Israel’s Lapid accuses Netanyahu of ‘fear-mongering’ over attack warning

Opposition leader Yair Lapid has accused incumbent Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of fearmongering leading up to the October 27 elections in Israel. Lapid reportedly requested an urgent security briefing after Netanyahu claimed on Tuesday that there were indications Israel's enemies could attempt to attack the country prior to the election.

Netanyahu's claims were made during a visit to Tel Nof Airbase in central Israel. Lapid dismissed Netanyahu's warnings, stating that the prime minister had ignored all previous warnings before October 7 and was now suddenly engaging in fearmongering 28 days before the election. Lapid emphasized that there is no need to panic the public and that Israeli military bases are not suitable settings for election videos.

Lapid stated that security threats must be handled professionally and responsibly, but he declined to disclose details of the security briefing.