Israel Election: Liberman seeks treason probe of Netanyahu

Yisrael Beytenu chairman Avigdor Liberman filed a formal request on Monday for a criminal investigation into Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on suspicion of treason. The demand was submitted to Attorney-General Gali Baharav-Miara two days before the national election scheduled for October 27. Liberman’s filing does not automatically trigger a probe, nor does it establish that any crime occurred.

The petition follows a Sunday report by broadcaster N12, which described a dispute between Netanyahu and IDF Chief of Staff Lt.-Gen. Eyal Zamir. According to the report, the two officials clashed over a proposed military operation that could have triggered a direct confrontation with Iran. Liberman argued that the prime minister attempted to force a military escalation to disrupt the voting process. He characterized the move as a betrayal of national security and stated that the chief of staff has a duty to prevent the military from being used for political ends.

During a Monday interview with 103FM, Liberman detailed his grievances. He criticized the prime minister’s inconsistent messaging regarding Iran’s nuclear capabilities. "The man has gone off the rails," Liberman said. "One day he's preparing a crypto bomb for us, and the next day an atomic bomb. He just said he had destroyed all of Iran's bombs, and now he's dropping bombs on Tel Aviv?" He added that the strain between the military and political leadership has never been higher, attributing the tension to Netanyahu’s effort to provoke a miscalculation.

Liberman argued that any action capable of leading to war must be decided through a formal government discussion. He expressed confidence that the chief of staff is strong enough to insist on legal adherence. In his view, the current dynamic allows the prime minister to bypass standard checks and balances.

Defense Minister Israel Katz rejected the accusations on Monday. He stated that coordination between the prime minister, the IDF, and himself on the Iran issue has been complete since he took office. Katz described their security achievements as historic and said Israel had no intention of initiating an attack on Iran before the elections. He noted that Israel had signaled it would respond forcefully to any Iranian aggression.

Katz called reports of internal strife "entirely false." He accused opposition figures of exploiting the situation to cast doubt on the leadership’s judgment at a sensitive time. He labeled the effort "shameful and irresponsible" and asserted that the government would overcome the challenge.

The election is set for Sunday, October 27. Liberman’s request to the attorney-general places the potential probe on the agenda just as polling stations prepare to open across the country.