Liberman demands treason probe of Netanyahu over pre-election military clash
The opposition leader alleges the prime minister sought a confrontation with Iran to derail the Oct. 27 vote, a claim the defense minister called false.
By Luca Harrison ·
On Monday, Yisrael Beytenu chairman Avigdor Liberman asked Attorney-General Gali Baharav-Miara to open a criminal investigation into Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for suspected treason. The request followed a report by N12 on Sunday claiming Netanyahu and IDF Chief of Staff Lt.-Gen. Eyal Zamir clashed over a proposed military operation against Iran just two days before the national election.
Liberman did not confirm that an investigation had begun, but he argued the prime minister tried to delay the vote by pushing for a military confrontation. In a post on X on Sunday, he described the alleged conduct as a betrayal of the state's security. He said the chief of staff had a duty to stop the military from being used for political ends and to shield soldiers from unnecessary risk.
The election is scheduled for Oct. 27. Liberman told 103FM on Monday that he would formally approach the attorney-general regarding the treason allegations. He criticized Netanyahu's shifting positions on military threats, questioning the logic of claiming Iran's bombs were destroyed while dropping bombs on Tel Aviv.
"The man has gone off the rails," Liberman said on the radio. "One day he's preparing a crypto bomb for us, and the next day an atomic bomb." He added that the relationship between the military and political leadership was the most strained in history.
He argued that Netanyahu provoked a miscalculation with Iran. Liberman stated that under the law, any action with consequences that could lead Israel into war or a large-scale confrontation requires a government decision. He called on the chief of staff to insist on upholding this legal requirement.
Defense Minister Israel Katz rejected the accusation of a strain between the IDF and political leadership. Speaking on Monday, Katz said coordination on the Iran issue has been complete since he took office. He described the security achievements as historic and stated that security is the sole consideration for his ministry.
Katz called reports of a planned pre-election attack on Iran entirely false. He said the opposition was exploiting these reports to attack the prime minister and himself while details of the Iranian issue remain classified for understandable reasons. He characterized the opposition's actions as shameful and irresponsible.
