Report: Army chief Zamir resists Netanyahu over Iran action days before election
According to Channel 12, Zamir demanded signed authorization for a military action that could trigger a confrontation with Iran. Netanyahu called the report "nonsense."
Archive image · Photo: Ministry of Defense spokesperson / Wikimedia Commons, CC0 (cropped and resized)
Two days before Israel's parliamentary election, a report of a clash between Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and military Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir has caused a stir. According to Channel 12, Zamir received a directive from the political leadership for an unspecified military action. Security officials warned it could "trigger a rapid escalation into a confrontation with Iran," the report said. Zamir requested an in-depth discussion and formal, signed authorization. According to The Jerusalem Post, he and other officers fear the Iran front could be exploited for political gain before the vote.
Netanyahu denied the report on the pro-government Channel 14. "There was no fight between us," he said. "It's all nonsense." Someone was trying to obscure the fact that the chief of staff himself had said Iran was trying to harm the election, he said. He also said he had instructed the military and the Mossad to topple the Iranian regime. Opposition politicians called the affair "treason," according to The Times of Israel, while Netanyahu's main challenger Gadi Eisenkot backed Zamir's caution, according to Roya.
According to the JFeed news site, the atmosphere at a meeting at military headquarters in Tel Aviv was unusually tense. The reports have not been independently confirmed. Netanyahu has repeatedly warned of Iranian threats. Addressing Iran and its allies, he said on Sunday, according to CBS News: "Don't test us." The election is on Tuesday, Oct. 27.