Netanyahu caretaker government warned over Iran war moves

Eisenkot and Liberman warned the Netanyahu caretaker government not to take war-related decisions without oversight during coalition talks.

The warnings came as reports said Netanyahu wants to act against Iran, while his army chief objects.

What Eisenkot and Liberman said to the Netanyahu caretaker government

On Wednesday, Gadi Eisenkot of the Yashar party wrote Netanyahu a letter. He asked him to “act with national responsibility at this sensitive time” and to avoid dangerous steps that can wait for a new government.

Using security forces without a direct and immediate threat, Eisenkot wrote, could have devastating consequences for Israeli democracy. He told Netanyahu not to put the heads of the security establishment in a grave constitutional dilemma.

Avigdor Liberman, head of Yisrael Beytenu, spoke on Thursday. He said a caretaker government has no authority to make decisions that could drag Israel into war without parliamentary oversight and the full agreement of all security officials.

Eisenkot also asked Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara to ensure that he gets regular security briefings, to keep oversight effective.

Reports of a split over Iran

An Israeli broadcast report said the army chief, Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir, opposed actions that Netanyahu wanted the military to take against Iran. It tied his stance to political uncertainty and to Trump’s apparent lack of enthusiasm for renewed war after Republican midterm losses.

Netanyahu told the Knesset this week that Iran is acting to renew the nuclear threat. The only lasting fix, he said, is to bring down the ayatollahs’ regime, and he asked for a national unity government.

The prime minister’s reply

Netanyahu’s office answered that every decision of his government rests on security reasons alone and on full coordination with the security establishment. It called Eisenkot’s letter irresponsible and a transparent attempt to politicise national security.

The office also accused Eisenkot of trying to form a government with terror supporters, a label Netanyahu has applied to Arab parties. It called on Eisenkot to build a coalition with Netanyahu.

Law and the Netanyahu caretaker government

Israeli law has no formal caretaker status, though the opposition uses the term. The outgoing government faces no legal limit on its actions, even if precedents urge reasonable conduct, mainly on budgets.

Outgoing governments have launched military operations before, including in Gaza in 2008, 2012 and 2019. The Netanyahu caretaker government therefore keeps its security powers until a new government takes office after the October 27 election.

Briefing and committee fights

Eisenkot and Netanyahu said in a joint statement that Eisenkot would receive a diplomatic and security briefing on Thursday. He had said earlier that his requests for such briefings had gone unmet.

A Knesset committee approved Liberman on Thursday as chair of the Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee. That body oversees security matters and military budgets. He plans to summon the army chief and the head of the Mossad for an assessment.

However, Netanyahu’s bloc reportedly opposed a final vote until next week, so the formal appointment waits until Monday. Until then, Liberman cannot see classified material as chair.

Eisenkot’s mandate runs 28 days from Sunday, and he can ask for 14 more. For now, the Netanyahu caretaker government faces pressure from two rivals who want a say in any move toward war. Also, the Netanyahu caretaker government must work with a Knesset that sits after Tuesday’s swearing-in.