In recent years, civilian-military relations have suffered setbacks in the U.S. Political figures have used the troops as props, and military personnel have undercut the chain of command. This dysfunctional relationship imperils our national security. Unfortunately, insubordination isn’t just an American problem — it also afflicts our allies.

In a brazen act of defiance, nearly all reservist fighter pilots from Israel’s elite 69th Squadron are refusing to show up for work to voice their disapproval of the Israeli government’s plans to overhaul the judiciary. This unprecedented politically motivated act has startled senior Israeli officials. Israeli Defense Forces chief of general staff Herzi Halevi has called the pilots’ refusal to attend training exercises unacceptable, and Defense minister Yoav Gallant has said they are “playing with fire.”

Halevi and Gallant are right. The reservists’ chutzpah jeopardizes the security of America’s closest ally in the Middle East at a particularly precarious moment. Iran is on the cusp of realizing its nuclear ambitions, tensions between Israelis and Palestinians in the West Bank are running high, and unrest continues to roil Israel.

Of course, such actions are never defensible, regardless of when or why they occur. One should never use military rank as a platform to make political statements. Perhaps the national-security honchos in both Washington and Jerusalem should revisit famed political scientist Samuel Huntington’s book The Soldier and the State, in which he argues that a professional military must remain outside of politics. Maybe then, Americans and Israelis can begin to rest easy knowing that their armed forces and elected officials are on the same page.