TEL AVIV — Did Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu leak news of a thwarted Israeli strike on Iran to deflect blame for not taking action and to preserve his image as a hawk? That’s the accusation now roiling Israeli politics following a report this week that the United States blocked a planned Israeli operation targeting Iran’s nuclear facilities, slated for as early as next month.

During 16 years in power — interrupted by an 18-month stint in the opposition — Netanyahu has repeatedly brought Israel to the brink of military action against Iran. Near-strikes were planned in 2011 and 2012, and now, again, in 2025. According to a Thursday report in The New York Times, Israel was preparing to launch a major attack on Iran’s nuclear facilities as early as next month, but President Donald Trump refused to authorize the operation, choosing instead to pursue direct negotiations with Tehran.

Bennett questions Netanyahu’s intentions on Iran

Naftali Bennett, currently leading in the polls with elections expected in late 2026, wasted no time seizing the moment. Bennett briefly succeeded Netanyahu as premier in a power-sharing arrangement with Yesh Atid's Yair Lapid during 2020–21, and after leaving politics in June 2022, recently registered a new party under the name Bennett 2026.