Israel’s opposition leader Yair Lapid has criticized Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for what he termed 'fear-mongering' following Netanyahu's warning of possible attacks from the country’s enemies ahead of the general election scheduled for October 7, 2026. Lapid, who leads the Yesh Atid party, dismissed Netanyahu's concerns after a meeting between the two leaders on Tuesday.
Netanyahu had released an online video earlier that day, filmed at a military base in front of a fighter jet, where he stated there were 'indications that, ahead of the elections, our enemies will try to attack us.' He did not specify which adversaries he was referring to, but has recently issued warnings regarding Iran, Hamas, Hezbollah, and the Palestinian Authority, pledging retaliation if attacked.
In response to Netanyahu's warning, Lapid requested an urgent security briefing. Following the briefing, he expressed confidence that the election would proceed as planned and stated, 'there is no reason to panic the public.' He emphasized that the elections would take place on time and criticized Netanyahu for using military settings as 'props for election campaign videos.' Lapid also pointed out that Netanyahu had ignored warnings prior to the Hamas-led attacks on October 7, 2023, which resulted in significant casualties in Gaza.
The upcoming election is significant as it is the first since the October 7 attacks, which have led to ongoing conflict in Gaza, Lebanon, and Iran. The election outcome could impact Netanyahu's continued leadership after a tumultuous period in Israel's history. Netanyahu, who has been in power since 1996, is facing a close race, with polls indicating no candidate has a clear path to victory. According to a Reuters polling average, Gadi Eisenkot’s party, Yashar, is leading Netanyahu's Likud party by 2 points.
The average suggests that parties opposed to Netanyahu could secure 64 seats in the 120-member Knesset, 15 more than those supporting him, although forming a coalition may prove challenging. Lapid is among several opposition figures coordinating efforts to unseat Netanyahu, with an agreement in place to enhance voter turnout and support across various demographics.
In a separate statement, Netanyahu confirmed that he had briefed Lapid on security alerts regarding potential attacks 'on the various fronts ahead of the elections' and noted that he regularly holds security briefings with the opposition leader.