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An unprecedented dispute has emerged between Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and military chief Eyal Zamir over an order to launch a military operation against Iran, with the army chief reportedly resisting the directive just days before an election.
Defence officials fear the move could rapidly escalate the conflict with Iran, according to a report by Israel’s Channel 12 television on Sunday.
Citing sources, the broadcaster reported that Zamir was blocking Netanyahu’s proposed military action. He reportedly called for further discussions and requested Netanyahu’s signature on written documents concerning the operation’s legal authorisation. However, the report did not specify the nature of the military action ordered by the prime minister.
Channel 12 said the dispute had reached a critical point over the previous 24 hours. The report was broadcast in accordance with restrictions imposed by Israel’s military censorship authorities.
Quoting a military official, the report said the proposed action could expand the conflict with Iran at a sensitive moment when the risk of miscalculation was particularly high.
Several sources familiar with the matter also expressed concern within the military leadership over whether political leaders were attempting to exploit the Iran issue for political gain.
Asked about the report in an interview with Channel 14, Netanyahu dismissed it as “nonsense” and denied having any dispute with Zamir.
Earlier in the interview, however, Netanyahu said he had recently instructed the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) and the Mossad intelligence agency to overthrow Iran’s government. It remains unclear whether these remarks were directly related to the specific military order described in Channel 12’s report.
The report further said tensions between Netanyahu and Zamir became apparent during a discussion at Palmachim Airbase on Sunday. The atmosphere in the meeting room was described as “extremely bitter.”
Quoting a senior security official, the broadcaster reported that history would not forget the role Zamir had played in recent days, although it provided no further details.
Earlier, on Thursday, Channel 13 reported that Zamir had said during a closed-door meeting that he saw no military necessity for attacking Iran before Israel’s election.
“We see no indication that an attack on Iran is necessary before the election. If we decide that an attack on Iran is necessary, we will carry it out,” he was quoted as saying.
Several reports have suggested that Netanyahu has been seeking to initiate a renewed confrontation with Iran during the final phase of the election campaign. Critics have alleged that such a move could be intended to improve his electoral prospects or delay the vote. Netanyahu has denied having any such motives.