The Israeli prime minister faced opposition from Lt Gen Eyal Zamir, Israel’s military chief, who believed an attack could prompt Tehran to retaliate, three Israeli defence officials told the New York Times.
After nearly two decades in office, the Israel’s longest-serving prime minister is facing one of the biggest political challenges of his career on Tuesday.
The national elections are the first since the Oct 7, 2023 attacks by Hamas, and Mr Netanyahu, who is behind in the polls, has tied his re-election to the survival of Israel.
Although Lt Gen Zamir was not opposed to an attack on Iran per se, he reportedly objected to the timing coinciding with the elections and said there was no immediate need to restart the conflict, the officials said.
He and Maj Gen Omer Tischler, the commander of the Israeli air force, apparently cited “political sensitivities”, The New York Times reported.
Lt Gen Eyal Zamir, the Israeli military chief, was opposed to the timing of the strike Credit: Reuters/Amir Cohen
Mr Netanyahu has not said publicly why he was pushing for renewed strikes on Iran but a return to war could have delayed the election.
Reports in Israeli media claimed that he would dismiss Lt Gen Zamir if he received a mandate to form the next government.
In his final interview before the election, the Israeli prime minister admitted that his Likud party could face defeat, telling Channel 14 that “it’s not in our pocket and it’s not a lost cause”.
Retired, living in the Scottish Borders after living most of my life in cities in England. I can now indulge my interest in all aspects of living close to nature in a wild landscape. I live on what was once the Iapetus Ocean which took millions of years to travel from the Southern Hemisphere to here in the Northern Hemisphere. That set me thinking and questioning and seeking answers.
In 1998 I co-wrote Millennium Countdown (US)/ A Business Guide to the Year 2000 (UK) see https://www.abebooks.co.uk/products/isbn/9780749427917
