Israeli opposition leaders have accused Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defence Minister Israel Katz of endangering national security by using security concerns to target political opponents ahead of next week’s elections.
Opposition leader Yair Lapid and Yashar party leader Gadi Eisenkot condemned the government’s handling of defence warnings, arguing that its rhetoric reflected political desperation rather than a commitment to protecting Israeli citizens.
In a post on X, Lapid described Katz’s latest remarks as an admission of the government’s failure to provide effective leadership and security.
“The reckless and hysterical statement made by the defence minister is a gift to Israel’s enemies,” Lapid said, accusing the administration of attempting to shift blame for its shortcomings.
He alleged that Netanyahu’s government was turning national security into a political weapon in an effort to avoid defeat at the ballot box.
Eisenkot, a former Israeli military chief of staff, also criticised the defence minister for threatening to hold opposition figures responsible for possible future attacks.
He described the remarks as an unprecedented deterioration in political conduct, warning that Netanyahu and Katz remaining in office posed a risk to Israel’s security.
“Every additional day they remain in their positions poses a danger to Israel’s security,” Eisenkot said, adding that voters would have an opportunity to change the country’s leadership at the polls.
The opposition leaders’ reactions followed a statement by Katz threatening to hold opposition figures, including Lapid, Naftali Bennett and Yair Golan, personally responsible for future violence.
“These attacks will be recorded in the names of Yair Lapid, Naftali Bennett, Yair Golan and their other colleagues in the opposition,” Katz said, according to his office.
The exchange comes amid heightened security concerns, with Israeli officials warning of possible Iranian strikes or Israeli military operations against Iran in the days leading up to Tuesday’s election.
The vote is expected to be a critical test for Netanyahu, who has led Israel’s government since December 2022, heading what has been described as the most right-wing administration in the country’s history.
Beyond the electoral contest, Netanyahu continues to face corruption charges in three separate cases involving allegations of bribery and breach of trust. He has denied wrongdoing.
The International Criminal Court issued an arrest warrant for Netanyahu in November 2024 over alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity in the Gaza Strip. The allegations relate to Israel’s military campaign following the Hamas-led attacks of October 7, 2023.
More than 74,000 people have been killed in Gaza since October 2023, according to the figures cited in the original report.
