The Prime Minister’s Office has scheduled a diplomatic and security update for today between caretaker leader Benjamin Netanyahu and the man tasked with forming Israel’s next government, Gadi Eisenkot. The meeting, which will include military secretary Maj. Gen. Guy Markizeno, follows a request from Eisenkot for the attorney general to intervene after the opposition leader alleged that Netanyahu had refused to provide him with necessary intelligence and operational briefings.
The standoff stems from reports that the Israeli security cabinet directed the military to accelerate preparations for a possible attack on Iran, a move that an Israeli security official warned could result in a wide-scale war. In a public letter to Netanyahu, Eisenkot warned that deploying security forces without an immediate threat could have devastating consequences for the state’s democracy. Netanyahu’s office and Defense Minister Israel Katz dismissed the warning, stating that government security decisions are made in coordination with the military and do not require the approval of the opposition.
