For seven months millions have demonstrated against judicial reforms which they say will transform the country into a dictatorship
Nir Cohen felt tears prickling his eyelids as he re-read his announcement for what must have been the hundredth time. Then he steeled himself and pressed send.
“I, Nir Avishi Cohen, Major, serial number 7018784, commanding officer of the infantry brigade, inform you with a heavy heart of my refusal to serve,” said the message, which went out to Mr Cohen’s commanding officers and then his followers on social media. “I refuse to continue serving in the IDF [Israel Defence Forces], an army of a non-democratic country.”
With the push of a button, he had made what felt like the most painful decision of his life: to cut ties with his prestigious military background in protest against Benjamin Netanyahu’s hugely controversial bid to overhaul the country’s legal system.
Mr Cohen’s emotional announcement was the first of potentially thousands to come from Israeli reservists in the coming weeks, as Mr Netanyahu’s opponents adopt an unprecedented new tactic in stopping his reforms.