Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu must be investigated on suspicion of treason, Yisrael Beytenu chairman Avigdor Liberman told 103FM on Monday morning.
Calling on Attorney-General Gali Baharv-Miara to open a criminal probe, Liberman accused Netanyahu of attempting to draw Israel into a military confrontation to delay the elections, or prevent them from taking place.
The demand follows a report by N12 on Sunday that Netanyahu and IDF Chief of Staff Lt.-Gen. Eyal Zamir had clashed over a proposed military operation that could trigger a confrontation with Iran, just two days before Israel's October 27 election.
Liberman accuses Netanyahu of attempting to delay elections
In a statement published on X/Twitter on Sunday, Liberman said he believed Netanyahu was attempting to force Israel into military action to prevent the vote, describing the alleged conduct as a betrayal of the state and its security.
He further argued that the chief of staff had a responsibility to prevent the military from being used for political purposes and to protect soldiers from unnecessary risks.
Speaking to 103FM, Liberman said he would approach the attorney-general to request a criminal investigation into Netanyahu on treason allegations.
"The man has gone off the rails. One day he's preparing a crypto bomb for us, and the next day an atomic bomb. He just said he had destroyed all of Iran's bombs, and now he's dropping bombs on Tel Aviv?" Liberman said, adding that the relationship between the military and political leadership has "never been as strained" as it is now.
"This is the result of Netanyahu's efforts to provoke a miscalculation with Iran. The chief of staff is strong enough to insist on upholding the law, and under the law, any action whose consequences could lead the State of Israel into war or a large-scale confrontation must be subject to a government discussion and decision," he said.
Katz: No strain between IDF and political leadership
Defense Minister Israel Katz decried Liberman's accusation, stating there was no strain between the IDF and political leadership.
"Since taking office as Defense Minister, the coordination between the prime minister and me and the IDF on the Iran issue has been complete - with unprecedented historic achievements for the security of the State of Israel. This is the sole consideration - and so it will be in the future as well," he said.
"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. The attempt by opposition figures to exploit these reports to attack the prime minister and me and to cast doubt on our judgment - at a time when we are prevented for understandable reasons from addressing the details of the Iranian issue - is shameful and irresponsible. We will overcome this too."