Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu posted an image depicting a nuclear explosion over an unidentified city on Sunday as he amplified an Iran warning, drawing opposition criticism before Israel's Tuesday, Oct. 27, parliamentary election.
Netanyahu's post relayed a Hebrew statement attributed to a writer. In an English translation, the statement described Israel as facing an existential danger, argued that a nuclear-armed Iran would overshadow every other concern and said Israel had two more years with U.S. President Donald Trump to complete its work in Iran. It also urged Israel to devote resources to counter the threat.
The post gave no location for the scene or account of how it was made. The Times of Israel and The Jerusalem Post described the image as AI-generated; The Jerusalem Post interpreted the skyline as Tel Aviv.
In Hebrew-language posts on X, Democrats leader Yair Golan called for Netanyahu to be kept off social media. Golan's post also said pressure was mounting and accused Netanyahu and his associates of having lost control. Yashar chairman Gadi Eisenkot said Netanyahu was using fear tactics, repeating what he described as a campaign pattern, and warning Israelis of mass destruction.
AFP reported that Netanyahu told a rally in Dimona on Oct. 21 that he had instructed security agencies to topple Iran's government. EconoTimes previously covered his Oct. 21 pledge to direct security agencies against Iran's government.
In a Jan. 5 address recorded by the Knesset, Netanyahu said Iran's nuclear program had been severely damaged and that he and Trump would not allow it to be renewed. Israel's Central Elections Committee lists Tuesday, Oct. 27, 2026, as Election Day for the 26th Knesset, the country's parliament.
