Israel defense minister denies report of PM-army rift on eve of election
Israel's defense minister denied on Monday reports of a rift between Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and the army over Iran, as the premier's rivals seized on the story as a line of attack a day before close elections.
Over the course of a neck-and-neck race, Netanyahu has campaigned heavily on his security credentials, insisting only he can "finish the job" in the U.S.-Israeli war on Iran.
But his main rival, ex-army chief Gadi Eisenkot, has accused him of playing up the Iran threat when it suits him politically, and of failing to accomplish his war goals.
Israel's Channel 12 reported on Sunday, citing unnamed sources, that there had been a confrontation between Netanyahu and army chief Lieutenant General Eyal Zamir over an unspecified new directive on Iran.
The premier dismissed the report as "rubbish" during a TV appearance, and Katz characterized it as an effort to cast doubt on the Netanyahu bloc's judgement on the eve of the polls.
"The reports about gaps between the political echelon and the IDF (army) on the Iran issue are entirely baseless and false," Katz said on X, insisting there was "complete" coordination between the two.
In its report, Channel 12 said Zamir had demanded a detailed discussion as well as legal guarantees and the signatures of the political leadership before carrying out the directive he had received.
The outlet did not offer details of the directive, but cited sources saying there were concerns within the army that the war might be exploited for political gain.
Katz in his statement Monday said "unequivocally that there was no intention on Israel's part to initiate an attack on Iran before the elections".
- 'Restore responsibility' -
Opposition leader Yair Lapid referenced the report in a post on X, accusing Netanyahu of seeking to put off the vote.
"Tonight it was published that he wants to set off an escalation and a confrontation with Iran, just to postpone the elections," he said.
"This man has lost his grip. We absolutely must send him home."
Eisenkot, meanwhile, said Zamir had his complete trust, adding he would not stand for the military being "turned into a tool in Netanyahu's survival campaign".
"I warn Netanyahu: Do not dare place your political interests above the state's security," Eisenkot wrote on X Sunday night.
"In two days, the citizens of Israel will put an end to this reckless government and restore responsibility, decency and Israel's security."
On the campaign trail, Netanyahu has sought to portray Eisenkot as soft on Iran and beholden to Arab and Palestinian interests, playing to voters' opposition to the creation of a Palestinian state.
Netanyahu had warned on Sunday "that our enemies, Iran and its proxies, could challenge us with attacks in order to disrupt the elections", adding: "Don't test us."
But Iran's foreign ministry said it did not matter who prevailed in the vote.
"It makes no difference to us who, in these elections, takes the helm of a regime that has brought nothing but violence and massacres to our region," said ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei.