Opponents accuse Netanyahu of stoking tensions with Iran before Israel's election

Staying on the theme, then, of consequential elections, Israelis will vote tomorrow, October the 27th, in legislative elections, the first, of course, to be held since the October 7th, 2023 Hamas attacks. With less than 24 hours to go until the voting, another potential bombshell that could affect the ballot boxes, that's Israel's Channel 12 today, first reporting on potential tensions between Benjamin Netanyahu and the military after the Israeli prime minister allegedly weighed striking Iran just before the election. reports that government officials have since denied. For more France 24's Kevin Gorgesan joins me on set. Hi, Kevin. So tell us more about this report. How are things playing out since the revelations? Well, as you said, Benjamin Netanyahu, as well as some other officials, including the defense minister, Israel Katz, denied these reports, saying they were rubbish, that they were fake news. But, of course, Netanyahu's rivals in this election jumped on the opportunity to attack him. And also because this was a way of attacking him on one thing that he has made central to this election, which is presenting himself as basically the only person who can actually guarantee the safety and security of Israel. And that has really played for his opponents. They've accused him instead of using the army, of using security for political gain. You had Gadi Eisenkot, who is the top rival in the polls. He said in a post on X, we will not allow the IDF, so the Israeli army, to be turned into a tool in Netanyahu's survival campaign. Do not dare place your political interests, he tells Benjamin Netanyahu, above the state's security. You also have Avigdor Lieberman, who is part of that opposition bloc, who has seized the attorney general of Israel, sending an open letter to open an investigation. He said that Benjamin Netanyahu and his attempt to drag the state of Israel into a war on the eve of elections solely due to fear of losing these elections constitutes treason against the state. You also had Eisenkot accusing Benjamin Netanyahu of further fear-mongering, telling his supporters and Netanyahu that leaning on a campaign of intimidation, of lies, of threats that include, he said, an image of an atomic bomb in the heart of Tel Aviv was clearly a sign that Netanyahu was doing everything he could to make Israelis fearful of the result of these elections. This, of course, after Benjamin Netanyahu himself took to social media to post that AI generated picture of a sort of nuclear explosion over a big city that is supposed to be Tel Aviv, warning of the existential threat caused caused by Iran and presenting again, going back to that, presenting himself as the only one capable of defending Israel end of quote, finishing the job against Iran. Netanyahu is the one making Israelis less safe. That is the message of his opponents. Now, on that question of finishing the job, to take it in Netanyahu's words, the Israeli prime minister needs the United States, and he's been reportedly pushing for that support to come sooner rather than later. Yes, and CNN has been reporting that in the midst of Donald Trump's own sort of questions about whether or not and when to restart possible strikes against Iran, Benjamin Netanyahu has tried repeatedly to push and to try to convince the U.S. president to actually renew those strikes on Iran sooner rather than later and even before the election in Israel. but that the U.S. president himself did not give the green light because he has his own electoral calendar. And, of course, you have the midterms in the United States that are coming up next Tuesday on November 3rd. Donald Trump did, however, renew his support for Benjamin Netanyahu. Remember, about a week or so ago, he had taken to social media to finally give his endorsement for Benjamin Netanyahu in these elections. He reposted that endorsement, adding again his support for Benjamin Netanyahu, as you see there, for those who haven't seen his initial support, saying that vote for Bibi Netanyahu. We have to finish the job that we started. Again, going back to those words, finish the job when it comes to Iran. It does confirm in a way the reports that Donald Trump is considering picking up where he left off and renewing strikes on Iran, not necessarily in the timeline that Benjamin Netanyahu would have liked, but possibly after the November 3rd midterms. And this post where he also indicates that basically Benjamin Netanyahu is the only Israeli prime minister that would be fit to sort of partner with the United States in order to finish that job. Netanyahu has played on that, played on that close relationship between him and Donald Trump to try to be not only the only one who can keep Israel safe, but the only one who can have that relationship with Donald Trump. Gadi Eisenkot, he tried to counter that argument by saying Donald Trump is a true friend of Israel, not a true friend of Benjamin Netanyahu specifically. And he said that Donald Trump, he believes, will work in full cooperation with any leader chosen by the Israeli people. Ketavan Gorgostani, thank you very much. We'll see how that plays out at the ballot boxes in Israel tomorrow. Thank you.