developing· Security· Updated 15:01

Israel's Military Chief Clashes With Netanyahu Over Iran Policy

A severe dispute has erupted between Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and IDF Chief of Staff Lieutenant General Eyal Zamir over a directive concerning Iran. The military leadership fears that the Iran issue is being exploited for political gain ahead of upcoming elections, warning that the directive could lead to a rapid military confrontation and a dangerous miscalculation. Political representatives have vehemently denied these accusations, calling them outright lies, and Netanyahu stated there is no conflict.

5 newsrooms · 4 languages · since 25 Oct, 22:24

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What happened

01IDF Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu are in a sharp conflict over a directive concerning Iran.
02Zamir demanded formal, signed legal approval and a detailed discussion before implementing the political echelon's directive.
03Military officials fear the political leadership is exploiting the Iran issue for political gain ahead of upcoming elections.
04Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and political representatives denied any conflict, calling the accusations of political exploitation outright lies.
05Discussions between the political and military leadership during a recent visit to Palmachim Airbase were described as highly tense.
06Zamir declared an IDF state of alert to prevent provocative actions that could trigger an Iranian preemptive strike or miscalculation.
07Iraq suspects recent airstrikes targeted sites storing Iranian-supplied air defense missiles amid the US withdrawal from the country.

The tension peaked during a recent visit to Palmachim Airbase, where discussions were described by sources as extremely tense. Upon receiving instructions from the political echelon regarding an Iran-related action, Zamir insisted on a detailed, separate discussion and demanded formal, signed legal approval before proceeding. A senior security official stated that the Chief of Staff's actions in recent days would be historically significant.

Zamir recently declared a state of alert due to fears of miscalculation, signaling that the IDF wishes to avoid provocative statements and actions to prevent an Iranian response or preemptive strike. Despite this, Netanyahu and Defense Minister Yisrael Katz have continued their threats, raising Iranian concerns of an attack before the US midterm elections. Meanwhile, Iraq suspects that recent airstrikes hit sites storing Iranian-supplied air defense missiles, as Iran reportedly exploits the US withdrawal from Iraq to bolster its regional defenses.

Summarized by baba from the reports of 3 newsrooms. Updated 13:03

Latest report: Ynet. Read Ynet’s original