Israeli Politicsupdated 10m ago3 min read
Israeli Opposition Fears Netanyahu Could Provoke Iran War During Eisenkot Government Transition
“Among those efforts appears to be an attempt to reignite the war with Iran.”
“Netanyahu failed in the briefing to convince Eisenkot that it was necessary to launch ‘an immediate attack in Iran.”
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Israeli opposition fears Netanyahu could provoke Iran to derail Eisenkot-led government. Mossad chief in US coordinating Iran-strike talks amid transition, with security briefings ongoing.
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Transition, Iran, and fears
Israeli opposition leaders fear Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu could provoke Iran into a renewed military confrontation during Israel’s 42-day transition period to derail the formation of a new government led by Gadi Eisenkot, according to Israeli political sources cited by Al-Monitor. Roman Gofman was in Washington and met CIA Director John Ratcliffe, and the report said he was expected to meet Secretary of State Marco Rubio and might travel to Miami to meet White House envoy Steve Witkoff. Eisenkot secured the recommendation of 67 members of the Knesset, surpassing the 61-member majority threshold, while 46 members recommended Netanyahu.
President Isaac Herzog tasked Eisenkot with forming the next government on Sunday, while Netanyahu would remain in power as head of a caretaker government during the transition. Netanyahu met Eisenkot on Thursday to brief him on the ongoing “threat” posed by Iran, after Eisenkot and his allies warned Netanyahu might exploit the transition period to initiate a war with Iran.
Security briefings and disputes
Netanyahu and Eisenkot held a security briefing on Thursday evening that lasted two hours, and Ynetnews said it was attended by Netanyahu’s military secretary, Maj. Gen. Guy Markizano.
Eisenkot demanded regular security briefings during the political transition after Herzog tasked him with trying to form Israel’s next government, and Eisenkot warned that deploying security forces “without a direct and immediate threat that cannot wait” could have “devastating consequences for Israeli democracy and public trust in the institutions of government.”
Netanyahu rejected Eisenkot’s criticism, calling his remarks “irresponsible,” and it quoted Netanyahu saying, “Instead of sowing fear and division, one must act responsibly.”
Ynetnews reported that senior figures in the bloc seeking to replace Netanyahu accused the prime minister of pushing for unilateral Israeli military action against Iran without U.S. backing and said the IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir opposed the approach.
Ynetnews also reported that Defense Minister Israel Katz said he, Netanyahu, and Zamir “see eye to eye on the Iranian issue in all its aspects,” and Katz said decisions would be made “in full cooperation between Israel’s political and military leadership.”
Mossad trip, oversight, next steps
The Times of Israel reported that Mossad Director Roman Gofman was in Washington on Friday for a meeting about Iran with his CIA counterpart John Ratcliffe, and it said Axios reported the trip citing three sources with knowledge of the matter. Gofman’s trip was not disclosed to Gadi Eisenkot in Eisenkot’s Thursday security briefing with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, and senior figures in the Eisenkot-led bloc told Channel 13 that Netanyahu failed to convince Eisenkot that it was necessary to launch “an immediate attack in Iran.” Eisenkot wrote on social media after the briefing that Netanyahu’s government needed “strict supervision” to prevent any bid to “reap a political dividend” off Israel’s security.
“Netanyahu failed in the briefing to convince Eisenkot that it was necessary to launch ‘an immediate attack in Iran.’”
The Jerusalem Post described coalition talks as a period where Netanyahu calls for a “unity” government while Eisenkot’s party called off scheduled talks with Likud after Netanyahu’s speech, and it framed the dispute over whether Netanyahu meant unity or was trying to make Eisenkot look like an obstacle. Liberman joined Eisenkot in warning against military decisions that could drag Israel into war at the fragile political moment, and it said Liberman called for parliamentary oversight and the approval of the entire security establishment for any military engagement.