Eisenkot meets Netanyahu in bid to avoid Iran strikes

Yashar chair Gadi Eisenkot met with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for a security briefing on Thursday amid concerns that the outgoing government could launch a large-scale military operation against Iran during the government's transition period.

What happened: The meeting, at Netanyahu’s office in Jerusalem, was their first security briefing since the Oct. 27 elections. Before then, Netanyahu was required to hold periodic security briefings for the opposition leader, who was Yesh Atid head Yair Lapid under the previous Netanyahu government.

Eisenkot was tapped Sunday by President Isaac Herzog to form the next government. He has 28 days to complete the task and can request a 14-day extension. Until a new government is sworn in, the current government remains in office and is responsible for keeping the country running and handling urgent security matters. However, it is expected to exercise restraint, particularly on consequential decisions without a current parliamentary mandate.

In a letter to Netanyahu on Wednesday, Eisenkot urged the prime minister to refrain from “dangerous moves that can wait until a new government, enjoying the confidence of the Knesset, is sworn in.” He warned, “Deploying security forces in the absence of a direct and immediate threat that cannot be deferred could have devastating consequences for Israeli democracy and public trust in government institutions.”

Why it matters: Ynet reported on Monday about a reportedly tense phone conversation between the Israeli prime minister and President Donald Trump over the weekend. It said the conversation focused on Iran, with Netanyahu pushing to resume military action against the Tehran regime while Trump favored maintaining a diplomatic approach and allowing negotiations with Iran to continue.

Netanyahu's office denied that the conversation had been strained. However, Al-Monitor had reported as early as Nov. 3 that Netanyahu was calling Trump's associates several times a day with pressure to resume attacks on Iran.

Addressing the Knesset on Tuesday during its new members' swearing-in ceremony, Netanyahu warned of impending pressure on Israel not to attack Iran.

“Soon, we will face international pressure to accept a nuclear-armed Iran and the continued existence of a regime of terror that seeks to destroy us,” he said.

Even before the election, opposition leaders had warned that Netanyahu might launch a military operation against Iran in an attempt to drag Israel into war. On Oct. 26, Yisrael Beiteinu chair Avigdor Lieberman said he had asked Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara to investigate suspicions that Netanyahu was pressuring security chiefs to take steps that could provoke an Iranian attack on Israel.

On Wednesday, Lieberman wrote on X, “A caretaker government is not authorized to make decisions that could drag Israel into war without parliamentary oversight and the full agreement of all security officials.”

Background: Netanyahu and his associates pushed back against Eisenkot's warning about military action during the transition period.

During the briefing, Defense Minister Israel Katz issued a statement saying that he and Netanyahu as well as Israeli military chief Eyal Zamir see eye-to-eye on the Iranian threat and are in full coordination.

On Thursday morning, Katz issued a statement saying that the government does not need the opposition's approval to instruct the military to operate in Gaza, Lebanon, Syria or the West Bank. Regarding Iran, he said, “We have demonstrated determination and reason, in full coordination with the military — and this will continue according to what will be needed.”

Haaretz reported Wednesday that Eisenkot had approached Netanyahu's office several times over the week seeking a security briefing with the prime minister's military secretary, Guy Markizano. The meeting was arranged only after Eisenkot asked Baharav-Miara to intervene, according to the report.

The opposition has also encountered difficulties in securing Lieberman's appointment as chairman of the Knesset's Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee. Although the committee was established Wednesday, Netanyahu's Likud party blocked Lieberman's formal appointment, postponing it until Monday. The committee chair has access to some of Israel's most sensitive intelligence.

Know more: On Thursday, Netanyahu's office announced that the security cabinet would convene on Sunday. Israeli public broadcaster Kan reported on Wednesday that the cabinet had not met for more than a month despite Netanyahu and Katz's instructions for the military to step up preparations for a possible resuming conflict with Iran.