An Israel Air Force reserve colonel, who was injured and required eye surgery after suffering a direct hit from a water cannon during a protest against judicial reform, said on Friday he would no longer volunteer for reserve duty, and vowed not to serve under a “Colonel”. Dictatorship.”
Udi Ori was hit in the right eye during a protest on Wednesday night that led to clashes with police trying to clear several thousand protesters blocking Tel Aviv’s Ayalon Highway.
In an interview with Channel 13 News, Ori refuted a hoax circulating on social media that he lost his eye as a result of the injury. “That’s completely wrong. “The operation was very successful,” he said.
Ori still can’t see with his right eye but said he hopes his vision will be restored after further surgeries, which could be a lengthy recovery protest.
Receive the Daily Times of Israel by email and never miss our top stories
With your registration you agree to the conditions
The email address is invalid or missing
Please try again. The email address is invalid or missing
Please try again.
The Tel Aviv protest was one of several held across the country on Wednesday after Tel Aviv Police Chief Amichai Eshed announced his resignation. Eshed said he was doing so in protest at a politically motivated demotion ordered by far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir, who accused him of not responding vigorously enough to anti-overhaul protesters in recent months.
When asked why Wednesday’s protest ended in clashes with police, Ori cited a combination of increasing frustration among protesters “because they’re watching the other side do things without considering them in any way,” and Ben Gvir’s influence on the police, which he says has caused officers to collapse and crack down on protesters.
People take part in a protest against the planned judiciary reform in Tel Aviv on July 1, 2023. (Miriam Alster/Flash90)
According to the Ichilov Hospital in Tel Aviv, 14 people were admitted for medical treatment after the protest. Those injured included a protester, who was injured after a driver sped through the crowd, apparently while filming the incident on his cell phone, before being stopped and arrested by police. He was reportedly released on Thursday morning.
In a statement, Prof. Igal Leibovitch, director of the hospital’s Ichilov Institute of Oculoplasty, condemned the police’s use of water cannons.
“The powerful water jet simulates a direct blow to the face with great force. It causes internal bleeding in the eye and can damage the eye’s lens and retina,” Leibovitch said.
Police said they arrested 15 people in Tel Aviv. All detainees had been released by Thursday morning, the public broadcaster Kan reported.
Ori pointed out that while demonstrators in previous protests have illegally blocked roads, they have not been dispersed by police with the same level of violence.
Ori then said he had informed his commander that he would no longer report for reserve duty due to the government’s decision to move forward with legislation designed to weaken the judiciary.
Israelis block the Ayalon Highway during a protest against the Israeli government’s proposed judicial reform and in response to the ousting of district commander Amichai Eshed in Tel Aviv, July 5, 2023. (Yossi Aloni/Flash90)
Ori, 67, flew attack helicopters for several decades until he turned 57. He had done volunteer reserve duty for the past ten years.
“If there really is a dictatorship here, our children and grandchildren will ask us how it was that we continued to serve. “You can’t serve a dictator,” he told Channel 13.
Wednesday night’s protests echoed larger protests that erupted across the country in late March, the night after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced his decision to sack Defense Secretary Yoav Gallant, who raised alarm about the security implications of judicial reform. Netanyahu paused the revision the next day and later reversed his decision to scrap Gallant.
Protests against the controversial law reforming Israel’s judiciary have been ongoing and have recently intensified as Netanyahu’s hard-line coalition has renewed efforts to enforce some relevant laws. Thousands of protesters gathered at Ben Gurion Airport on Monday.
The protests have angered the coalition, as Ben Gvir has repeatedly clashed with the force over their handling of protesters. Ben Gvir has called for a tougher crackdown on protesters and more arrests.