Netanyahu faces treason call as army chief challenges Iran order

Only 31 women are projected to secure seats in Israel's 120-member Knesset in Tuesday's legislative elections, according to a report published Monday by the magazine LaIsha. The figure represents just over a quarter of the total chamber and marks a steep decline from the record 45 women elected in March 2021. Even the current legislature, which saw representation fall to 35 women, will be outpaced by this projected drop.

The statistical forecast arrives amid a sharp dispute between Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir. Channel 12 News reported on Sunday that the two leaders clashed over a specific military instruction. Zamir challenged the order, demanding legal assurances before proceeding with any action that could trigger a confrontation with Iran. The report did not specify the exact nature of the directive but noted that senior military officials feared the political leadership was using the Iranian situation to generate momentum before the vote.

Sources familiar with the internal conflict told Channel 12 News that some officials doubted the prime minister's motives, suggesting the political echelon was exploiting the security environment. Netanyahu and Defence Minister Israel Katz both denied the narrative. Katz wrote on X on Monday that Israel had no intention of attacking Iran before the election. The dispute coincided with reports that Netanyahu had discussed resuming a joint US-Israeli campaign against Iran with President Donald Trump.

Opposition leaders reacted quickly to the Channel 12 report. Gadi Eisenkot, Netanyahu's primary challenger, warned the prime minister on X not to place political interests above state security. Avigdor Lieberman, a partner in the opposition bloc, escalated the criticism on Radio 103FM on Monday. He accused Netanyahu of treason for allegedly dragging the country toward war and stated he would seek an investigation on those charges.

The LaIsha analysis indicates that most of the 31 projected female representatives will come from Zionist opposition parties. Twenty-three women from the Yashar, Together, Yisrael Beiteinu, and The Democrats parties are expected to enter the Knesset. In contrast, Netanyahu's coalition is projected to send only six women. The ultra-Orthodox parties Shas and United Torah Judaism are not expected to seat any women, as both restrict candidacy to men. The Palestinian-led Ra'am and Joint List parties are projected to send only two women.

As the election date approaches, approximately 90,000 Israelis residing abroad have returned to the country, according to Sunday reporting by the economic daily Calcalist. Estimates from an Israeli telecoms company suggest this number could reach 111,000 by election day. That figure represents an increase of roughly 94,000 over typical periods. The company attributed the surge to voting intentions, noting that people do not usually travel to Israel in mid-October for other reasons.

The return of these citizens occurs against the backdrop of a major emigration trend, with around 270,000 Israelis leaving the country since 2023. Channel 13 News provided a similar estimate based on Ben Gurion Airport data. The reports note that 90,000 votes could equate to roughly two Knesset seats, although the total arrivals include children who are not yet eligible to vote.