JERUSALEM — A deepening political rift has emerged in Israel as government and opposition leaders clash over who holds the legitimate authority to greenlight military operations during a delicate transitional phase.

The controversy intensified after Defense Minister Israel Katz took to social media to declare that the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) require no clearance from opposition factions or external legal bodies to carry out airstrikes. Stressing that defense decisions remain exclusively within the purview of the sitting government and its military chiefs, Katz defended recent actions regarding Iran and vowed that security protocols would proceed uninterrupted.

However, opposition figures have strongly pushed back. Gadi Eisenkot, spearheading efforts to construct a new governing coalition, cautioned that resorting to military force absent an immediate and direct security threat undermines democratic institutions and public trust.

The standoff coincides with high-stakes political maneuvering. Eisenkot, who faces a December 6 deadline to assemble a coalition, has publicly criticized Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for withholding vital national security briefings—a move opposition critics argue flouts standard governance conventions. Right-wing opposition leader Avigdor Lieberman echoed these concerns, warning that a transitional administration should not plunge the nation into conflict without comprehensive parliamentary and security oversight.

Compounding the political complexity, Eisenkot’s camp is exploring various pathways to power, including a minority government backed by Arab legislative blocs, a partnership with ultra-Orthodox factions, or a potential grand coalition. These alternative arrangements face fierce resistance from hardline critics like Lieberman, who firmly opposes cooperation with Arab parties. As political negotiations and security concerns intertwine, Israel’s leadership remains deeply divided over the boundaries of executive power during a national transition.

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