Netanyahu Sought Pre-Election Iran Strike, Facing Resistance From 1 Military Chief
Updated
Updated · The New York Times · Oct 26
Netanyahu Sought Pre-Election Iran Strike, Facing Resistance From 1 Military Chief
3 articles · Updated · The New York Times · Oct 26
Summary
Weeks before Tuesday’s Israeli election, Benjamin Netanyahu pushed for a new airstrike on Iran, according to six officials and people briefed on the deliberations.
Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir, Israel’s chief of staff, resisted the idea and in recent days also grew concerned Netanyahu was pursuing a separate, undisclosed action that could provoke an Iranian attack.
Officials said Netanyahu’s rationale was unclear, but a renewed conflict could have disrupted or even delayed the vote as he cast the election in existential terms.
Over the weekend, Netanyahu posted an AI-generated mushroom cloud over Tel Aviv and warned the election would decide “Israel’s existence,” reinforcing Iran as the campaign’s central issue.