The Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, has claimed this Monday the support at the polls ahead of the elections this Tuesday in Israel, presenting himself as the only leader capable of coordinating with the President of the United States, Donald Trump, to confront Iran. In this context, he has stated that no other potential Israeli leader will have Trump's willingness to "be willing to take action to eliminate, once and for all, the Iranian threat," and has emphasized that he has already given instructions to the intelligence services and the army to "overthrow" the authorities of the Islamic Republic.
"He (Trump) has two more years ahead and asks them to vote for me. He claims that only with me will he be willing to take action to eliminate, once and for all, the Iranian threat," the Israeli leader has stated in an intervention on channel 14 of Israeli television, close to the ruler himself.
Netanyahu has described the Islamic Republic as "a regime that is staggering, battered and beaten" which, despite this, "has reactivated its nuclear program." At this point, he has equated it with "a wounded animal" that could "lash out in a final desperate act and destroy (Israel)."
Furthermore, he has assured that "several Arab states, not just one or two," are "waiting to see if we carry out this mission" to adhere to the Abraham Accords, which he has presented as a "possibility to secure a stable future for the State of Israel."
Denies tensions with the Chief of Staff
The leader has also taken advantage of his social media to reject reports about a supposed clash with the Chief of Staff of the Israel Defense Forces (IDF), Eyal Zamir, whom, according to Channel 12, he planned to dismiss if he managed to revalidate his position and form the next government. These reports pointed to a growing distance due to Netanyahu's demand to prepare military options related to Iran during the electoral campaign.
Specifically, Channel 12 states that the relationship between the two is already considered irreparable and that it is unlikely that Zamir will continue in his position, even with the possibility that he may resign before being replaced.
However, shortly after this information was disseminated, the Prime Minister's Office denied "the information about the Prime Minister and the Chief of Staff," labeling it as "completely false news from beginning to end," according to the newspaper "The Times of Israel."
Netanyahu himself has denounced "another false news on channels 12 and 13 on the eve of the elections," emphasizing that he has no "intention of dismissing the Chief of Staff," although he maintains his goal of "definitively eliminating the Iranian nuclear threat." "I will do it together with my friend President Trump, and we will also sign peace agreements with other countries," he stated.
The Minister of Defense, Israel Katz, had already come forward the day before to deny friction between the political leadership and the military top brass. "Since I took office as Minister of Defense, the coordination between the Prime Minister, the IDF, and I on the issue of Iran has been total, with unprecedented historic achievements for the benefit of the security of the State of Israel," he emphasized on social media.
Katz also specified "categorically that there was no intention from Israel to initiate an attack against Iran before the elections in Israel, when we clarified that, in the event that Iran attacked Israel, we would respond with great force." "All publications regarding this are completely false," he added.
"The attempt by opposition members to exploit these publications to attack the Prime Minister and me, and to call into question our judgments, at a time when we are prevented for understandable reasons from referring to the details of the Iranian issue, is shameful and irresponsible," lamented the Defense Minister.