin Bet security service, said they were refusing to carry out the summonses for the time being.
"We are not contracted with a tyrant. We will be happy to volunteer when democracy is preserved." News agencies have not been able to verify the identities of the signatories, and the secrecy surrounding the units they said they belonged to makes it difficult to assess the potential impact of their protest.
Israeli pilots at the Hatzerim air base in Beersheba, southern Israel (Reuters)
A man who described himself as a military intelligence captain taking part in Sunday's reservist protest told Israel's public broadcaster that he and the other signatories were partly volunteering because their time commitments exceeded the normal quotas for reservists.
Referring to the suspension of the protest in the event of a compulsory summons in times of war, he said: "We are not calling for the rejection of orders. We call for a temporary halt to volunteering."
Several reservists have already signed petitions warning that they will not serve as reservists if the plan is passed, "under which Israel will not continue as a democracy," they said.
The move comes days after 37 reserve pilots, who make up the majority of one of the important fighter squadrons, announced they would not participate in the exercises, rejecting the "reform of the judiciary" plan.
The announcement was made in a joint statement by the Israeli pilots, who are part of the 40-member "hammer squadron" consisting of F-15I fighter jets, based at the Hatzerim Air Base in Beersheba in southern Israel.
Netanyahu says violence and chaos will not be tolerated in mass demonstrations now in their 11th week (Reuters)
Netanyahu denounces
Netanyahu, for his part, has denounced the protests as an attempt to sabotage an institution that is supposed to be above politics, and while some opposition leaders have expressed such concerns, others say the government's penchant for authoritarianism would damage the notion of patriotic duty.
Nadav Argaman, former director of the Shin Bet security service, told Channel 12 television: "When a country stands on the threshold of a dictatorship, we are likely to witness the collapse of the security services. This is extraordinarily terrifying."
Most Israelis are drafted into the army for two to three years, and some continue to serve as reservists until middle age, but some units consider reservists particularly valuable, given their accumulated experience and skills.
Earlier, former Defense Minister Benny Gantz warned – in remarks to the Israeli Kan TV – of the current situation, saying, "Unfortunately, we are sliding more and more towards civil war. We see violence in the streets, and it could escalate."
Members of Netanyahu's coalition, which has a majority in the Knesset, say they want to pass proposed amendments limiting the Supreme Court's power to become law by April 2.
Internal and external anxiety
The plan sparked concern at home and abroad, and as the amendments approached, demonstrations increased, the value of the shekel plummeted, and veterans of the national security apparatus voiced fears, contrary to their habit of avoiding public appearances.
Netanyahu describes the proposed judicial amendments as a rebalancing of the branches of government, while critics say the prime minister, who is on trial on corruption charges he denies, is seeking to subordinate the courts to executive power.
Netanyahu said at his weekly ministerial meeting: "We will not accept chaos. These are people who call for the closure of highways in order to refuse, for the blood in the streets and for the attack of public figures. We will not accept this. We will not accept violence from any side."
A Knesset review committee is due to debate a bill on Sunday that would give the ruling coalition more power over court appointments ahead of the final parliamentary votes.
More than 200,11 Israelis demonstrated on Saturday for the <>th consecutive week to protest against "judicial amendments" that would allow parliament to overturn Supreme Court decisions by a simple majority, give politicians greater leverage in appointing judges, and could help overturn a possible conviction of Netanyahu, who is on corruption charges in several cases.