As Israel prepares to vote in the first election after the October 7, 2023, attacks, reports have emerged that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu tried to orchestrate a new airstrike on Iran but met with resistance from the military’s chief of staff.
The Israeli prime minister had tried for weeks to pressure the military into taking action against Iran, senior Israeli defence officials briefed on the matter told the New York Times.
After meeting with resistance, Netanyahu started pushing for a separate action against Iran that fell short of an overt strike a few days before the election. This led to tensions with the armed forces chief of staff, Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir, who thought the move would be a miscalculation.
The rationale behind Netanyahu’s pressing need to attack Iran before the election was not clear, the NYT reported. A counter-attack by Iran may have led to a war, potentially disrupting or delaying the elections.
Netanyahu Clashes With Military Chief Of Staff
Israel’s Channel 12 news first reported that the prime minister and Zamir clashed earlier this month over a directive to the military that could “potentially spark an immediate conflagration with Iran at a very sensitive juncture,” by provoking a miscalculation by the Islamic republic.
Zamir is said to have requested the directive, the details of which remain unclear, to be presented to him in writing, as per The Guardian.
Netanyahu later denied the report. The defence ministry stated they had no intention of carrying out military operations against Iran.
The Israeli prime minister also pushed US President Donald Trump to carry out joint strikes on Iran, as per CNN. The Trump administration ruled out the possibility till the US midterms on November 3.
If war with Iran resumes weeks after the election, the opposition may face difficulties in forming a new government even if it wins against Netanyahu. It could also put political pressure for the creation of a national unity government that includes Netanyahu.
Netanyahu Faces Tough Election
Netanyahu’s moves to renew the assault on Iran come as the Israeli leader faces a tough challenge from the centrist bloc led by Gadi Eisenkot.
The Israeli prime minister has been portraying the election, seen as a referendum of sorts on Israel’s war on Gaza, as a vote that would decide “Israel’s existence.”
As of now, opinion polls state that neither Netanyahu’s far-right, ultra-Orthodox coalition nor the centrist opposition could get an outright majority in the elections.
Source link
[ad_3]
