Col. (Res.) Nevo Erez, former commander of the Shayetet 13 commando unit, announced on Sunday he is suspending his reserve duty due to the judicial coup. Erez joins a growing number of reserve soldiers and commanders who have stated they will not show up for duty if the legislation continues.
Erez, 57, is one of the IDF's most distinguished field commanders in recent decades. He spent most of his service in the naval commando unit, Shayetet 13, and commanded other elite units. As commander of the Shayetet during the Second Lebanon War in 2006 he led a raid on a Hezbollah headquarters in Tyre.
After his military service, Erez moved on to serve in the Mossad, where he held several command roles, heading one of the organization's departments. Last March, after completing his Mossad service, Erez became active in the protest movements, attending demos and giving speeches – including near the home of his former commander, Defense Minister Yoav Gallant.
Two months ago, IDF Chief of Staff Herzl Halevi appointed Erez to spearhead one of the army's internal investigation teams looking into Israel's "Arrow and Shield" operation in Gaza, launched last May. The team is probing the series of assassinations of Islamic Jihad leaders in the Gaza Strip.
On Sunday morning, Erez wrote to his commanders that he has decided to suspend his reserve duty in protest of the government's legislation.
Last week, hundreds of Shayetet 13 reservists announced that they would no longer volunteer for reserve duty if the legislation of the judicial overhaul and the "trampling of Israel's democratic foundations" continue.
In a letter sent to Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, the reserve officers wrote that "The elimination of Israel's democratic character is destroying the IDF's fundamental values and fatally hurts the soldiers' confidence in the legality of the orders."