The Israeli Military Isn’t in a State of Crisis—Yet

In the past few months, some citizens of the Jewish state have declared that they will refuse to show up to reserve duty in protest of the current governing coalition. Some informed observers have warned that these refusals raise serious doubts about the IDF’s readiness; others warn against exaggerating the problem; and others still—including Prime Minister Netanyahu himself—have expressed their fears of a situation where the military dictates policy to the civilian government. Eran Lerman argues that refusals to serve have “not yet” created a serious danger to Israeli security, but they might in the future. Moreover, he writes, the current controversies reflect deeper, longer-term issues: