Netanyahu Warns Iran Against Disrupting Israel Elections, Threatens ‘Disproportionate Blows’

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu warned Iran and its allies against attempting to disrupt Tuesday’s Israeli elections, threatening “disproportionate blows” if they did so. In a video released by his office, Netanyahu stated, “We have intelligence signs that our enemies, Iran and its proxies, could challenge us with attacks in order to disrupt the elections.” He urged Iran to “not test us,” emphasizing that the military was prepared for both defensive and offensive operations.

Netanyahu has been campaigning heavily on his security credentials, highlighting the war he launched against Iran in February alongside the United States and asserting that he alone can see it through. The warning came amid reports from Israel’s Channel 12, which cited unnamed sources, of a confrontation between Netanyahu and army chief Eyal Zamir over an unspecified new directive regarding the war with Iran. Netanyahu denied the report, calling it “nothing but rubbish.”

The report claimed that Zamir had “demanded an in-depth discussion before carrying out the directive he had received, as well as legal guarantees and the signatures of the political echelon.” It noted concerns within the army that the war might be exploited for political gain, though details of the directive were not provided. Netanyahu later dismissed the report in a television appearance, rejecting the suggestion that he sought to delay the elections.

Opposition leader Yair Lapid referenced the report in a post on X, accusing Netanyahu of attempting to postpone the vote by escalating tensions with Iran. “Tonight it was published that he wants to set off an escalation and a confrontation with Iran, just to postpone the elections,” Lapid said.

Earlier on Sunday, Netanyahu posted an AI-generated image of a mushroom cloud engulfing Tel Aviv, accompanied by text attributed to a right-wing political commentator. The text framed Iran as an existential threat and argued that all other election issues were trivial in comparison. This image and accompanying rhetoric underscored Netanyahu’s campaign focus on security and the perceived urgency of the Iran conflict.

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