IDF Urges Reservist Doctors to Withdraw Anti-War Petition Signatures

TEL AVIV — The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) has requested that over 300 reservist medical officers who signed a public letter calling for an end to the war in Gaza and the immediate return of Israeli hostages remove their names from the document, warning that political expression has no place within the military.

The letter, initially signed by 208 reservist doctors and addressed to Defense Minister Israel Katz and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on the night of Passover, has since gained about 100 additional signatures.

The message urged an end to the conflict, stating that the war serves no strategic purpose and only endangers soldiers and hostages alike. While the signatories affirmed their commitment to report for reserve duty, their appeal has sparked a debate within the army’s upper ranks.

On Wednesday, the IDF Chief Medical Officer’s headquarters began contacting signatories directly, asking them to reconsider their involvement with the letter. According to the military, the aim is not to discharge the doctors, but to discourage what it considers a politicization of military service.

“There is no place for politics in the army,” the Chief Medical Officer’s office said in a message to the reservists.

The IDF’s approach contrasts with its recent handling of Israel Air Force pilots who signed a similar petition. Many of those pilots were immediately removed from their roles. In this case, the IDF is adopting a more measured response toward medical officers, citing the vital and life-saving role they have played since the war began.

One of the letter’s organizers, speaking to Israeli broadcaster KAN, described receiving a call from military leadership. “I was informed that the chief of staff had directed the chief medical officer to hold talks with the doctors and clarify that it is illegitimate to mix politics and the military, even though we made it clear that we would report for reserve duty,” the reservist said.

Another reservist doctor told KAN that he had been questioned about whether he would refuse to serve. “I said no, and that was enough for them,” he said. “I made it clear from the start that withdrawing my signature was not an option. The letter does not call for refusal and explicitly states that we will report for duty.”

Some letter organizers claimed that at least one reservist doctor had already been dismissed from duty due to the petition. However, the IDF firmly denied this in an official statement.

“The IDF values and appreciates its reservists,” the military said. “The Medical Corps reservists have shown extraordinary dedication, saving lives throughout the war and putting their own lives at risk. No doctors serving in the reserves have been dismissed.”

The IDF emphasized that while it maintains open lines of communication with reservists, it must preserve unity and discipline in its ranks amid a prolonged and politically divisive conflict.

As the war continues and public pressure to bring home hostages mounts, the military walks a delicate line between maintaining apolitical order and addressing the concerns of soldiers who are increasingly vocal about the war’s human cost.