Einkot meets Netanyahu amid reports of possible action against Iran

Meeting in Jerusalem

Israeli Prime Minister Gadi Einkot, who has been tasked with forming a government, held a meeting with incumbent Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his military secretary, Major General Guy Markizano, at Netanyahu's office in Jerusalem. According to the Anadolu agency, citing Israeli media, the meeting was intended as a political and security briefing, as stated in a joint statement by the two politicians published on the Ynet website. There was no confirmation that Iran was discussed at the meeting.

The reason and political context

The meeting took place after Einkot turned to Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara with a request to provide him with regular security briefings: the position of opposition leader remains vacant following the inauguration of the new Knesset. A day earlier, Einkot warned Netanyahu in a letter against launching military or security operations without an immediate threat during the transfer-of-power period, noting that he no longer enjoys the parliament's trust — only 46 members of parliament support his continued stay in power. Netanyahu dismissed the warning as 'irresponsible,' calling on Einkot not to sow fear and discord.

Reports about Iran

According to Ynet, as cited by Anadolu, senior figures in the opposition bloc accuse Netanyahu of seeking unilateral military action against Iran without US support, despite objections from Chief of General Staff Lieutenant General Eyal Zamir and senior security officials. One opposition official accused the prime minister of attempting to drag the country into war in order to derail Einkot's efforts to form a government. It is also reported that the security cabinet, which is due to convene on Sunday, previously instructed the military to raise its readiness for scenarios involving Iran, including a possible Israeli strike or a surprise Iranian attack, and that Netanyahu in recent weeks has discussed possible operations against Iran with senior security officials. Yisrael Beiteinu leader Avigdor Lieberman warned on Thursday that the transitional government must not make decisions capable of leading to war without parliamentary oversight and the consent of the top security leadership.

Mandate to form a government

President Isaac Herzog tasked Einkot, leader of the Yashar party, with forming a government after parliamentary factions representing 67 members of parliament recommended his candidacy, against 46 who supported Netanyahu. In the elections on October 27, neither Netanyahu's bloc nor the opposition won an absolute majority in the 120-seat Knesset. Einkot has 28 days to form a coalition, with a possible 14-day extension; until the new government takes office, Netanyahu remains transitional prime minister. Thus, the dispute over the permissibility of security decisions during the transition period is unfolding against the backdrop of Einkot's limited mandate and the incumbent cabinet's lack of a parliamentary majority.