Israeli opposition politician Yair Golan has warned emphatically against a new war with Iran under the leadership of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. In a post on the platform X, the chairman of the left-liberal Democrats wrote that Netanyahu lacks the public's trust to conduct such a military confrontation, and he called for the rapid formation of an alternative government.
Golan, a former deputy chief of staff, said the probability of a further confrontation with Iran is rising and that Israel is now in a situation of recurring military confrontations with Iran. Israel's security, he wrote, must not become a "tool in Netanyahu's fight for his political survival."
The warning came as the Wall Street Journal reported that Netanyahu spoke by phone with US President Donald Trump on Saturday. According to the report, the call took place against the background of US preparations to resume bombardments in Iran. Speculation has persisted for some time that the US military, together with Israel's armed forces, could attack Iran again after the US midterm elections on 3 November.
Israel's parliamentary election on 27 October produced a stalemate. Netanyahu's right-conservative Likud party and its bloc are ahead of the rival camp, but neither side has a clear majority for forming a government. Israel is therefore expected to face lengthy coalition negotiations and possibly another parliamentary election if no agreement is reached.
President Isaac Herzog begins consultations on government formation on Wednesday. He must then decide, on the basis of the party leaders' recommendations, whom to task with forming a government. In an address, Herzog said the various candidates had "climbed high trees" before the election, according to his office, and that it was now time to return to the facts. He urged politicians to show openness and seek "creative solutions" to prevent another parliamentary election.
Sources: Der Spiegel.