Iran war: Eisenkot calls on Netanyahu to show restraint

Israeli opposition leader Gadi Eisenkot has called on incumbent Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to refrain from "dangerous steps" until a new government is sworn in. His warning comes against the backdrop of unconfirmed media reports that Netanyahu is seeking new attacks on Iran despite concerns from the military leadership.

The head of government should not bring the heads of the security authorities into a serious conflict and leave them in the dark about what is expected of them and how they should behave, Eisenkot wrote in a letter to Netanyahu, which he published on the X platform.

“Existential threat”

At the first session of the newly elected Israeli parliament almost two weeks ago on Tuesday, Netanyahu referred to the "existential threat" from Tehran in a speech.

Netanyahu's office dismissed Eisenkot's warning, accusing him of "politicizing Israel's national security." All decisions made by the Netanyahu-led government were “made solely for security reasons and in full coordination with the security services.”

According to Defense Minister Israel Katz, the outgoing government does not rely on the opposition's consent for possible military operations. "We don't need permission from the opposition or any legal authority," he explained on X.

Eisenkot commissioned to form a government

On Sunday, Israel's President Izchak asked Herzog Eisenkot to form a government after neither his opposition alliance nor the right-wing religious camp around Netanyahu had won a majority in the parliamentary elections.

Eisenkot said on Tuesday that he was determined to form a government of “national emergency” as quickly as possible “in this complex situation.” He has 28 days to rally a majority of 61 members of the Knesset behind him. An extension of this period by 14 days is possible.