Israeli opposition leaders fear that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu might provoke Iran and push it toward a renewed military confrontation, with the aim of preventing the formation of a new government led by his rival, Gadi Eisenkot, head of the “Yashar” party, according to Israeli political sources who spoke to the news outlet Al-Monitor.
On Friday, Axios reported, citing three informed sources, that the head of the Mossad is currently in Washington. According to the report, he has met with CIA Director John Ratcliffe and is expected to meet with Secretary of State Marco Rubio. He may also travel to Miami to meet with White House envoy Steve Witkoff, as part of Netanyahu’s efforts to pressure President Donald Trump to resume military operations against Iran.
Fears of Exploiting the Transition Period
The sources stated that the political uncertainty in Israel, combined with the continued volatility of Trump’s stance on Iran, is heightening tensions among Israelis who are already exhausted by three years of war and the inconclusive results of the October 27 elections.
Eisenkot secured the recommendation of 67 members of the Knesset, surpassing the 61-member majority threshold, while 46 members recommended Netanyahu. Last Sunday, Israeli President Isaac Herzog tasked Eisenkot with forming the next government. However, negotiations with potential coalition partners have encountered difficulties. During the 42-day transitional period, Netanyahu will remain in power as the head of a caretaker government.
Warnings of a Renewed Confrontation
In the latest development amid this political volatility, Netanyahu met with Eisenkot on Thursday to brief him on the ongoing “threat” posed by Iran. The meeting followed warnings issued by Eisenkot and his allies, who cautioned that Netanyahu might exploit the transitional period to initiate a war with Iran.
Since October 28, Eisenkot and his ally, Avigdor Liberman leader of the Yisrael Beiteinu party have issued public warnings and sent letters to Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara. They argued that Netanyahu’s position as head of a caretaker government precludes him from taking such a high-stakes military action.
According to a source from Eisenkot’s camp who spoke to Al-Monitor, both Eisenkot and Liberman are particularly concerned that Netanyahu might use a confrontation with Iran to pressure them into joining a national unity government especially given that he lacks sufficient support in the newly elected Knesset to form a governing coalition. The source added that a national state of emergency would provide Netanyahu with a pretext to remain in power, backed by his own political rivals.
Source: Al-Manar English Wbsite