Netanyahu may call snap elections amid military advocate general scandal

 

Some in Netanyahu’s circle believe his campaign could serve as a focal point for a broader campaign on judicial reform.

By Vered Weiss, World Israel News

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is weighing the option of calling early elections within the next three months, according to reports citing internal discussions among his closest advisers.

The move is being considered in the wake of controversy surrounding former Military Advocate General Yifat Tomer-Yerushalmi, which some in Netanyahu’s circle believe could serve as a focal point for a broader campaign on judicial reform.

Several senior members of Netanyahu’s team have urged him to act swiftly, arguing that a campaign centered on the justice system would energize the Likud base and produce favorable results at the polls.

They believe the affair involving Tomer-Yerushalmi could be framed as part of a larger struggle over the balance of power between elected officials and the legal establishment.

Others in Netanyahu’s camp, however, are cautioning against rushing into an election. They reportedly hope that time still remains to advance a legislative initiative or political arrangement that could halt or delay the prime minister’s ongoing criminal trial before the end of the government’s current term.

Moving to an immediate election, they argue, might make that goal far more difficult to achieve.

For now, Netanyahu has not made a final decision. According to political sources, he intends to maintain his current approach of delaying progress on divisive issues, including the bill granting exemptions from military service.

The prime minister recently instructed Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee Chairman Boaz Bismuth not to hold discussions on the measure this week.

The Prime Minister’s Office released a statement denying that early elections are being planned, insisting the matter is “not on the agenda.”

Still, political analysts note that Netanyahu’s recent actions—combined with the renewed public focus on the military prosecution and judicial reforms—suggest that all options remain open as he weighs his next move.

Tomer-Yerushalmi served as Israel’s military advocate general—the army’s top legal officer responsible for overseeing investigations and representing the IDF in domestic and international legal matters.

She was recently arrested following allegations that she had leaked classified footage showing the alleged mistreatment of a Palestinian detainee, triggering a political storm and calls for accountability within Israel’s military and government.