OMM Newsroom
Israeli opposition leader Avigdor Lieberman on Monday called for a criminal investigation into Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on suspicion of treason, accusing him of trying to draw Israel into a war with Iran to avoid losing Tuesday’s general election.
Lieberman, who leads the right-wing Yisrael Beiteinu party, sent a formal request to Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara, according to Anadolu Agency, citing Israeli public broadcaster KAN.
In his letter, Lieberman alleged that Netanyahu had spent the past month pressuring senior security officials to take steps that could lead to a military confrontation with Iran.
“Over the past month, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has been pressuring the heads of the security establishment to take steps that could lead to a miscalculation with Iran,” Lieberman wrote.
He accused Netanyahu of seeking to involve Israel in another war because he feared an election defeat.
“Attempting to drag the State of Israel into war on the eve of elections, along with the willingness to sacrifice IDF (army) soldiers solely out of fear of electoral defeat, constitutes treason against the state, its security and IDF soldiers,” Lieberman said.
“I demand the immediate opening of a criminal investigation against Benjamin Netanyahu on suspicion of treason,” he added.
Earlier on Monday, Lieberman made similar allegations in an interview with Israeli radio station 103FM, the Israeli newspaper Maariv reported. “Netanyahu is clearly betraying the state when he wants to drag us into war,” Lieberman said, accusing the prime minister of being willing to risk soldiers’ lives because of fears of an election loss.
Lieberman alleges tensions between political and military leadership
Lieberman also alleged that relations between Israel’s political and military leadership were unusually strained. He attributed the situation to Netanyahu’s efforts to provoke a miscalculation with Iran.
“Never has there been such a strained relationship between the military and political leadership as there is today,” he said.
He said Israeli law requires government deliberation and approval for any military action that could lead to war or a large-scale confrontation.
Lieberman further accused Netanyahu of trying to undermine the legitimacy of the Central Elections Committee and the election results, warning that this could lead to serious internal conflict.
“We are simultaneously seeing an intensified effort by Netanyahu to delegitimize the Central Elections Committee and the election results, even at the cost of a severe internal confrontation, civil war and the disintegration of the state,” he said.
Lieberman claimed Netanyahu knew he could lose the election and was therefore seeking to raise tensions with Iran. “Even Netanyahu knows he is going to lose. That is why all his hysteria and his attempt to drag us into war,” he said.
Netanyahu had not immediately responded to the accusations.
Claims come amid heightened tensions with Iran
The allegations came ahead of Tuesday’s general election, amid heightened tensions between Israel and Iran. Netanyahu said on Sunday that Israeli intelligence indicated Iran and its regional allies could launch attacks aimed at disrupting the vote. He warned Tehran against such actions and threatened a severe military response.
On Oct. 13, Lieberman accused Netanyahu of preparing possible military action against Iran, Hamas or Hezbollah to stay in power, saying the prime minister was motivated by political survival rather than security considerations.
Netanyahu unveiled a new national security doctrine on Oct. 18, identifying the overthrow of Iran’s government as a strategic objective and stressing preemptive military operations.
The latest accusations come amid continuing tensions between Israel and Iran following their military confrontation earlier this year.
