{"id":85206,"date":"2026-10-26T14:11:25","date_gmt":"2026-10-26T18:11:25","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/stateofthenation.info\/?p=85206"},"modified":"2026-10-26T14:12:27","modified_gmt":"2026-10-26T18:12:27","slug":"netanyahu-planned-on-a-wag-the-dog-operation-just-before-the-israeli-election-but-was","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/stateofthenation.info\/?p=85206","title":{"rendered":"

Netanyahu planned on a WAG THE DOG operation just before the Israeli election but was……<\/b><\/h2>"},"content":{"rendered":"

…thwarted by the IDF chief because it lack legal
\nauthorization.<\/strong><\/h2>\n

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\"Left:<\/a><\/p>\n

Left: Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu attends a ceremony on Mount Herzl in Jerusalem, August 5, 2026; Right: IDF Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir attends a Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee meeting at the Knesset in Jerusalem, May 10, 2026. (Chaim Goldberg\/FLASH90, Yonatan Sindel\/Flash90)<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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An \u201cunprecedented confrontation\u201d has been unfolding in recent days between Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and IDF Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir surrounding an instruction by the prime minister for unspecified military action that defense officials believe could lead to a swift confrontation with Iran shortly before the election, Channel 12 reported Sunday.<\/p>\n

The TV network, which cited anonymous sources, said Zamir had been resisting carrying out the military action, no details of which were provided, and sought further deliberations, as well as signed documentation from Netanyahu regarding legal authorization for it.<\/p>\n

The issue had come to a head in the past 24 hours, the outlet said, noting that its report was being broadcast within the limitations of Israel\u2019s military censorship regulations.<\/p>\n

It quoted a military source saying, \u201cThis relates to an action that could lead to a flare-up with Iran, at a sensitive and dramatic moment, creating this [potential] miscalculation.\u201d<\/p>\n

The report further quoted unnamed sources familiar with the issue, who said there was concern among military leaders of an effort by the political leadership \u201cto utilize the Iranian issue for political benefit.\u201d<\/p>\n

Asked about the report during an interview with Channel 14, Netanyahu called it \u201cnonsense,\u201d saying \u201cthere was no fight\u201d with Zamir. Earlier in the interview, the prime minister said that he had recently \u201cinstructed the IDF and Mossad to topple the [Iranian] regime,\u201d though this did not seem to be connected to the report of a specific instruction from recent days.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>
An Israeli fighter jet is seen in the skies over central Israel, October 25, 2026. (Nati Shohat\/Flash90)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The Channel 12 report said that the hostility and tension between Netanyahu and Zamir were evident at a discussion at Palmahim Airbase on Sunday, where the atmosphere in the room was \u201cextremely sour.\u201d<\/p>\n

The report quoted a senior security source as saying, \u201cHistory will not forget the role that Zamir has played in recent days,\u201d without offering further details.<\/p>\n

Channel 13 reported<\/a> on Thursday that Zamir had said during a recent private meeting that he did not see an operational need to strike Iran before the election. \u201cWe do not see any indications of a need to strike Iran before the election. If we determine that a strike on Iran is necessary, we will carry it out,\u201d Zamir was quoted as saying.<\/p>\n

Reports have intensified in the final stretch of the election campaign that Netanyahu could be seeking<\/a> renewed conflict<\/a> with Iran, allegedly to boost his election prospects or possibly delay the vote. The prime minister has denied such intentions.<\/p>\n

Chorus of opposition outrage: He\u2019s gone off the rails<\/h3>\n

Responding to Sunday\u2019s report, opposition leaders said Netanyahu presented a security threat to the country.<\/p>\n

Opposition frontrunner Gadi Eisenkot posted on X, \u201cNetanyahu, I\u2019m watching you,\u201d and added that the premier \u201crefuses to understand that Israel\u2019s security isn\u2019t a tool in a political game, that the lives of Israel\u2019s citizens and IDF soldiers aren\u2019t worthless, and the State of Israel is not his private property.\u201d<\/p>\n

Eisenkot voiced support for Zamir and said he would not let \u201cthe IDF be turned into a tool in Netanyahu\u2019s campaign of survival.\u201d<\/p>\n

Speaking at a campaign rally shortly before Channel 12\u2019s report aired, Eisenkot had told supporters that Netanyahu would go to any lengths to retain power.\u00a0\u201cI see the polls, I know the data, and I know Netanyahu,\u201d Eisenkot, who chairs the Yashar party, said. \u201cHe\u2019ll stop at nothing \u2014 no lie, no extreme measure \u2014 to stay in power.\u201d<\/p>\n

Opposition Leader Yair Lapid, number two in the opposition\u2019s B\u2019Yachad party, wrote that Netanyahu \u201cwants to bring about an escalation and conflict with Iran just to postpone the election. The man has gone off the rails. We must send him home.\u201d<\/p>\n

Yair Golan, chair of the left-wing Democrats party and a former deputy IDF chief, voiced support for Zamir and added, \u201cWe must not allow any military step that lacks a clear security rationale, strategic goal, and responsible plan of action.\u201d<\/p>\n

He added, \u201cWhen the citizens of Israel go out to vote on Tuesday, they must remember: Netanyahu presents a security threat to Israel. He will not hesitate to sacrifice our children\u2019s lives for his survival on the eve of the election \u2014 that\u2019s what the IDF is trying to block.\u201d<\/p>\n

Avigdor Liberman, chair of the hawkish Yisrael Beytenu party, wrote, \u201cI have no doubt that Bibi is trying to forcefully drag Israel into military action in order to prevent the election. This behavior is tantamount to treason toward the state and its security.\u201d<\/p>\n

He called on Zamir to protect the IDF and its soldiers, and not to \u201crisk them because of the prime minister\u2019s worry that he\u2019s going to lose the election.\u201d<\/p>\n

PM again warns Iran<\/h3>\n

At the same time, both Netanyahu and Defense Minister Israel Katz have increased<\/a> their threatening rhetoric toward Iran.<\/p>\n

Netanyahu on Sunday again warned that Iran or one of its allies could attack in the coming days, urging Tehran not to \u201ctest\u201d Israel.<\/p>\n

Making the comments in front of an Arrow anti-ballistic missile battery at the Palmahim base, Netanyahu said<\/a> that the military was prepared for any scenario on \u201cboth defense and offense.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWe have intelligence signs that Iran and its proxies could challenge us with attacks in order to disrupt the elections,\u201d he said, without elaborating.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu delivers a statement, October 25, 2026. (Screenshot\/GPO)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Netanyahu has issued several similar warnings in recent weeks, sparking complaints from his election rivals, who have accused him of fearmongering and pushing for a renewal of the war against Iran to influence or delay the October 27 vote.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m warning them,\u201d Netanyahu said of Iran on Sunday. \u201cDon\u2019t test us.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou will suffer disproportionate blows,\u201d he said. \u201cWe are much stronger than you think. Don\u2019t underestimate us. Don\u2019t test us.\u201d<\/p>\n

Netanyahu\u2019s warning came hours after he posted an AI image on social media of a nuclear bomb exploding over Tel Aviv, and text suggesting Israel could face a second Holocaust if he was not reelected.<\/p>\n

Axios reporter Barak Ravid said officials in the White House were alarmed by the post, fearing it could cause Iranian officials to miscalculate and attack, restarting the war.<\/p>\n

He said US President Donald Trump\u2019s statement<\/a> that there would be no strike on Iran on Sunday may have been a reaction to the prime minister\u2019s post, designed to calm officials in Tehran.<\/p>\n

Trump\u2019s comments came just hours after saying that he was\u00a0facing a crucial decision on Iran.<\/p>\n

\u201cDo I make a deal with them or do I finish them off?\u201d he told Fox News. \u201cThat\u2019s the only question.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWe now control the Hormuz Strait,\u201d Trump continued, referring to the critical pathway for the global oil and gas supply, which Iran has sought to obstruct since the beginning of the war in late February. \u201cWe get everything; they get nothing.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>
US President Donald Trump speaks with reporters before boarding Air Force One, October 25, 2026, at Joint Base Andrews, Maryland. (AP Photo\/Julia Demaree Nikhinson)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Trump said that the US knows \u201cexactly what\u2019s going on at Pickaxe Mountain,\u201d referring to a key Iranian nuclear site that has not been attacked. \u201cWe can read the badge on somebody\u2019s shirt.\u201d<\/p>\n

Iran says new war will not change anything<\/h3>\n

Responding to the repeated threats from Netanyahu and Trump, Iran\u2019s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said on Sunday that a potential resumption of war would not change his country\u2019s positions.<\/p>\n

\u201cRecently, there has been talk of a new war, but I am already thinking about the post-war period. Whether there is war or not, our policies remain the same,\u201d said Araghchi during a televised event in Tehran.<\/p>\n

\u201cThey have already done so twice and have seen the results,\u201d he said. \u201cIf they want to try again, they know they will achieve no different outcome from those of the past.\u201d<\/p>\n

An April 8 ceasefire between Iran and the United States put an end to the most intense fighting, apart from sporadic exchanges of fire in and around the strategic Strait of Hormuz, a key route for global energy supplies.<\/p>\n

These military flare-ups have seen a lull in recent weeks.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>
Motorists ride past portraits of Iran\u2019s Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei in Tehran, Iran, October 21, 2026. (AP Photo\/Vahid Salemi)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Iran has claimed control over the strait since the outbreak of the war and has regularly targeted vessels that attempt to cross without its authorization \u2014 moves strongly opposed by Washington and countries in the region.<\/p>\n

In response, the US has been maintaining a naval counter-blockade on Iranian ports.<\/p>\n

In June, Iran agreed with the United States to a memorandum of understanding laying out a pathway to a permanent settlement of the conflict, only for the deal to quickly unravel as each side accused the other of violating it.<\/p>\n

Tehran has since called for a return to talks to end the conflict. According to sources, Qatari mediators were in Tehran on Sunday as part of an effort to de-escalate regional tensions in coordination with the US, though the extent of the meeting was not reported.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe current war has changed everything. We must accept that new realities are taking hold. Shipping routes through the Strait of Hormuz will no longer be the same, and the management of the strait will no longer be the same,\u201d said Araghchi.<\/p>\n

\u201cTo achieve peace and stability, our region must move towards the complete absence of foreign forces.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

____
\nhttps:\/\/www.timesofisrael.com\/in-unprecedented-confrontation-idf-chief-said-resisting-military-action-tied-to-iran-ordered-by-pm\/<\/a><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

…thwarted by the IDF chief because it lack legal authorization. Left: Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu attends a ceremony on Mount Herzl in Jerusalem, August 5, 2026; Right: IDF Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir attends a Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee … Continue reading →<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-85206","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/stateofthenation.info\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/85206","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/stateofthenation.info\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/stateofthenation.info\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/stateofthenation.info\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/stateofthenation.info\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=85206"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/stateofthenation.info\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/85206\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":85210,"href":"https:\/\/stateofthenation.info\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/85206\/revisions\/85210"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/stateofthenation.info\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=85206"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/stateofthenation.info\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=85206"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/stateofthenation.info\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=85206"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}