Omri Ronen, a political activist associated with the Democracy party, sharply criticized Defense Minister Israel Katz after being ordered dismissed from reserve service, accusing him of promoting draft evasion and abandoning soldiers.
Omri Ronen, who was ordered dismissed from reserve service by Defense Minister Israel Katz, responded with a blistering statement Sunday evening. 'Shame has left Israel,' Ronen said, accusing Katz of promoting draft evasion, abandoning fighters, and protecting draft dodgers. 'We are the real servants of this country,' he added. The response comes after Katz's earlier actions Sunday, which escalated from a demand for disciplinary action to a formal dismissal order.
The Zioneer reported Sunday at 10:17 Jerusalem that Katz first demanded the IDF take disciplinary action against Ronen for incitement against service. Within the same hour, the Defense Minister instructed the Chief of Staff to remove Ronen from all IDF service frameworks, declaring a zero-tolerance policy against refusal to serve. The order was confirmed by multiple news outlets, including N12, Channel 14, and journalists Daphna Liel and Noam Amir. The thread shows Katz's office issuing a statement that 'one law for all' applies, with the removal order later formalized.
Ronen is a member of the Democrats party and a Brothers in Arms activist. As The Zioneer reported on Tue Jun 23, 21:16 Jerusalem, Ronen has been lecturing IDF soldiers despite his previous advocacy for ending voluntary reserve service. The broader context includes the ongoing debate over draft evasion legislation, with Democrats party chairman Yair Golan condemning the government's policies as a 'moment of disgrace' (The Zioneer, Tue Jul 14, 19:01 Jerusalem).
The specific grounds for Ronen's dismissal and the exact timeline of his removal from service frameworks have not been disclosed. The Defense Ministry has not detailed any further disciplinary measures beyond the order.
9 developments
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