Katz blames opposition for harming Israel's deterrence

Defense Minister Israel Katz launched an unprecedented attack on opposition leaders, accusing them of harming Israeli deterrence against the backdrop of security warnings ahead of election day.

In a pointed post, Katz responded to criticism from his political rivals and made it clear that the warnings issued by him and the prime minister are based on real intelligence. "Every attack on Israel and every terror attack that may come, if Heaven forbid there are any, will be registered in the names of Yair Lapid, Naftali Bennett, Yair Golan and their opposition colleagues," the defense minister wrote. According to Katz, opposition members "do not stop attacking the prime minister and me and casting doubt on our warning about our enemies' intentions to attack Israel and carry out terror attacks on the eve of the election or during [the election] in order to influence the election results."

The defense minister emphasized that the security establishment is ready for every scenario: "The IDF is prepared to carry out prevention and defense operations against Iran and its proxies in all arenas, in order to deter and protect Israeli citizens, and if required will act immediately or according to decisions that we will make and direct it. It is important that our enemies know that the Guardian of Israel neither slumbers nor sleeps, and that we are aware, determined and prepared for every possibility, regardless of any political process."

Katz rejected the claims that the considerations guiding the political echelon are political. "All the criticism and statements attributing foreign considerations to us testify to the disconnect and narrow political considerations of those who say them, harm Israeli deterrence and encourage our enemies to act, the prime minister and I will continue and do everything required to protect Israeli citizens and strike our enemies with force at any time and in any place, as we have done in all the recent years."