Dozens of Israeli soldiers protesting Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s judicial crackdown have decided not to participate in a drill on Wednesday, according to Reuters. The soldiers, members of Israel’s air force reserves, said in a letter circulated among Israeli media that they would instead direct their energy “to dialogue and reflection for the sake of democracy and national unity.” The uncommon move, which follows an organized protest march last month that included hundreds of reservists, comes as Netanyahu and his party seek to strip the Supreme Court of powers, including its ability to rule against members of Israel’s legislative and executive branches, in a move critics fear is designed to insulate Netanyahu from an upcoming trial. (Netanyahu has denied those claims.) The proposed changes led to massive protests across the country, including in Tel Aviv.
