As Israel expands its Gaza campaign, reservists who once questioned the system now report for duty.
For the full report click here.
Less than two years ago, some Israeli reservists threatened
to put down their rifles. They marched in Tel Aviv, signed letters of protest,
and warned that serving under a government dismantling the country’s democratic
foundations would be a betrayal of their values.
Today, many of those same reservists are packing bags and
crossing back into Gaza.
“I’ve been called up three times already,” says Liel
Friedmann, a 38-year-old infantry reservist from Tel Aviv. “People ask, ‘Why
are you going again?’ But this isn’t a social club. There’s no one else. That’s
the truth.”
Friedmann, who spoke just hours before
deployment, reflects a broader transformation among segments of Israeli society
once aligned with protest. His voice—anxious but resolved—embodies the fatigue
of war and the burden of necessity.
“I try not to think too much about civilian life when I’m
called,” he says. “The second round, a few months ago, felt pointless. It was
like we were just stretching the war out. But now it feels more focused, like
there’s a goal.”
That goal—at least in the eyes of Israel’s military
establishment and right-leaning security circles—is the complete dismantling of
Hamas and the return of 59 hostages still believed to be held in Gaza. To
achieve that, the government is now calling up tens of thousands of reservists
in what may be the most extensive reserve mobilization since October.
According to Lt. Col. (res.) Yaron Buskila,
secretary-general of the Israel Defense and Security Forum, this call-up is not
a matter of policy—it’s a matter of survival.
“This is not a choice. It’s a necessity,” “There is no way to defeat Hamas or to bring the hostages home without
reserve forces. Negotiations could drag on for years—and that would only
endanger the hostages further.”
As tens of thousands of Israelis report for duty once again,
the picture is complex. Loyalty to the country does not mean loyalty to its
leaders. For some, the uniform is a burden. For others, it’s a line of
defense—for their families, for democracy, and for the right to keep fighting
for both.
No comments:
Post a Comment