Netanyahu pushed for Iran attack before Israeli election
The gist
Reports say Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu sought strikes on Iran before the Oct.
The dispute with his army chief puts the election's security stakes in plain view.
How it unfolded
- Oct 21, 2026Haaretz reports growing tension between Netanyahu and the army brass over a possible resumption of attacks on Iran; it says Netanyahu pushed for another strike but was blocked by Trump.
- Oct 22, 2026At an IDF officers' graduation, Netanyahu says "There is only one way to remove this threat once and for all" and directs the military and security agencies to overthrow the Iranian regime ahead of the Oct. 27 election.
- Oct 25, 2026Channel 12 News reports Netanyahu and army chief Eyal Zamir clashed over an instruction Zamir feared could trigger a confrontation with Iran days before the vote; Zamir demanded legal assurances. Opposition leader Gadi Eisenkot warns on X: "Don't you dare put your political interests above the security of the state."