Liberman seeks treason probe into Netanyahu ahead of election

The political stakes of the October 27 election have risen after Yisrael Beytenu chairman Avigdor Liberman requested a criminal investigation into Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on suspicion of treason. The move, announced Monday, does not confirm wrongdoing or guarantee that an inquiry will begin. It does, however, place a formal legal question in the hands of Attorney-General Gali Baharav-Miara just two days before the vote.

The dispute traces back to a Sunday report by N12. The broadcaster said Netanyahu and IDF Chief of Staff Lt.-Gen. Eyal Zamir clashed over a proposed military operation that could trigger a confrontation with Iran. Liberman interpreted the disagreement as a political maneuver. On Sunday, he posted on X that he believed Netanyahu was pushing for military action to prevent the election from occurring. He called the behavior a betrayal of the state and its security apparatus.

On Monday, Liberman told 103FM that he would formally approach the attorney-general. He described Netanyahu as having "gone off the rails," citing conflicting statements about nuclear capabilities. "One day he's preparing a crypto bomb for us, and the next day an atomic bomb," Liberman said. "He just said he had destroyed all of Iran's bombs, and now he's dropping bombs on Tel Aviv?" He added that the relationship between the military and political leadership is at its most strained point yet, a result of Netanyahu's attempts to provoke a miscalculation with Iran.

Liberman argued that the chief of staff has a duty to keep the military out of political use and to protect soldiers from unnecessary risk. He maintained that any action with the potential to lead to war requires a full government discussion and decision.

Defense Minister Israel Katz rejected the characterization of strained relations. He stated that coordination among the prime minister, himself, and the IDF on the Iran issue has been complete since his appointment. Katz described the security achievements as unprecedented and historic. He said unequivocally that Israel had no intention of initiating an attack on Iran before the elections.

Katz dismissed reports of a pre-election strike as entirely false. He noted that Israel had made clear it would respond with great force if attacked. He accused opposition figures of exploiting the reports to cast doubt on their judgment, calling the effort "shameful and irresponsible." Katz added that the government must keep details of the Iranian issue confidential for understandable reasons. "We will overcome this too," he said.

The next step lies with the attorney-general, who must decide whether to open the requested treason investigation. The election is scheduled for Tuesday, October 27.