The head of the occupation government, Benjamin Netanyahu, regarding “ indications of our enemies trying to attack us on the eve of the elections, ” continues to resonate and elicit reactions amidst attempts by the opposition and the military and security establishment to cast doubt and pour cold water on his attempt to escalate tensions and create an atmosphere of emergency.
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The security establishment is avoiding being drawn into the political arena and the infighting between parties, and therefore it has so far refrained from officially commenting on Netanyahu’s televised warning.
“In addition, various security agencies are showing caution and prefer not to make statements that could be interpreted as antagonizing the political level.”
the Israeli army as saying that Netanyahu's statement does not reflect any change in position, nor does it acknowledge any special preparations beyond the usual level. These sources explained to the Israeli news site Ynet that since the ceasefire with Iran, the target lists of the Air Force and Military Intelligence Directorate have been updated, and simultaneously, close, direct, and more effective communication than ever before has been maintained with the US military, as part of preparations for various defensive and offensive scenarios.
On the eve of the third anniversary of October 7, Hebrew sources explained that the army recently conducted operational changes and a series of exercises on various borders with the aim of preparing an appropriate response in the event of a ground attack.
Furthermore, on the eve of the third anniversary of October 7th , the aforementioned sources indicated that the army had recently conducted operational changes and a series of exercises along various borders to prepare an appropriate response in the event of a ground attack. Contrary to Netanyahu's claims, Ynet adds: "Despite the general state of alert, IDF forces have been withdrawn in various sectors in a variety of ways, including, among other things, reducing troops on the Lebanese border and now focusing the main effort on the West Bank. In bases where the situation assessment allowed, soldiers were granted leave. At the same time, the Home Front Command did not change its instructions to the public and did not issue any statements regarding developments requiring special preparations."
Ynet asserts that Netanyahu's statement, which sparked concern among the Israeli public, is also met with skepticism from the security establishment. The establishment, it says, takes a more measured view, maintaining that assessments of the situation are ongoing, given the possibility of Iranian retaliation on the eve of the Knesset elections, and are being updated daily. The security establishment is preparing for escalation scenarios, but there are no specific, concrete warnings or a real threat.
Relocation of the security meeting venue
Adding to the anxiety and media and political preoccupation surrounding Netanyahu's statement was the relocation of a scheduled security meeting from the Prime Minister's office to a secret location, as had occurred on the eve of the "Lion's Roar" war against Iran at the end of February. However, Netanyahu took the initiative to brief opposition leader Yair Lapid , as required by Israeli law in such cases, within the Prime Minister's offices, not in a secret location.
At the conclusion of the meeting after midnight, Lapid said that the meeting with Netanyahu lasted about half an hour, and directed his criticism at the latter, stressing that security threats should be dealt with professionally and responsibly, and that the security of Israel and army bases is not part of the “decoration” of election videos.
Lapid continued: “Without going into details, the army, the Shin Bet, and the police are ready for the general elections, and there is no reason to put the public in a state of panic. The army chief has already raised ten red flags, warning of a shortage of soldiers and the erosion and exhaustion of the military forces. If Netanyahu is so worried about the security situation, he should recruit 15,000 soldiers from among the ultra-Orthodox Jews who are evading military service under the pretext of studying the Torah.”
Lapid revealed in media statements that he had asked Netanyahu for “a four-way meeting with him, with the participation of the head of the Shin Bet, who is legally responsible for protecting democracy, and the head of the Central Elections Committee, Judge Noam Sohlberg, in order to ensure that we are ready and coordinated on the eve of the elections on October 27, 2026.”
Likud attacks Lapid
Lapid as saying that, based on what he heard from Netanyahu, there was no reason for his warnings about Israel’s enemies trying to attack it before the general elections.
In contrast, Netanyahu’s office said last night that Netanyahu concluded a security meeting with the head of the opposition, with the participation of his military secretary, noting that during the security briefing to Lapid, details were presented regarding warnings of possible hostile attacks on various fronts on the eve of the Knesset elections.
Netanyahu’s Likud party launched an attack on Lapid after his aforementioned statements, saying that he left the meeting with the Prime Minister and two minutes later published a political statement that was entirely an attack on Netanyahu. Likud continued: “Either he writes at lightning speed or the statement was prepared in advance without any relation to the content of the security briefing.”
Place and time
Netanyahu's choice of place and time for this statement was not coincidental. He took the initiative to photograph himself in front of a military plane inside the Tel Nof military base, which is built on the Palestinian town of Aqir, which was depopulated from the villages of Ramla that were occupied in 1948. As for the timing, it is less than a month before the Knesset elections, and it is linked to non-security calculations, which are to continue attempts to create a tense security atmosphere and a state of emergency. This may pour water into Netanyahu's election propaganda machine and save him from the state of decline and weakness, as reflected in all the polls.
Netanyahu, who has long proclaimed himself “Israel’s Churchill,” effectively sent a message to Israelis that Israel is in danger, and they themselves are in danger; that there are not just one enemy abroad, but many; and that “you have no one but God and me.” Yesterday, Netanyahu used the same security scare tactic he employed in previous election campaigns to intimidate Israelis and rally them behind him as their sole and capable protector.The new “scarecrow” is also not without an attempt to divert the attention of Israelis from changing the agenda regarding the “Al-Aqsa flood” and what has happened since October 7th until today.
His security statement also appears to be the beginning of normalizing the idea of canceling elections in the name of security. This is one of the motives behind unleashing the army, settlers, and Jewish terrorism against Palestinians in Gaza and the West Bank. Security events and atmospheres have consistently served the interests of Zionist right-wing candidates on the eve of elections in Israel. A prime example, undoubtedly fresh in Netanyahu's mind, is the 1988 Knesset elections, when Labor Party candidate Shimon Peres lost to Likud candidate Yitzhak Shamir after a Palestinian attack that killed a settler and her three children on a bus traveling from Tiberias to Jerusalem. This incident heightened tensions and inflamed the atmosphere, perfectly suited to the Likud campaign that incited Jews against Arabs.
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