Netanyahu: Iran may strike Israeli targets during US election

A day after the incident that gripped the Middle East and the entire world, Netanyahu is issuing a fresh warning of a similar scenario.

In an interview he gave today (Thursday) to Fox News, the Prime Minister said there are signs the Iranians will try "to hit Israeli targets," especially during the election period, and that this is why he has asked Israelis to remain alert.

Netanyahu added that Israel intends to draw conclusions following the investigations, and that security is expected to be tightened even further to prevent additional attacks.

Netanyahu also addressed yesterday's plane incident over Middle Eastern skies in the interview, saying the stabbing pilot had undergone Islamic radicalization processes. He further noted that within days it will be possible to know whether the pilot was connected to Iran.

Netanyahu's remarks come just two days after another warning he issued, only this past Tuesday, during his visit to the Tel Nof Air Force Base.

In a video he released Tuesday, Netanyahu said: "We have signs that ahead of the elections our enemies will try to attack us. So from here, from the Air Force base, from the long arm of the State of Israel, I am delivering you a message: Don't mess with us, not now and not ever, our long arm will reach you anywhere and at any time."

Photo: Roi Avraham/GPO, Sound: Yechezkel Kandil/GPO

Netanyahu's remarks sparked a storm after they were published. The Yesh party of Eisenkot even submitted a request to remove the video, as it violates the provisions of Section 2A of the Elections Law (propaganda methods), which prohibits the use of public assets in connection with election propaganda.

"If Netanyahu's statements regarding security threats are correct, this requires an immediate briefing of opposition leader Yair Lapid. This is to ensure that we are indeed dealing with a real threat and not a political move designed to harm the election campaign. It is absolutely forbidden to mix Israel's security with the election campaign. Not even for appearances," Yesh stated.

Later on Tuesday, a briefing was held between Lapid and Netanyahu. Yesterday, after the attempted plane hijacking and crash, Lapid tweeted: "To clarify. Nothing even remotely resembling this morning's plane incident appeared in the security briefing with the Prime Minister last night. Not similar, not reminiscent, not even a hint. The whole circus the trumpets are making now only proves what was already clear yesterday, that they are once again trying cheap politics at the expense of Israel's security. A reckless bunch."