Liberman Seeks Criminal Probe Into Netanyahu Over Alleged Military Dispute

Avigdor Liberman has formally requested that Attorney-General Gali Baharav-Miara open a criminal investigation into Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on suspicion of treason.

The chairman of Yisrael Beytenu issued the demand in a statement on Monday, noting that the request does not confirm wrongdoing but seeks official scrutiny ahead of the upcoming election.

The move follows a Sunday report by N12 stating that Netanyahu and IDF Chief of Staff Lt.-Gen. Eyal Zamir clashed over a proposed military operation against Iran. The alleged dispute occurred two days before the scheduled October 27 vote.

Liberman posted on X on Sunday that he believed the prime minister attempted to push Israel into military action to prevent the election from proceeding. He characterized the conduct as a betrayal of the state and argued that the military leadership must protect soldiers from political risk.

On Monday, Liberman told 103FM that he would approach the attorney-general to file the request. He described Netanyahu as having gone off the rails, citing inconsistent statements about nuclear threats and attacks on Tel Aviv. He added that relations between the military and political leadership are currently at their lowest point due to efforts to provoke a miscalculation with Iran.

Liberman asserted that any action with potential for large-scale confrontation must be decided by the government. He stated that the chief of staff has the strength to insist on upholding the law in this regard.

Defense Minister Israel Katz rejected the accusations on Monday, stating there is no strain between the IDF and the political leadership. Katz said coordination on the Iran issue has been complete since he took office, resulting in historic security achievements. He denied any intention to initiate an attack before the elections, calling reports of such plans entirely false. He criticized opposition figures for exploiting the reports to cast doubt on their judgment, calling the effort shameful and irresponsible.