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Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz on Monday rejected as "entirely baseless" a report that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu clashed with army chief Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir over an Iran-linked directive, saying Israel had no plan to attack Iran before Tuesday's election.
Channel 12 reported Sunday that Zamir demanded a detailed discussion, legal guarantees and the political leadership’s signatures before carrying out an unspecified order that security officials feared could spark a swift confrontation with Iran.
"The reports about gaps between the political echelon and the IDF (army) on the Iran issue are entirely baseless and false," Katz said on X, insisting there was "complete" coordination between the two.
"I state unequivocally that there was no intention on Israel’s part to initiate an attack on Iran before the elections in Israel—when we made clear that if Iran attacks Israel, we will respond with great force, and all reports on the matter are entirely false," Katz added.
Channel 12 described an "unprecedented confrontation" between Netanyahu and Zamir that peaked in the preceding 24 hours. In recent days, Zamir received a directive from the political leadership and asked for an in-depth discussion before carrying it out, the broadcaster said.
"This is an action that could lead to a lightning confrontation with Iran at a sensitive and dramatic timing, and create a miscalculation," a senior security official told Channel 12.
"In the military echelon there is concern over an attempt by the political echelon to exploit the Iranian issue for political momentum," sources familiar with the details said. Political officials denied it, calling the claim "a real lie."
"History will not forget the role Zamir played in recent days," another senior security official said.
Two sources said the atmosphere was very tense at a discussion held at Palmachim.
Army Radio published similar details Monday, citing two senior security officials.
Netanyahu denied the report in an interview with Channel 14 on Sunday, calling it "rubbish."
"There is no confrontation," he said, adding, "Someone is trying to blur the fact that the chief of staff himself said Iran is trying to harm the elections."
In the same interview, Netanyahu said he had instructed the Mossad and the military to work toward toppling Iran’s government.
Netanyahu also claimed Iran had resumed its nuclear program. Earlier Sunday, he posted an AI-generated image of a nuclear explosion over Tel Aviv, and opposition leaders Gadi Eisenkot and Yair Golan accused him of spreading fear before the vote.
Opposition leader Yair Lapid cited the report on X, accusing Netanyahu of seeking to delay the vote.
"Tonight it was published that he wants to set off an escalation and a confrontation with Iran, just to postpone the elections," Lapid said, adding, "This man has lost his grip. We absolutely must send him home."
Katz’s denial comes as Netanyahu campaigns heavily on his security record, arguing only he can finish the U.S.-Israeli war against Iran.
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