Ahead of Prime Minister Netanyahu’s visit to Il on the 9th
Recruitment of national airline No one applies
Even airplane pilots are boycotting the operation of the prime minister’s plane amid strong protests against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu (pictured)’s “enforcing legislation to neutralize the judiciary,” who is trying to drastically reduce the powers of the judiciary.
The state-run airline El Al announced on the 5th (local time) that it had applied for pilots and flight attendants for the prime minister’s plane, but there were no applicants. Prime Minister Netanyahu is scheduled to visit Italy on the 9th to meet with Prime Minister Giorza Meloni. The necessary pilots and flight attendants were recruited, but no one applied. El Al said, “One of the reasons is that there are not many pilots who can fly the Boeing 777, which is the aircraft used exclusively for the prime minister,” and announced that it would proceed with redeployment of crew members, but the repercussions do not subside.
On the same day, 37 out of 40 pilots of the 69th Squadron of the Israeli Air Force also announced their absence from the training scheduled for the 8th. The 69th Squadron is famous for its 2007 bombing of a nuclear reactor in Syria, known as Operation Orchard.
This move is interpreted as a reaction to Prime Minister Netanyahu’s far-right coalition’s attempt to neutralize the judiciary, which is being pursued in the name of ‘judicial reform’. The passport is pushing for legislation that will prevent the Supreme Court from blocking even if the National Assembly legislates in violation of the ‘Basic Law’ of the Constitution, and allow the Congress to be involved in judicial personnel. The preliminary voting process has already been completed in Parliament.
Opposition parties, the legal community, and civil society have been holding protests against it for over two months, calling it “a political coup, not judicial reform.” Up to 300,000 people took part in the rally on the 4th to condemn the government. Even generals in the reserve army declared that they would join in the opposition, and it is expected that confusion in society as a whole will continue for the time being.
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Source: Donga
Mark Jones is a world traveler and journalist for News Rebeat. With a curious mind and a love of adventure, Mark brings a unique perspective to the latest global events and provides in-depth and thought-provoking coverage of the world at large.