Israel's political establishment was in turmoil Monday morning following a Channel 12 News report of a heated confrontation between Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir over orders for a military operation that could trigger an escalation with Iran, just two days before the Knesset elections.
Opposition party leaders sharply criticized Netanyahu, accusing him of attempting to use the Israel Defense Forces for his political interests and expressing support for the military chief.
Liberman calls for criminal investigation on treason charges
Yisrael Beytenu Chairman Avigdor Liberman said he would ask Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara to "open a criminal investigation against Netanyahu on suspicion of treason." He later wrote on X: "As I said several weeks ago, I have no doubt that Bibi [Netanyahu] is trying to force Israel into military action in order to prevent the elections from taking place. This conduct amounts to a betrayal of the state and its security."
"It is the chief of staff's duty to prevent the IDF from being used for political purposes, to protect the lives of IDF soldiers and not to put them at risk because the prime minister fears losing the elections," Liberman added.
On Monday morning, Liberman formally approached the attorney general, demanding that she open a criminal investigation against Netanyahu on suspicion of treason.
In his letter, Liberman wrote: "Over the past month, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has been pressuring senior defense officials to take steps that could lead to a miscalculation with Iran. The attempt to drag the State of Israel into war on the eve of the elections, together with a willingness to sacrifice IDF soldiers solely out of fear of electoral defeat, constitutes a betrayal of the state, its security and its soldiers. I demand that a criminal investigation against Benjamin Netanyahu on suspicion of treason be opened immediately."
Democrats Chairman Yair Golan also voiced his full support for Zamir and strongly criticized the prime minister. "I fully back the chief of staff for upholding his professional duty. No military operation should be permitted unless it is backed by a clear security need, a strategic objective and a responsible operational plan," Golan said. "When Israeli citizens go to the polls this coming Tuesday, they must remember this: Netanyahu poses a security threat to Israel. He does not hesitate to sacrifice the lives of our children for his own political survival on the eve of the elections. That is what the IDF is trying to prevent," he added.
Golan went on to claim that "Israel's security is in the hands of a corrupt political leadership, incompetent and deranged people who do not hesitate to sacrifice Israel's security to hold on to power."
Gadi Eisenkot, chairman of the Yashar! party and a former IDF chief of staff, addressed Netanyahu directly. "Netanyahu, I'm watching you. The man under whose watch the greatest disaster in the country's history occurred refuses to understand that Israel's security is not a political plaything, that the lives of Israeli citizens and IDF soldiers are not expendable, and that the State of Israel is not his private property," Eisenkot said.
Expressing confidence in Zamir and the IDF's senior commanders, Eisenkot warned: "We will not allow the IDF to become a tool in Netanyahu's campaign for political survival. I warn Netanyahu: Don't you dare put your political interests ahead of national security."
He also stressed that holding the elections as scheduled was a central component of Israel's national resilience. "We will not allow you to jeopardize Israel's future to preserve your rule," Eisenkot added.
Opposition Leader Yair Lapid also responded to the report Sunday, launching a sharp attack on Netanyahu. "Yesterday, Netanyahu announced that US security assistance was coming to an end and that sanctions were going to devastate our economy. This morning, he released a video showing an atomic bomb falling on Tel Aviv. This evening, it is being reported that he wants to provoke an escalation and confrontation with Iran just to postpone the elections. The man has gone off the rails. We have to send him home," Lapid said.
The reported confrontation between Netanyahu and Zamir
According to Channel 12 News, Zamir received instructions from the political leadership in recent days concerning an operation that could rapidly escalate into a military confrontation with Iran. Zamir requested an in-depth discussion before carrying out the orders and demanded legal authorization and formal signatures from the political leadership.
Sources familiar with the matter said military officials were concerned that the Iranian issue was being exploited for political purposes ahead of the elections. Government officials, however, rejected the allegations, calling them "an outright lie."
Netanyahu denied reports of a confrontation with the IDF chief, saying: "There is no confrontation. Someone is trying to obscure the fact that the chief of staff himself said Iran is trying to interfere with the elections."
