Brothers in Arms (Hebrew: אחים לנשק), also known as Achim Laneshek and Brothers and Sisters in Arms, is an organization of reserve men and women from various units in the IDF, operating as part of the protests against the judicial reform being promoted by the thirty-seventh government of Israel headed by Benjamin Netanyahu.
On October 7, 2023, the day Hamas attacked in southern Israel, the organization suspended all political and protest activities and devoted itself full-time to aid and relief, under the name Brothers and Sisters for Israel.
In mid 2024, the organization reinstated its protest activity across the country while calling for new elections and drafting of ultra-orthodox who are currently exempt from military service in the IDF.
In June 2024, they received the "The Presidential Volunteer Medal" from the President of the State of Israel, Isaac Herzog.
The organization was founded in January 2023 by reserve lieutenant colonel Ron Scherf, reserve sergeant major Eyal Nave and reserve sergeant major Eitan Herzel, graduates of the Sayeret Matkal IDF unit, following the speech of Justice Minister Yariv Levin, in which he detailed the judicial reforms planned by the government, and explained the perception that these measures were expected to cause severe damage to democracy in Israel.
The goals of the organization are to stop the legislative measures planned by the government and to strengthen Israeli democracy. The organization operates in a variety of ways, including demonstrations in front of the homes of ministers and members of the Knesset, "vigils" that include discussion positions, advocacy in Israel and abroad, and disruption and protest actions, such as hanging giant signs on cliffs, blocking roads, and blocking entry to organizations and websites seen as responsible for the judicial reform (such as the Kohelet Policy Forum) or symbolize areas of life that are expected to be severely affected as a result (such as the Ministry of Defense and the Stock Exchange). Another central activity is reservists signing a statement that they will stop volunteering for reserve service until the planned legislative measures are stopped. The organization's operations are funded through donations from the public as well as the sale of branded equipment of the organization (shirts and hats).
The organization operates through several circles: a steering team that includes seven people, each of whom has an area of responsibility (strategy, operations, foreign relations, communications, intelligence, etc.); Under them, there is an NGO, which carries out the tasks and below, which includes several departments; and an operative mechanism that includes about 300 people. In addition, there are tens of thousands of members in the organization's WhatsApp groups, who receive updates from the organization. Some of the operations are secret and some are open to the general public. All the activity is done voluntarily. The organization's methods of operation are military, and include, for example, compartmentalization and incident investigation. Most of the members of the executive committee are from the Defense Forces patrol, but the organization includes veterans of a variety of military units.
The organization began in a WhatsApp group that Eitan Herzel started with some members Sayeret Matkal and gained momentum in a three-day journey, which began on February 8, 2023, from Latrun to the Supreme Court in Jerusalem, which the initiators defined as a journey to preserve democracy in Israel. The journey was joined by veterans of combat units and senior officials in the defense community. The number of participants in the trip grew so that on the first day about 1,000 people took part in it, on the second day about 2,500 and on the third day about 10,000. The trip, like other activities of the organization, was also joined by citizens who are not reservists, who support the goals of the organization and its actions.
On March 28, the leaders of the organization announced that they were suspending the protest following Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's statement on the delay of the legislation, in order to give an opportunity for the negotiation process and that they would have an "on call minute" for its renewal if the negotiations do not bear fruit. During this period, the activists continued to participate in the dialogue activities and the regular demonstrations. A short time later, the organization returned to full protest activity, after the members of the government explicitly stated that they are continuing to promote the judicial reform.
The organization's operations are divided into several areas as detailed below.
The organization's activists maintain demonstration centers, some of them permanent, in front of the homes of ministers and key Knesset members in the government. Among these: Minister of Defense Yoav Gallant, Minister of Agriculture Avi Dichter, Minister of Justice Yariv Levin, Minister of Economy and Industry Nir Barkat, Member of the Knesset and Chairman of the National Security Committee Zvika Fogel and Minister of Immigration and Absorption Ofir Sofer. They also take part in major demonstrations throughout the country, Including the strengthening of protest points where the demonstrators experienced violence from the supporters of the judicial reform. In addition, various protest and disruption actions were carried out, some of which are detailed below:
Throughout the period of the protest, the founders of the organization and its key activists speak as part of the demonstrations throughout the country, including the main stage of the protest on Kaplan Street in Tel Aviv. They are often interviewed through the media in Israel and arouse interest in the foreign media as well. The organization's activists established discussion positions outside the houses of ministers and members of Knesset and held talks with rabbis from Religious Zionism with the aim of generating dialogue and conveying the message that the People's Army is disbanding following the legislative measures. A dialogue tent was also set up with ultra-Orthodox youth who come to the conscription office in Tel Hashomer in order to receive an exemption from conscription, which operated in shifts, starting from March 20. The members of the organization produced a series of informational videos ("The Lighthouse") with leaders in Israeli society. some of which are listed below:
On March 21, the leaders of the organization held a press conference in which they announced to start taking signatures of reservists on a petition according to which they will stop volunteering for reserve service if the planned legislative measures are passed. In the days that followed, the reports of signatures of reservists from various units on the petition increased.
The organization's activists returned and warned of irreversible damage that would occur in the army if the legislation was not stopped.[95] On July 19, members of the organization gathered at the Tel Aviv Museum Square for an event where they announced the suspension of volunteering in the reserves in order to preserve the IDF's moral values. In the following days, the organization's activists turned to the Chief of Staff, Major General Herzi Halevi, demanding: "Knock on the table And say in a loud and clear voice: 'You are disbanding the people's army! Your legislation is dangerous for the security of the country!'
On July 22, as part of the mass protest march to Jerusalem, activists of the organization placed a petition at the stopping point inviting them to sign a "declaration of cessation of volunteering" for the reserves. The petition was worded as a personal letter "I am not ready to serve in a government that does not respect the values of Israel as a democratic state and acts contrary to the principles of the spirit of the IDF. This statement was written with great pain, and out of my moral and conscientious duty. I will continue to fight in legitimate civil ways to keep Israel democratic, free, and equal. A people's army only exists in a democracy". That evening, the organization held a press conference with representatives of dozens of units and announced that 10,000 people would stop volunteering for the reserves if the legislation moves forward.
On the morning of October 7, 2023, following the unexpected missile attack by Hamas on Israel and the subsequent reports of a massacre in the southern region, the leaders of the organization made an official announcement, declaring an immediate halt to all protest activities. They issued a call to reserve soldiers to promptly step up in defense of the country. On the same day, the infrastructure previously used for the protest was converted to assist security forces and provide aid to survivors of the tragic incident attributed to Hamas. The organization established dedicated logistic centers in Tel Aviv and Beit Kama, where numerous initiatives were coordinated with the help of tens of thousands of volunteers across the nation.
Among the initiatives is the rescue of about 2,500 families from the conflict zones to safe areas, while the IDF forces are actively engaged in combat. Additionally, efforts have been made to secure housing solutions for these displaced families and to provide support to the security forces in their quest to locate missing individuals, employing advanced technological resources for this purpose. A support network has been established to assist the families of killed, missing or kidnapped and abducted individuals. Moreover, a transportation system has been put in place to facilitate the movement of reservist soldiers and their families.
Another initiative, First Line Med, began to raise donations and purchase medical supplies and equipment to be distributed to army units on the front lines as well as to clinics and security personnel on the home front. In addition, the organization also focuses on the dispensation of mental health care treatment for those affected.
To ensure the well-being of those affected by the conflict, initiatives include the provision of hot meals for the families of the wounded and the rescue of animals left in the conflict zones. Equipment kits have been distributed to grieving families, and a memorial site has been established, preserving information in honor of the fallen soldiers and civilian victims.
On October 12, 2023, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken visited the logistics center in the Expo complex in Tel Aviv, expressing his support for this initiative. He later twitted "I had a chance to visit a donation center in Tel Aviv for the victims of Hamas’ terrorist attack. We are inspired by the solidarity of the Israeli people. America will always be by Israel's side".
On October 20, 2023, Brothers in Arms volunteers began helping 24 farms in 11 localities near the border with Gaza, which suffer from a lack of working hands. On the following days the project for supporting affected farms grew dramatically, connecting farmers in need with a network of tens of thousands volunteers.
On April 22, Knesset Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir sent a warning letter to "Brothers in Arms" following the organization's claim that he had evaded military service. Ben-Gvir called the organization's campaign "a complete lie" and demanded that they publish an apology and financial compensation in the amount of ten million shekels, claiming that he wanted to enlist in the IDF, but the IDF did not allow him to enlist due to his political views.
Yotam Zamri, a panelist on the program "The Patriots" on Channel 14, spoke out against the activists of the organization and said "I don't understand why the signs are in Hebrew and not in the original language German. I recommend the 'Brothers in Arms' to grow a small mustache." As a result of these things, on May 23 he was sent a warning before a lawsuit on behalf of the organization.
On June 26, Knesset Minister Bezalel Smotrich called the organization's activists "trolls" following their announcement that they would return the threat of stopping volunteering and called on the heads of the security establishment to deal with them severely.
On June 27, after activists blocked the entrance to the street where he lives, Minister Yariv Levin called the protesters a "violent group" and said that "fortunately or miraculously, they 'settled' this time with burning tires on the road, blocking the street and the entrance to the parking lot of the building, and did not decide to burn down an apartment in the building".
On July 18, Chief of Staff Lt. Col. Herzi Halevi attacked the organization and said that "anyone who calls for non-reporting these days is harming the IDF, and also harming the security of the state." "Brothers in Arms" published the following response: "The chief is shooting his gun in the wrong direction. The real people responsible for the danger of non-voluntariness sit in the government offices and the Knesset corridors, tearing the people apart, disbanding the army, and endangering Israel's security. Israeli patriots are in the streets today defending Israel as Jewish and democratic because a people's army only exists in a democracy."
Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu attacked the reservists who announced the end of volunteering and said: "The refusal endangers the security of all Israeli citizens. In a democracy, the army is subordinate to the government and does not bend the government. When officials in the army try to dictate the government's policy with threats, this is wrong, and if they dictate it - This is the end of democracy. Those who drag the IDF into the political debate, those who threaten refusal, should know that refusal on one side inevitably leads to refusal on the other side". The organization published the following response: "Those who expected a responsible and unifying leadership on the night of Tisha B'Av received Bibi under pressure, an instigator who lies and deceives the public. Biden, the governor, Mandelblit, the heads of the security establishment and the people have all already told you - only a repeal of the dictatorship laws will save Israel because the probable cause is a full-blown dictatorship. As we have guarded the State of Israel for decades, so we will continue to guard and protect it as a Jewish and democratic state for generations. The people's army exists only in a democracy".
On June 29, it was announced that a number of operatives of the organization received a text message about the cancellation of their weapons license for "puzzling to incorrect" reasons that could even harm their livelihood.
During the main demonstration against the legislative measures in Kaplan, Tel Aviv on July 1, a violent confrontation developed between the activists of the organization and the activists of the "anti-occupation bloc". In response, one of the organization's activists attacked a protester who was holding a Palestinian flag with pepper gas, a confrontation ensued and the attacker was detained for questioning. The incident drew criticism from protest activists and other parties. Following the incident, the organization published the following message: "We respect all our partners in the struggle who come from all shades of the political spectrum from the right and the left. Our goal is one and that is the cancellation of the regime coup. We condemn any manifestation of violence, and we will continue to fight together shoulder to shoulder for the common goal".
The organization received the John McCain Award at the Halifax conference in Canada for its defense of Israeli democracy, and its civil assistance since the events of October 7. On November 18, 2023, the Halifax International Security Forum awarded the organization the annual Senator John McCain Award for "extraordinary leadership in the pursuit of human justice".
On January 22, 2024, the organization received the badge of Home Front Heroes of the Zionist Council in Israel for its activities in the Israeli home front during the war.
On February 28, 2024, the active women in the organization ("Sisters in Arms") received the Knighthood of the Peres Center for Peace and Innovation for that year, following their activity in providing assistance in a variety of fields after the events of October 7.
In June 2024, the "Presidential Volunteer Medal" was awarded by the President of the State of Israel, Isaac Herzog, to the Civil Defense Force that the organization operated during the Iron Swords War. In the same month, Reichman University awarded Eyal Nave an honorary doctorate degree, in recognition of the establishment of the Civil Defense Force.
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