Eisenkot's statement comes just after reports that Netanyahu and IDF Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir are at loggerheads. Eisenkot, former IDF Chief of Staff, is very clear that he counts on IDF to avoid being pressured by Netanyahu to avoid making amilitary move that could trigger an Iranian strike -- and thus justify an Israeli retaliation-- just hours before the Tuesday election. Even a Hollywood movie screenplay could not imagine sheer drama apparently happening behind the scenes that could entangle Iran in an Israeli election. Eisenkot's message: people of Israel count on cool heads of IDF professionals to prevail over efforts for politicization at this last moment.

Gadi Eizenkot, this evening, shortly after the reports, approved by Israeli censorship, that Chief of Staff Zamir has been standing firm andblocking Netanyahu from intentionally provoking a war before the elections.

"Netanyahu, my eyes are on you.

The man on whose watch the greatest disaster in the nation’s history occurred refuses to understand that Israel’s security is not a political bargaining chip, the lives of Israeli citizens and IDF soldiers are not abandoned property, and the State of Israel is not his private property.

I have full confidence in Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir and the IDF commanders who act out of professional responsibility and absolute commitment to the state's security. We will not allow the IDF to be turned into a tool in Netanyahu’s survival campaign.

I warn Netanyahu: Do not dare to place your political interests above the security of the state.

Holding the elections on schedule and completing the democratic process is a central component of Israel's national resilience. We will not allow you to jeopardize Israel’s future in order to preserve your rule.

In two days, the citizens of Israel will put an end to the reign of recklessness and restore responsibility, statesmanship, and Israel’s security.

I give my word.

With just over a day until Israel’s election, Netanyahu is playing on Israelis’ fears in ways that risk conveying desperation. First, he suggested preparing for a crypto economy to bypass potential international sanctions triggering a rare rebuke from the Bank of Israel. Now, he has released an AI-generated image of a mushroom cloud over Tel Aviv. Message is clear: Vote Netanyahu or risk annhilation.
Meanwhile, reports suggest Netanyahu and IDF Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir are at loggerheads: Zamir fears the PM’s directives could provoke an Iranian miscalculation and lead to war. Zamir reportedly sees no legitimate military reason to strike Iran before the election.

Netanyahu has entered his familiar scorched-earth phase of the election campaign. First, warnings of war with Iran. Then, threats of financial collapse and banking sanctions. Now, an AI-generated mushroom cloud over Tel Aviv.

The message is clear: Vote for me or Israel will be destroyed.

This is fearmongering at its worst. But Israel existed before @Netanyahu and it will exist after him. And after October 7, Israelis should know better than to believe that any one politician has a monopoly on protecting this country.

Latest in @Jerusalem_Post.

jpost.com/opinion/articl…

Israel's Channel 12 Reporting (English translation of their report:)

Breaking news in this edition

An unprecedented confrontation between the Chief of Staff and the Prime Minister has reached a critical—or perhaps disastrous—turning point over the last 24 hours.

At the heart of the matter: the Iranian issue.

There is concern on the part of [Chief of Staff] Zamir that Netanyahu and the political leadership might trigger a scenario of miscalculation vis-à-vis Iran, just ahead of the elections.

A defense official states that the action in question could lead to a rapid confrontation with Iran at a highly sensitive and dramatic moment, potentially resulting in a miscalculation.

Sources familiar with the details indicate that the military leadership fears an attempt to exploit the Iranian issue for political gain—a claim that political figures deny, labeling it an outright lie.

Regardless, two sources tell me that the situation has escalated to the point where, during a visit to the Palmachim Airbase today, the atmosphere in the discussion was extremely tense.

In recent days, Zamir received a directive from the political leadership but requested an in-depth discussion before taking any action.

He also demanded formal, signed legal authorization from the political echelon for the proposed move.

A senior defense official remarked: "History will not forget the role Zamir has played here over the last few days."

In short: an exceptionally intense confrontation between Zamir and Netanyahu regarding the Iranian issue, occurring just before the elections.

It should be noted: all details in this report have been approved by the Military Censor.
Yaron Avraham

💥If anyone can claim the title of a Likud Elder it is Benny Begin, 83, former Netanyahu minister and son of Likud founder Menachem Begin. This is his video begging fellow Likud members to kick the current Likud out to the opposition.

Israeli PM Netanyahu’s suggestion that Israel prepare for sanctions by considering a crypto-based alternative economy dominates Israeli media coverage weekend/Sunday morning. It prompted a rare rebuke from the Bank of Israel, which said cryptocurrencies cannot circumvent sanctions and urged political leaders to focus on preventing them.

Israelis take pride in their country’s advanced economy. They do not want to move backward and of course, not move towards the isolation of Russia and Iran. Suddenly, international sanctions have gone from an abstraction to a tangible threat. In every election, there seems to be a factor that nobody anticipates in the waning days of a campaign. How much will this hurt Netanyahu on Tuesday, election day? We will know soon enough.

At a recent event where I spoke at a community center, a group of “pro-Palestine” militiamen appeared outside to protest and disrupt the event, along with agitated older white women who entered the venue to do the same on the inside. The organizers and I had arranged extensive same “activists” had spent days trying to get the event canceled and openly vowed to do whatever they could to stop it from happening. As I walked in, a few masked “activists” in keffiyehs whispered, "is this the genocide guy?" I turned to them and said, "hi gentlemen, thanks for coming." One replied, "Free Palestine." I responded, "I agree, including from Hamas."

Once I began speaking, several disruptors engaged in a steady stream of whispering, side conversations, eye-rolling, posturing, and juvenile antics. I stopped and asked one of the women why she and her comrades were behaving like children. She admitted she knew nothing about me or my work but felt qualified to declare that if I were truly Palestinian, my Nakba-surviving grandparents would be rolling in their graves. I asked the agitators to be respectful, explaining that while security could remove them, I would rather they listen to what I actually had to say, instead of relying on misinformation spread about me by the local DSA, BDS, and other "pro-Palestine" groups.

What enraged me most was their reaction when I spoke about my family in Gaza, the relatives we have lost to Israeli airstrikes during the post-October 7 war, and the destruction of both my childhood homes. These white “activists” laughed and smirked as I described some of the most painful experiences of my life and the sense of personal loss that inspires my work. They showed shocking indifference toward the very Palestinians on whose behalf they claim to be acting.

I confronted some of the disruptors directly and asked why they get to define what it means to be "pro-Palestine," despite knowing nothing about me and showing no interest in the trauma my family has endured. Some stormed out shouting "Free Palestine." Others fell silent. One person, despite strongly disagreeing with me, acknowledged that my views were rooted in personal loss and genuine concern for my people and shook my hand before leaving.

On my way out, a pseudo-journalist known for glorifying Hamas and "the resistance" tried to ambush me with questions about whether I was paid by weapons manufacturers, oil companies, or, as he brilliantly misstated it, the "Arab Union Emirates." It struck me how absurd it is that I needed three heavily armed security officers and a bodyguard simply to speak about healing and reconciliation between Palestinians and Israelis, the dangers of extremism for both societies, the catastrophic damage Hamas has inflicted on the Palestinian national project, and the right of Palestinians to freedom, safety, and prosperity alongside a secure Israel.

2/2 I know they have many factors to consider, most of them “internal” to Israeli security & society. But I hope Israelis will also think about which leaders will work to keep Israel in a strong alliance w/ the U.S. It’s critical for Israel & the global Jewish community.

I’m departing Israel after an amazing week showing this land & its complexities to a wonderful group of Catholics. One stop we made was @NLIsrael where a display contains a pen Harry Truman used to sign USA’s recognition of Israel’s statehood. As Israelis vote this week…. 1/2

As I told @pass_blue, this is a critical time for the UN.

It’s time for generational change, active diplomacy, and a relentless focus on impact for the people who need the UN most, on the ground.

And I offer myself to that endeavour.

On this solemn anniversary, we honor the 241 American servicemen murdered in the 1983 Beirut barracks bombing.

Lebanon must never again be used as a battlefield for Iran’s regional agenda. The time has come to end the era of armed militias and restore the Lebanese state’s exclusive authority over weapons and decisions of war and peace.

We stand with the United States in remembering the victims. Their sacrifice will never be forgotten.

Today was the last day to broadcast polls according to Israeli law. Polls from the mainstream Israeli channels– 11, 12, and 13– point to the exact same number of 50 seats for Netanyahu, trailing the opposition by somewhere between 2 and 6 seats. Any hope of a Trump endorsement lifting Netanyahu in the polls did not materialize– Netanyahu remains flat in the polls for this week and even dipped from the week before.

An open question that may have particular impact on the election results is how the Arab parties will fare. In today’s mainstream Israeli polls, the Joint List and Ra’am parties together win 14 seats. If those hold, this would be an almost unprecedented number of seats for Arab parties– notably, Arab parties held a record 15 seats in the 2020 Knesset. Fear of another term of National Security (i.e. Police) Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, who has not prioritized fighting crime in their cities and questioned the loyalty of Israeli Arabs to the state, has likely rallied the Arab populations to the polls.

High Arab turnout may not only take away votes from Yair Golan, but it will raise the threshold for each of the small parties on the cusp of that 3.25%. Netanyahu fears one of the small right-wing parties will not cross the parliamentary threshold and thereby waste right-wing voters, just as the center left lost the 2022 elections for this very reason.

Some may underestimate Netanyahu’s determination. During an incredibly busy week, he —along with Finance Minister Betzalel Smotrich— quietly traveled to the West Bank home to enlist Ofer Winter’s mentor, Rabbi Eli Sadan, in persuading Winter to quit before right-wing votes are lost below the electoral threshold. Reports say Rabbi Benayahu Shmueli —a Jerusalem mystic—rebuffed entreaties of Winter remains in the race.

After Israelis vote on October 27, the key question will be whether any party can form a governing coalition—and, if so, whether such a coalition can last. Tune in on Wednesday, October 28 at 2:30PM ET as @gilicohen10, @DavidMakovsky, @AmbDennisRoss, and @felschwartz discuss Israel's elections results and their ramifications. #TWIPolicyForum washingtoninstitute.org/policy-analysi…

Israelis want to know how Netanyahu will avert sanctions—not how Israel might abandon the international system that helped make it affluent. Suddenly touting crypto as an alternative economy echoes Russia and Iran’s sanctions evasion—and reinforces his unpopular “super-Sparta” vision.

As Israelis get ready to go to the polls on October 27, here are three things former State Department peace negotiator @DavidMakovsky is watching, including whether President Trump’s endorsement of Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu moves the needle.