Political situation in Israel

Benjamin Netanyahu. Abir Sultan / AP  

Political situation in Israel  

Netanyahu wants to stop military protests in Israel  

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu demands that the protests against the proposed legal reform in Israel be stopped, AP writes. He calls on the military's chief of staff, Herzl Halevi, to "aggressively address" military reservists' refusal to serve. 

- There is no room for dereliction of duty in the public conversation, says Netanyahu. 

Hundreds of reservists have announced that, in protest against the bill, they do not intend to serve as usual when needed. The proposal concerns the power of the judiciary. Netanyahu's right-wing government believes it was too big and wants to give the Knesset parliament a bigger mandate.  

Protests in February. Ohad Zwigenberg / AP 

Political situation in Israel 

Hundreds of elite soldiers refuse to serve in protest  

Around 700 elite Israeli soldiers in the reserve have announced that they will not participate in this week's exercises, Reuters reports. Instead, they will devote themselves to "reflection and defense of democracy". 

In an open letter, they write that they will not serve as usual if needed in protest against the right-wing government's planned legal reform that limits the power of the judiciary. 

"We have no contracts with a dictator. We will gladly stand up when democracy is secured," the letter says.  

The signatories say they are officers in the air force, special forces and the Mossad security service, but Reuters has not been able to verify their identities.