Yair Golan, leader of Israel's opposition Democrats party, said Wednesday that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu "completely lacks the legitimacy" to launch a war ahead of Oct. 27 legislative elections.
His remarks came after The Financial Times reported that US President Donald Trump had rejected Netanyahu's plan to strike infrastructure and nuclear facilities in Iran, a military campaign that was reportedly set to begin on Oct. 10.
Trump opposes any military escalation ahead of the Nov. 3 midterm congressional elections in the US, fearing negative repercussions for the Republican Party's electoral prospects, according to the report.
Golan, also a former deputy chief of staff of the Israeli army, said in a post on US social media platform X: "Netanyahu is a sick and weak leader clinging to power by force, willing to put Israel's security at risk to save himself."
The upcoming general election is seen as crucial to Netanyahu's political future.
He is standing trial on corruption charges, including bribery, fraud, and breach of trust, which could result in imprisonment if he is convicted.
Golan further criticized Netanyahu, saying he "completely lacks the legitimacy to drag Israel into another military campaign, driven by personal and political calculations, on the eve of the election."
Netanyahu, who is wanted by the International Criminal Court over war crimes in the Gaza Strip since 2023, has headed the current government since late 2022.
Since October 2023, Israel has launched a genocidal war in Gaza.
It has also waged wars against Lebanon and Iran, carried out airstrikes on Yemen and Qatar, and conducted near-daily ground incursions into Syria.
Golan called on Israeli army's Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir and security establishment leaders to "oppose any military action intended to serve personal interests under the pretext of security needs," while also urging voters to go to the polls to "save Israel from this dangerous government."
Separately, Gadi Eisenkot, head of the opposition Yashar party, said Netanyahu's claim of destroying Iranian nuclear bombs was "an outright lie."
"Iran has never possessed nuclear bombs," Eisenkot said in remarks carried by Israel's public broadcaster KAN, arguing that he sees "no direct and immediate threat that requires action."
Eisenkot is widely viewed as the opposition figure with the strongest potential to challenge Netanyahu in the upcoming elections.
A Channel 12 poll released Monday found that 45% of respondents considered Eisenkot better suited to serve as prime minister, compared with 33% for Netanyahu, widening Eisenkot's lead to 12 percentage points from 10 in the previous survey.
However, polls generally suggest that neither Netanyahu's bloc nor the opposition is likely to secure a parliamentary majority, raising the prospect of another election unless one side agrees to form a coalition with Palestinian parties in Israel.
In a separate statement on X, the Israeli military said Wednesday that its personnel had begun early voting, including troops stationed in occupied territories in Gaza, Lebanon, and Syria.
