Liberman demands treason probe into Netanyahu 48 hours before vote

Avigdor Liberman asked Attorney-General Gali Baharav-Miara to open a criminal investigation into Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on suspicion of treason. The request, issued on Monday, does not confirm wrongdoing or indicate that a probe has officially begun.

The move follows a Sunday report from N12 stating that Netanyahu and IDF Chief of Staff Lt.-Gen. Eyal Zamir clashed over a proposed military operation. The dispute reportedly centered on an action that could trigger a confrontation with Iran. The reported disagreement occurred just two days before the scheduled national election on October 27.

On Sunday, Liberman posted on X that he believes Netanyahu is pushing for military action to prevent the vote from taking place. He characterized the alleged conduct as a betrayal of the state and its security apparatus. Liberman argued that the chief of staff has a duty to prevent the military from being used for political ends and to shield soldiers from unnecessary risk.

In an interview with 103FM on Monday, Liberman confirmed he would approach the attorney-general to request the investigation. "The man has gone off the rails," Liberman said. "One day he's preparing a crypto bomb for us, and the next day an atomic bomb. He just said he had destroyed all of Iran's bombs, and now he's dropping bombs on Tel Aviv?" He added that relations between the military and political leadership are more strained than at any previous point, citing Netanyahu's efforts to provoke a miscalculation with Iran.

Defense Minister Israel Katz rejected the accusations on Monday. He stated there is no strain between the IDF and the political leadership. Katz said coordination among the prime minister, himself, and the IDF regarding the Iran issue has been complete since he took office. He described the security achievements as historic and asserted that Israel has no intention of initiating an attack on Iran before the elections. Katz noted that Israel would respond with great force if Iran attacked, calling all reports to the contrary entirely false.

Katz accused opposition figures of exploiting the reports to cast doubt on the judgment of the prime minister and himself. He said the government cannot address the details of the Iranian issue at this time for understandable reasons. Katz labeled the effort "shameful and irresponsible" and added: "We will overcome this too." The next scheduled step is the election vote on Tuesday, October 27.