As Israel’s military attacks continued in Gaza, Lebanon and Syria, former Prime Minister Ehud Barak accused Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu of preparing for a war that would delay the general elections scheduled for October 27.
In remarks to Channel 12 on Friday, Barak said Netanyahu was “laying the groundwork to launch a war that would delay the elections.” Arguing that Netanyahu was distorting the truth, Barak said they should do everything they could to bring about a change in government on October 27.
The former prime minister also recalled Netanyahu’s earlier statement: “The life of a nation is not the process of a prime minister’s personal survival.”
Security agenda enters the election campaign
With less than a month to go before the elections, debate intensified in Israel over the use of security issues in the campaign. Netanyahu warned on Monday that his country could come under attack before the elections, and the following day held consultations with senior security officials to discuss developments.
Netanyahu also said on Friday that there would be a response against the party identified as responsible for the incident that occurred on September 30 aboard FlyDubai flight FZ1073 from Dubai to Tel Aviv. Saying that the investigation was ongoing, Netanyahu stated that authorities were examining whether the act had been directed by another party and that those responsible would pay a heavy price.
Netanyahu did not present evidence in his statement that a specific state was involved in the incident. The incident on the FlyDubai flight also became part of the political debate ahead of the elections. Opposition figures accused Netanyahu of using security issues to strengthen his position in the campaign, while Netanyahu’s political circle rejected the allegations.
Barak has made similar allegations before
In statements made in August, Barak also alleged that Netanyahu was seeking to reach the elections amid heightened security tensions and an atmosphere of fear. Barak further argued that escalation on certain regional issues was linked to the elections.
The election scheduled for October 27 will be the first to be held since the October 7, 2023 attack. Opposition parties have increased their coordination in recent days with the goal of replacing the Netanyahu government through the ballot box.
