'Utilizing Iran for politics': IDF chief, Netanyahu clash over military action

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and IDF chief of staff general Eyal Zamir are reportedly at odds over a possible military operation. The reported disagreement comes just a day before Israel heads to polls, with speculation that the operation could involve a new strike on Iran.According to Israel's Channel 12, citing anonymous sources, Zamir sought further discussions and written legal authorisation from Netanyahu before proceeding with the operation. The report did not specify the nature of the proposed action.A military source told Channel 12, “This relates to an action that could lead to a flare-up with Iran, at a sensitive and dramatic moment, creating this potential miscalculation.”

Other unnamed sources expressed concern that Israel's political leadership could be trying to use the Iran issue for political gain.However, Netanyahu dismissed the allegations as “nonsense” in an interview with Israel's Channel 14, according to the Times of Israel. In an earlier television appearance, he said he had instructed the IDF and Mossad to work towards toppling the Iranian regime.The reported disagreement comes amid heightened political tensions ahead of the election, with pollsters projecting a close contest between Netanyahu and his main rival, Gadi Eisenkot.

The reported face-off comes as US President Donald Trump again endorsed Netanyahu on Sunday, reiterating his support for the Israeli prime minister and urging voters to back him in Tuesday's election."To the people of Israel, to those who haven’t seen it, I am attaching the Endorsement I gave one week ago to your Prime Minister, Bibi Netanyahu. As everyone is aware, including the enemy, Bibi and I have had a great relationship in winning together ... When you go to the Polls, please remember that Bibi has been an outstanding Warrior Prime Minister!”The US President further wrote on Truth Social, “Israel was called The Little Satan, with the United States being called The Big Satan, by some very evil people.

There can no longer be the chant heard around the World of “Death to America, Death to Israel,” and there won’t be. Vote for Bibi Netanyahu for Prime Minister, we have to finish the job that we started."Israeli PM Netanyahu also posted an AI-generated image on social media on Sunday depicting a nuclear explosion in Tel Aviv. Two days before the election, he warned that voting for anyone other than him could expose Israelis to the danger of a “second Holocaust.”Quoting right-wing activist Yuval Blumberg's statements, Netanyahu's post read,"The State of Israel is in real and tangible existential danger. If the Iranians acquire nuclear weapons, nothing will ever be the same again. Everything is so trivial compared to the existential threat of Iran and the Shiite axis."The post further argued that the remaining period of Trump's presidency presented a window to address the Iranian threat, while questioning whether a future US administration would offer the same opportunity.The final projections for Tuesday's election, published on October 23, indicated continued political gridlock. Neither the ruling coalition nor the opposition bloc was projected to secure enough support to form a government following the vote.