Lapid: No need for public panic, despite Netanyahu's claims of possible pre-election attack

Opposition leader Yair Lapid reassured the public on Tuesday night that there was no need for panic regarding Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's warnings of potential attacks before the upcoming elections. Lapid emphasized the importance of handling security threats professionally and responsibly, stating that Israel's security and IDF bases are not mere props for election campaign videos.

He also suggested that if Netanyahu was genuinely concerned about national security, he would draft 15,000 haredi draft dodgers. The Chief of Staff has raised ten red flags concerning the shortage of combat troops and the weakening readiness of the IDF, Lapid noted.

Lapid reiterated that the elections would be held at the appropriate time and that there was no justification to delay or reschedule them. He proposed a four-way meeting between himself, Netanyahu, the head of the Shin Bet (Israeli Security Agency), and the Chairman of the Central Elections Committee, Justice Noam Sohlberg, to coordinate ahead of the election.

Earlier, during a visit to the Tel Nof airbase, Netanyahu had warned that Israel's adversaries might attempt to strike before the elections next month, though he did not specify which enemies he was referring to.

Israeli officials informed The Jerusalem Post that there is no concrete threat to Israel at present, although they cautioned that the situation could evolve rapidly. One official stated that while they were on high alert and monitoring Iran's actions, there was currently no specific intelligence warning against Israel. Another official noted that Iran could decide at any moment to launch missiles at Israel, but emphasized that this remained an option rather than an immediate threat.