Election Eve: Liberman Petitions AG for Treason Inquiry Into Netanyahu

Avigdor Liberman, chairman of Yisrael Beytenu, requested that Attorney-General Gali Baharav-Miara open a criminal investigation into Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on suspicion of treason. The petition was issued on Monday, two days before the October 27 general election. The request does not confirm that an investigation has begun or that criminal misconduct occurred.

The legal action follows a report by N12 aired on Sunday. The broadcaster stated that Netanyahu and IDF Chief of Staff Lt.-Gen. Eyal Zamir clashed over a proposed military operation. The potential operation could have triggered a confrontation with Iran. The timing of the reported dispute placed it immediately before the national vote.

Liberman argued that the prime minister sought to push Israel into military action to prevent the election from proceeding. In a post on X on Sunday, he described the alleged conduct as a betrayal of the state. He also stated that the chief of staff has a duty to prevent the military from being used for political purposes and to protect soldiers from unnecessary risk.

During an interview with 103FM on Monday, Liberman characterized the relationship between the military and political leadership as strained. He said the current situation resulted from Netanyahu's efforts to provoke a miscalculation with Iran. "The man has gone off the rails," Liberman said. "One day he's preparing a crypto bomb for us, and the next day an atomic bomb."

Defense Minister Israel Katz rejected the accusations on Monday. He stated that coordination among the prime minister, himself, and the IDF regarding the Iran issue has been complete since he took office. Katz said Israel had no intention of initiating an attack on Iran before the elections. He noted that Israel would respond with great force if Iran attacked, calling all reports on the matter entirely false.

Katz accused opposition figures of exploiting the reports to attack the prime minister and himself. He described the effort as shameful and irresponsible, noting that the government cannot address the details of the Iranian issue at this time. "We will overcome this too," Katz said.

Liberman maintained that any action with potential consequences for war or large-scale confrontation must be subject to a government discussion and decision. He viewed the chief of staff as strong enough to insist on upholding the law in this matter.