Netanyahu has intensified his claims of existential threats and reportedly pressured Israel’s military to consider action against Iran as his far-right coalition faces the prospect of losing power in Tuesday’s closely contested elections, raising concerns that renewed regional escalation is becoming central to his political campaign.
The Israeli prime minister has sought to frame the election as a choice between his continued leadership and national catastrophe, posting an AI-generated image of a nuclear mushroom cloud destroying Tel Aviv and warning voters of the consequences of backing his opponents.
Meanwhile, Israel’s Channel 12 reported that Netanyahu and the regime’s military chief of staff Lt Gen Eyal Zamir had clashed in recent days over a directive to the military that could “potentially spark an immediate conflagration with (Iran) at a very sensitive juncture”.
Zamir reportedly requested that the unspecified directive be presented to him in writing.
Netanyahu denied the report, while the war ministry subsequently denied any intention to launch military operations against Iran.
However, CNN reported on Monday that Netanyahu had attempted in recent weeks to persuade US President Donald Trump to launch a renewed assault on Iran, reviving the war the two aggressors began in February.
The report, which confirmed an earlier account by the Financial Times, said Trump had ruled out such action until after next week’s US congressional elections.
The Israeli military issued a statement on Monday that stopped short of directly denying the reports, saying its decisions were based exclusively on “security, professional, objective and national considerations”.
Netanyahu’s renewed alarmist messaging contrasts with his triumphalist declarations following Israeli and US aggression against Iran last year and this spring.
In March, Netanyahu claimed that Israeli and US strikes had destroyed Iran’s ability to enrich uranium and produce ballistic missiles, while in 2025 he declared a “historic victory” over Iran that he said would stand for generations.
Yet his latest warnings suggest that the threat of Iranian military and nuclear capabilities remains central to his campaign messaging, despite his previous claims of decisive victory.
Gadi Eisenkot, the opposition bloc leader and Netanyahu’s most likely challenger for the premiership, expressed confidence in Zamir and warned against using the military for political purposes.
“We won’t allow the IDF to be turned into a pawn in Netanyahu’s survival campaign,” Eisenkot, a retired general, said.
Most opinion polls indicate that the mainly center-right opposition bloc led by Eisenkot is poised to win more seats in Israel’s Knesset than Netanyahu’s coalition, although neither side is expected to secure the 61 seats required for a parliamentary majority.
The opposition could potentially assemble a majority with the support of parties representing Palestinians with Israeli citizenship, who account for roughly a fifth of the population. However, conservative factions within Eisenkot’s bloc have ruled out such an alliance, raising the prospect of a minority government, another election or a possible political recovery for Netanyahu.
As election day approaches, Netanyahu has increasingly portrayed the political contest as a struggle for the regime’s survival.
He described the opposition bloc as the “left” allied with Palestinians and portrayed the combination as a threat to Israel.
However, the main opposition parties are right-wing or center-right and share Netanyahu’s firm opposition to the establishment of a Palestinian state. They have also largely supported Israel’s genocidal war in Gaza, where the Israeli regime’s military campaign has drawn international condemnation over the devastation and mounting civilian suffering.
Some opposition leaders have rejected any political alliance with Palestinian Israeli parties, despite the possibility that those parties could hold the balance of power in the Knesset after the election.
The opposition bloc is united primarily by its opposition to Netanyahu, who has dominated Israeli politics for nearly three decades and increasingly pursued measures critics say undermine democratic institutions.
His government has sought to restrict judicial independence and turn the police and Shin Bet internal security service into political instruments.
Netanyahu is also facing a corruption trial, and his legal difficulties could intensify if he loses power.
In the campaign’s closing days, he has also highlighted his backing from Trump, who reiterated his endorsement in a social media post on Sunday.
“When you go to the Polls please remember that Bibi has been an outstanding warrior prime minister!” Trump wrote.
According to the Israeli outlet Walla News, the renewed endorsement followed sustained pressure from Netanyahu’s office. It remains unclear whether Trump’s support will influence voters, as his earlier declaration of “total endorsement” on October 18 produced no visible change in polling.
Beyond the security narrative, Netanyahu has also warned that Israel faces growing economic isolation, predicting that billions of dollars in annual US military aid could soon dry up.
His repeated suggestion that cryptocurrencies could help Israel evade escalating international sanctions prompted an unusual public rebuke from the Bank of Israel on Sunday evening.