The big picture:
Israeli PM Netanyahu informed senior Haredi lawmaker Moshe Gafni about Israel’s plans to attack Iran three days ahead of time, in a bid to have him drop his threat of dissolving the Knesset over the failure to pass a law exempting yeshiva students from conscription.
Why it matters:
The revelation that Netanyahu leveraged an unprovoked attack on the Islamic Republic of Iran to prevent the dissolution of his government highlights the dangerous politicization of war by the Israeli regime and further confirms Tehran’s long-standing warnings of Tel Aviv’s destabilizing role in the region, enabled by Western silence.
Zoom in:
In the 12-day Israeli-imposed war on Iran under the complete support of the U.S. president, after the American bombing of 3 Iranian nuclear facilities, Iran conducted a missile response against the biggest U.S. military base in the region, Al-Udeid air base hit by at least one critical infrastructure of the base and Trump forced to propose a ceasfire to de-esclate tensions in the region and in fact to save Israel from Iranian hypersonic missiles which created unprecedented destruction and fear in ocupied territories:
Zoom Out:
Just 2 days after the ceasefire, U.S. President Donald Trump, in an unpleasant intervention act which faced criticism inside Israel, has called for the Israeli president to "pardon" Netanyahu, who is on trial for corruption, including bribery, fraud and breach of trust, for which he has been on trial since 2020.
In a social media post, Trump said that the US had saved Israel in war with Iran and now wants to "save" Netanyahu.
Netanyahu wrote his post thanking Trump, "for your moving support for me and your tremendous support for Israel".
Israel's main opposition leader, Yair Lapid, criticised Trump's statement, saying he should not "intervene in a legal process of an independent state".
What they're saying:
According to the New York Times, Netanyahu summoned ultra-Orthodox party leader Moshe Gafni to army headquarters in Tel Aviv and, after requiring him to sign a military secrecy agreement, revealed plans to strike Iran in four days. The move was aimed not at defense, but at securing Gafni’s political loyalty to prevent a no-confidence vote.
Israel Cohen, a journalist and confidant of Gafni, confirmed the political nature of the move: “The plan to strike Iran was the only thing that kept the Haredim from dissolving the government.”
According to Hebrew media, Gafni left the meeting alarmed, questioning whether Netanyahu was bluffing or truly preparing for war. At the end, Gafni's party voted to keep the government intact.
Key points:
- Netanyahu used confidential military plans to gain political support.
- Israeli insiders admit the strike was politically motivated rather than strategically necessary.
- The attack adds to the pattern of Netanyahu instrumentalizing war for personal political gain.
Go deeper:
Gafni's report shows how Netanyahu’s political playbook works: Turning wars into political lifelines. Whether in Gaza, Lebanon or now Iran, he has launched offensives to distract from losing power and his scandals.
ahmad shirzadian
