People walk past a Likud party campaign billboard featuring Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu alongside opposition party leaders and bearing the Hebrew slogan “Right or Palestine,” ahead of Israel’s general election, in Beni Brak, Israel (AP)
Israel’s defence minister Israel Katz on Monday denied reports of a rift between Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Israel Defence Forces (IDF) Chief of Staff Lt General Eyal Zamir over possible military action against Iran, calling the allegations “completely baseless and false” and saying Israel had no intention of launching an attack before Tuesday’s elections.
The denial followed reports by Israeli broadcaster Channel 12 that Netanyahu and Zamir were at odds over an unspecified military operation linked to Iran, which security officials reportedly feared could trigger a wider confrontation on the eve of the election, according to The Times of Israel. The controversy follows a report by Channel 12 on Sunday night that Zamir had resisted carrying out an unspecified military action allegedly instructed by Netanyahu. Opinion polls published ahead of Tuesday’s parliamentary elections show a tight contest, with neither Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s bloc nor the opposition assured of a majority in the 120-member Knesset.
Zamir sought further deliberations and signed documentation from the prime minister regarding legal authorisation for the operation, according to the broadcaster.
Netanyahu also dismissed the allegations as “nonsense” in an interview with Israel’s Channel 14, according to The Times of Israel. However, in an earlier television appearance, the Israeli prime minister said he had instructed the IDF and Mossad to work towards toppling the Iranian regime. Opposition leaders have accused Netanyahu of putting political survival ahead of national security by allegedly pushing for military action against Iran on the eve of the election. Avigdor Liberman has sought a criminal investigation into Netanyahu over alleged treason, while Eisenkot warned that the military must not be used as a tool in the prime minister’s political campaign.
Army Radio reported similar details on Monday, citing two senior security officials.