Defense Minister Katz Orders Removal of Democratic Party Candidate Omri Ronen from IDF Reserve Service

On July 19, 2026, Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz instructed the Chief of Staff to remove Omri Ronen, a Democratic Party primary candidate and IDF reserve officer, from all military reserve service. This directive followed Ronen's recent remarks on the program "Meet the Press," where he stated that in the event of a governmental coup, he would do "everything necessary" to prevent it. Katz condemned Ronen's statements as promoting refusal to serve for political reasons and emphasized a zero-tolerance policy toward such conduct within the IDF.

Ronen, a captain in the reserves who served over 300 days in combat and a founding member of the "Brothers in Arms" organization, has been vocal against the judicial reform and was active in opposing it before the war. His grandmother, Nira Ronen, was killed in the October 7 attack in the Gaza village. Despite his military background, Katz stressed that the IDF must remain apolitical and that "one law applies to all," underscoring the need to keep the military free from political disputes.

This decision contrasts with Katz's recent support in the Knesset for granting immunity to ultra-Orthodox individuals who refuse military service. Katz clarified that his current policy aims to prevent the return of refusal to serve in the IDF for any reason. He ordered the Chief of Staff to ensure Ronen's expulsion from all military frameworks and stated this approach will be applied consistently in future similar cases.

Ronen responded to questions about his refusal to remove the issue of "non-enlistment" from his platform by affirming his commitment to preventing a coup and maintaining structural checks in Israel's democracy. Katz's firm stance reflects ongoing tensions over military service and political activism within the Israeli defense establishment.