Israel faces accusations over potential Iran strike ahead of elections

Report by Amal Shehadeh, English adaptation by Karine Keuchkerian
 
Will Israel launch an attack on Iran before the elections scheduled for Oct. 27, less than a week from now?

The question has sparked a confrontation between Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Israel Katz on one side, and the Israeli opposition on the other, following revelations about plans for a joint Israeli-U.S. attack on Iran based on intelligence suggesting that Tehran is preparing to strike Israel.

While assessments suggest that the joint attack would take place after the U.S. midterm elections scheduled for Nov. 3, concerns are growing that Tehran could launch a preemptive strike against Israel.

Military and security officials have warned Israeli Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir and the heads of the security agencies against carrying out any attack on Iran before the elections.

The warning was conveyed in a letter to Zamir amid a climate of distrust toward several senior security officials and concerns that they may yield to Netanyahu’s demands.

“Netanyahu is a sick and weak leader, willing to risk Israel’s security to save himself. He has no legitimacy to drag Israel into a military confrontation for political and personal reasons on the eve of the elections.” Opposition party leaders leveled these and other accusations against the prime minister after Katz held the opposition responsible for any attack on Israel.

Gadi Eisenkot, head of the Yashar party and one of Netanyahu’s fiercest rivals, said Katz was attempting to evade responsibility for any future security incident and shift the blame for the next disaster onto others, describing the move as an unprecedented political decline.