360 Israeli reservists informed the Minister of Defense of their refusal to volunteer for service, in protest against the government's plan to reform the judiciary.
Israeli reservists announced Wednesday their refusal to volunteer for service, in protest against government plans to pass laws the opposition says limit the power of the judiciary.
This is the latest protest by the reservists against plans to "reform the judiciary", in conjunction with hundreds of them organizing a demonstration outside the Israel Museum in Tel Aviv on Wednesday.
The Israeli Broadcasting Authority (official) said, "360 former and current reservists in the Israeli Navy sent a letter today (Wednesday) to Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, informing him that they will no longer volunteer for the reserves."
The commission quoted the reservists as saying: "Our conscience will not allow us to continue volunteering in the reservists or to encourage such service in a country that has changed its face and is no longer democratic."
And the soldiers continued: "We join our brothers, reservists in other units, who are calling on you to stop the coup, save Israeli democracy, show leadership, and save the country from chaos."
Earlier Wednesday, hundreds of reservists demonstrated outside the "Israel Museum" in Tel Aviv, during a government conference, in which information was circulated about the participation of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, but he did not attend.
The demonstrators chanted slogans such as: "Dictator" and "Shame", and hung a large banner reading: "Israel's Declaration of Independence" on the facade of the museum.
In the vicinity of the museum, police forces were deployed in an attempt to prevent protesters from entering the site where the conference was held.
However, the Israeli Broadcasting Corporation said that "Housing Minister Yitzhak Goldknopf was forced to leave the podium during a speech before the conference, when demonstrators from the reserve forces stormed the hall and interrupted his speech."
For more than two months, Israel has witnessed widespread protests against the government's decision to pass a series of laws that would limit the authority of the Supreme Court, which is the highest judicial body in Israel.
The government says the laws aim at "judicial reform", but the opposition says they are a "coup against the judiciary" and turn Israel into a "dictatorship".