The Security Cabinet is set to meet on Sunday for the first time since early October. Under the law, the government retains a degree of latitude to act on security matters, even when serving as a caretaker (transitional) government.
The Prime Minister could order a military operation though it is far from certain that he would have the backing of Donald Trump a point Gadi Eisenkot highlighted in a message.
Netanyahu Seeks to “Burn” the Mandate Granted to Eisenkot
Amid an exchange of accusations between Gadi Eisenkot leader of the “Yashar” party and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, and against the backdrop of what has been described as a “screaming call from hell” between the latter and U.S. President Donald Trump, senior officials within the “Change Bloc” allege that the Prime Minister is pushing for a unilateral Israeli operation against Iran, lacking American cover. He faces opposition, however, from Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir and other high-ranking figures within the security establishment. One senior official in the “Change Bloc” even claimed that Netanyahu has “lost his mind” and is attempting, at any cost, to drag Israel into a war a move intended to “burn through” the days of the mandate granted to Eisenkot to form a government.
Following the swearing-in of the new Knesset, Netanyahu is currently classified as the head of a transitional government, leading many to question whether he has the authority to steer Israel into a large-scale confrontation with Iran. The legal starting point for this response lies in Section 40 of the Basic Law: The Government, which stipulates that engaging in war or carrying out a major military action that is almost certain to lead to war requires a decision by the government or the Security Cabinet. The provision makes no distinction between a regular government and a transitional government, and this is also the case in actual practice.
The Security Cabinet is set to convene this coming Sunday. Its last meeting took place over a month ago, on October 4, while Israel was still in the midst of an election campaign. The final decision reached by the Cabinet at that time was to increase the state of readiness for various scenarios involving Iran—including an Israeli strike, a surprise Iranian attack, or other similar possibilities. Now, the Cabinet may authorize action against the Iranians, which could be classified either as a “war” or as a “military operation.”
Americans Aware of Netanyahu’s Intentions
The Americans are aware of Netanyahu’s intentions and have, on at least one occasion, held him back. This follows a tense phone call over the weekend between Netanyahu and President Trump. While the Prime Minister’s Office insisted that the conversation was positive, a source familiar with the details described it differently; American sources claimed the exchange was heated and filled with shouting. Subsequently, in a speech to the Knesset, Netanyahu alleged that “Iran is working to revive the nuclear threat,” and asserted that “the only way to permanently eliminate this existential threat is to topple the regime of the mullahs.” In recent weeks, Netanyahu has discussed with the heads of the security establishment the execution of various operations against the Islamic Republic—operations that could potentially trigger a harsh Iranian response.
According to reports, Eyal Zamir—who was serving as Deputy Chief of Staff—took a firm stand against this, arguing that such actions would be ill-advised during the current, sensitive pre-election period.
Precedents in Gaza
Former Cabinet Secretary Oved Yehezkel explains that the claim that a transitional government cannot wage war is an overgeneralization and does not accurately reflect the legal situation. According to him, the restrictions placed on transitional governments primarily concern appointments and budgetary decisions, whereas they retain significant latitude in the realms of security and foreign affairs.
Source: Israeli media (translated and edited by Al-Manar English Website)