Netanyahu presses military to strike Iran as election looms

Israelis heading to the polls on Tuesday face a campaign defined by existential warnings and military brinkmanship. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has intensified his rhetoric in the final days of the election, urging voters to support his coalition or risk nuclear disaster. This shift follows reports that he pressured the military to take action against Iran despite objections from top commanders.

The tension came to a head in recent days as Netanyahu and Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir reportedly clashed over a military directive. Channel 12 news stated that the order could spark an immediate conflagration with Iran by provoking a miscalculation. Zamir requested that the directive be presented in writing, a demand that highlights the internal friction within Israel’s leadership during this sensitive period.

Netanyahu denied the report of a specific military push, and the defense ministry stated there were no plans for operations against Iran. The Israel Defense Forces issued a statement on Monday, asserting that its decisions rest solely on security, professional, objective, and national considerations. The military stopped short of directly denying the press reports, leaving the exact state of military readiness ambiguous.

The prime minister’s public messaging has aligned with these internal pressures. He posted an AI-generated image of a nuclear mushroom cloud destroying Tel Aviv on social media. He wrote that anyone who cares about their physical existence should have a trembling hand before voting for the opposition. This stark imagery contrasts with his earlier triumphalist claims in March, when he declared that Israeli and US strikes had destroyed Iran’s ability to enrich uranium.

Netanyahu also sought external support for a renewed assault on Iran. CNN reported that he tried to convince President Donald Trump to launch a new attack in recent weeks. Trump ruled out such action until after US congressional elections next week. Trump reiterated his endorsement of Netanyahu on Sunday, calling him an outstanding warrior prime minister in a social media post.

Gadi Eisenkot, the leader of the opposition bloc, expressed confidence in the military leadership. He stated that the opposition would not allow the IDF to become a pawn in Netanyahu’s survival campaign. Eisenkot, a retired general, is the most likely challenger to the prime minister in the upcoming vote. Most polls indicate the centre-right opposition is poised to win more Knesset seats than the Netanyahu coalition, though neither side would secure the 61 seats needed for a majority.

The political calculus remains complex. The opposition could potentially form a government by allying with parties representing Palestinian citizens of Israel, who make up roughly a fifth of the population. However, conservatives in the Eisenkot bloc have ruled out such an alliance, creating a risk of a minority government or a second round of elections. Netanyahu framed the choice as a battle for existence, describing the opposition as the left in alliance with enemies of the country.

Financial concerns have also entered the debate. Netanyahu predicted that billions of dollars in annual US military aid would dry up, leading to increased isolation. He suggested Israel could use cryptocurrencies to dodge global sanctions, a claim that drew a rare public rebuke from the Bank of Israel on Sunday evening. The central bank stated that cryptocurrencies cannot circumvent sanctions and advised maintaining economic relations with primary trading partners.

A survey found that 64% of Israelis said Trump’s endorsement would not influence their vote. Meanwhile, 17% said it made them less likely to back Netanyahu, while 12% said it deepened their resolve to support his Likud party. The prime minister, who is currently on trial on corruption charges, has dominated Israeli politics for three decades. His current coalition, which has survived the shock of the war that began in October, is now facing its most critical test in the polls.