Yisrael Beytenu, chairman Avigdor Liberman, called on Attorney-General Gali Baharav-Miara to open a criminal investigation into Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on suspicion of treason, according to a statement released on Monday.
Liberman's appeal does not establish criminal wrongdoing or mean an investigation has opened.
The demand follows a report by N12 on Sunday that Netanyahu and IDF Chief of Staff Lt.-Gen. Eyal Zamir had clashed over a proposed military operation that could trigger a confrontation with Iran, just two days before Israel's October 27 election.
Liberman accuses Netanyahu of attempting to delay elections
Liberman accused Netanyahu of attempting to draw Israel into a military confrontation to prevent the elections from taking place.
In a statement published on X/Twitter on Sunday, Liberman said he believed Netanyahu was attempting to force Israel into military action to prevent the vote, describing the alleged conduct as a betrayal of the state and its security.
He further argued that the chief of staff had a responsibility to prevent the military from being used for political purposes and to protect soldiers from unnecessary risks.
Speaking to 103FM on Monday, Liberman said he would approach the attorney-general to request a criminal investigation into Netanyahu on treason allegations.
"The man has gone off the rails. One day he's preparing a crypto bomb for us, and the next day an atomic bomb. He just said he had destroyed all of Iran's bombs, and now he's dropping bombs on Tel Aviv?" Liberman said, adding that the relationship between the military and political leadership has "never been as strained as it is now."
"This is the result of Netanyahu's efforts to provoke a miscalculation with Iran. The chief of staff is strong enough to insist on upholding the law, and under the law, any action whose consequences could lead the State of Israel into war or a large-scale confrontation must be subject to a government discussion and decision," he said.