Israeli Government in Crisis as Netanyahu Pursues Military Action Against Iran

A right-wing coalition government in Israel appears to be losing its grip on power, but caretaker Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is not ready to give up without a fight. His frantic efforts to derail the political transition suggest a growing desperation to stay in office.

At the heart of Netanyahu's strategy seems to be an attempt to reignite a conflict with Iran, which could provide him with the momentum he needs to cling to power. He has reportedly ordered the Israeli military to prepare for war ahead of any potential attack on Iran, despite opposition calls for restraint and caution.

The details of Netanyahu's plans are still unclear, but it is known that he has been in close contact with US President Donald Trump, phoning him almost daily to press for renewed strikes on Iran. This is not the first time Netanyahu has sought to leverage his relationship with Trump to further his own interests.

Netanyahu's push for military action against Iran has also put him at odds with Israel's top military chief, Eyal Zamir, who has expressed concerns that such a move could trigger a wider conflict. Israeli media have reported repeated confrontations between Netanyahu and Zamir over this issue.

As the situation unfolds, opposition leader Gadi Eisenkot is tasked with forming a viable government, but his success is far from guaranteed. Netanyahu is pushing for a national unity government that would include himself and his Likud party, or he may be waiting for Eisenkot to fail, leading to another election.

Israel's opposition bloc has accused Prime Minister Netanyahu of attempting to drag the country into a devastating war for his own political survival.

Critics claim that Netanyahu is deliberately stalling the coalition-building process in order to force another election, while others believe he genuinely hopes to form a national unity government.

However, even his fiercest opponents might rally behind him if he launches an attack on Iran, according to analysts who suggest that Netanyahu's attempts to reignite war with Tehran are not entirely without merit.

The hysteria surrounding Iran is so intense that it has the power to transcend political differences and unite even the most disparate factions in their opposition to Tehran.

While experts acknowledge that any war would be contrived, they also note that the public's perception of Israel's greatest enemy would remain unchanged, allowing Netanyahu to potentially reap the benefits of a national unity government.

The Israeli public has been conditioned to view Iran as an existential threat for decades, a perception that has been deliberately cultivated by successive governments and reinforced through repeated warnings about Tehran's alleged nuclear ambitions.

This climate of fear has been fueled by the rhetoric of regional allies such as Hezbollah in Lebanon, whose threats against Israel have been widely reported in local media, further solidifying the notion that Iran poses an imminent danger to the country.

The threat from Iran has been a constant presence throughout much of the Israeli population's lifetime, with repeated warnings about Tehran's nuclear program dating back to at least the 1990s and contributing to an atmosphere of perpetual anxiety.

The situation came to a head in recent years as Israel engaged in multiple conflicts across the region, including a 12-day exchange of strikes with Iran in June 2025, which was followed by a joint US-Israeli attack in February that disrupted global trade routes and sent financial markets into turmoil.

As the country teeters on the brink of another conflict with Iran, some analysts suggest that a war could provide Prime Minister Netanyahu with an opportunity to divert attention from his domestic woes and reassert his leadership credentials.

A majority of Israelis oppose Prime Minister Netanyahu's coalition government, making his current situation precarious. With multiple active criminal cases against him, he is fighting to maintain his grip on power.

Netanyahu's supporters believe a war with Iran could provide him with a much-needed distraction from his domestic woes. Analysts speculate that the US would likely allow Israel to pursue military action against Iran, despite ongoing diplomatic efforts between Washington and Tehran. This perception could lead Israelis to rally behind their prime minister as he navigates his current challenges.

Israelis have grown accustomed to living in a state of heightened alertness, with many regarding war as an inevitable reality. "People know that any case for war would be manufactured," one expert noted. Despite this awareness, many still anticipate and prepare for the possibility of conflict.