Israeli opposition leaders Yair Lapid and Gadi Eisenkot on Thursday accused Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government of putting political survival ahead of national security, following controversial remarks by Defence Minister Israel Katz about potential attacks on Israel.
The criticism comes just days before Israel’s parliamentary elections, scheduled for next Tuesday, amid heightened tensions with Iran and warnings of possible military escalation.
In a statement posted on X, opposition leader Yair Lapid accused the government of attempting to shift responsibility for its security failures onto political rivals.
“The reckless and hysterical statement made by the defense minister is a gift to Israel’s enemies,” Lapid said.
“Once again, this failed government is trying to make excuses and look for a scapegoat to cover up the failures of Netanyahu and the group of incompetent people surrounding him,” he added.
Lapid described Katz’s comments as “an explicit admission of their complete inability to govern the country and provide security for its citizens.”
He further accused the government of exploiting national security concerns for electoral purposes.
“In their desperate attempt to avoid defeat at the ballot box, they are turning the security of the State of Israel into a farce,” he said.
Gadi Eisenkot, a former Israeli military chief and leader of the opposition Yashar party, also strongly criticised Netanyahu and Katz, arguing that their continued leadership threatened the country’s security.
In a separate statement on X, Eisenkot accused the defence minister of attempting to assign responsibility for potential future attacks to opposition figures before any such incidents had occurred.
“A defense minister holding his political opponents responsible for attacks that the enemy may launch, even before they happen, is absurd and represents an unprecedented decline,” Eisenkot said.
He warned that the government’s approach could undermine national security and called for political change through the upcoming election.
“Every additional day they remain in their positions poses a danger to Israel’s security. In five days, we will put an end to this at the ballot box,” he added.
The opposition leaders were responding to remarks made earlier Thursday by Defence Minister Israel Katz, who sought to hold political opponents responsible for possible future attacks against Israel.
“These attacks will be recorded in the names of Yair Lapid, Naftali Bennett, Yair Golan and their other colleagues in the opposition,” Katz said.
His comments prompted criticism from opposition figures who argued that the government was attempting to politicise national security concerns.
The dispute unfolds amid uncertainty surrounding the elections, with Israeli officials repeatedly warning about the possibility of Iranian attacks or further Israeli military action against Iran.
Netanyahu has led Israel’s current coalition government since December 2022. The coalition has frequently been characterised as the most right-wing in the country’s history.
He also continues to face domestic legal proceedings involving charges of bribery, fraud and breach of trust, allegations he has denied.
Separately, the International Criminal Court issued an arrest warrant for Netanyahu in 2024 over alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity connected to Israel’s military operations in Gaza.
The conflict has killed more than 74,000 Palestinians, according to the death toll cited in the report.
With the election approaching, disagreements over security policy, political accountability and the handling of regional threats have intensified between Netanyahu’s government and opposition leaders.