The Israeli Air Force has launched an investigation after new recruits received anti-government text messages from an official IAF phone number, according to a report on Sunday night.
According to Israel’s Channel 14 News, the message read, “We are proud of the pilots—the heroes of the people of Israel—for the victory in Iran. In contrast, politicians and mouthpieces who incited and divided the nation day after day are being exposed in all their disgrace.”
The text message included a link to a YouTube video that accused Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government of being a “coalition of division, evasion [of military service], and the devastation of Oct. 7.”
The video concluded with the message, “We will not forget; you will not escape,” while displaying an image of Netanyahu’s head.
The clip had previously been shared on social media platforms by prominent activists opposing Netanyahu’s government, including Israeli publishing tycoon Ilan Shiloah, who, according to Channel 14 News, paid to have it promoted on X.
The report noted that the new conscripts had previously received legitimate messages about their recruitment from the same number, and the military is investigating whether there was a security breach.
In an official response, the IDF Spokesperson’s Unit stated, “The message in question does not come from an official source within the Air Force.”
In 2023, thousands of IDF reservists threatened to refuse service in protest against the Netanyahu government’s judicial reform proposals, which have since been shelved.
Around 11,000 reservists, including 1,000 Air Force personnel, announced they would refuse to serve, raising concerns about the potential damage to the military’s readiness to respond to threats.
In March 2023, the prime minister described soldiers’ refusal to report for duty as an existential threat, saying it “threatens the foundation of our existence, and it must have no place in our ranks.”
