not everywhere· Politics· Updated 11:35

Israel's Defense Minister Blames Opposition for Potential Terror Attacks

Defense Minister Israel Katz and opposition leaders traded sharp accusations on Thursday, five days before the parliamentary elections scheduled for October 27. Katz stated that any future attacks or terror incidents against Israel would be attributed to opposition leaders Yair Lapid, Naftali Bennett, and Yair Golan. He accused them of undermining Israeli deterrence and encouraging adversaries by criticizing the government and questioning security warnings.

17 newsrooms · 4 languages · since 08:32

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Israel's Defense Minister Blames Opposition for Potential Terror Attacks — Illustration by baba

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What happened

01Defense Minister Israel Katz declared that opposition leaders Yair Lapid, Naftali Bennett, and Yair Golan would be held responsible for any future terror attacks.
02Katz accused the opposition of undermining Israeli deterrence and encouraging enemies by questioning government security warnings.
03The Defense Minister stated that intelligence indicates adversaries plan to carry out attacks during the election period to influence the vote.
04Opposition Leader Yair Lapid called Katz's statement irresponsible, hysterical, and a gift to Israel's enemies.
05Lapid accused the government of seeking excuses for its failures to defeat Hamas, dismantle Iran, and eliminate Hezbollah.
06Yisrael Beytenu Chairman Gadi Eisenkot accused Katz of shifting responsibility in advance and called his remarks an unprecedented low.
07Katz assured that the IDF is prepared for preemptive and defensive actions against Iran and its proxies on all fronts.

According to Katz, the government possesses intelligence indicating that Israel's enemies intend to carry out attacks during the election period to influence the results. He asserted that the IDF is prepared for preemptive and defensive actions against Iran and its proxies on all fronts, and that the opposition's criticism of these warnings stems from narrow political interests.

Opposition Leader Yair Lapid called Katz's statement irresponsible, hysterical, and a gift to Israel's enemies. Lapid accused the government of turning national security into a circus out of desperation to avoid electoral defeat, and of seeking excuses for its failures to defeat Hamas, dismantle Iran, and eliminate Hezbollah. Yisrael Beytenu Chairman Gadi Eisenkot also condemned the remarks, calling them an unprecedented low and accusing Katz of shifting responsibility for future disasters in advance.

Summarized by baba from the reports of 13 newsrooms. Updated 10:23