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Former Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak accused Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, on Friday, of "preparing the ground" for a war that could postpone the general elections scheduled for October 27, 2023.
Barak said in a statement to Channel 12 Hebrew: "Netanyahu is preparing the infrastructure for going to war that could postpone the elections".
Barak harshly attacked Netanyahu, saying he "lies as he breathes, as he eats French fries, and as he leaves a restaurant without paying".
He cited a previous statement by Netanyahu that "the life of a nation is not a personal survival path for the Prime Minister".
Barak added: "Therefore, we must do everything to remove him from power on October 27, once and for all".
Barak's statements come less than a month before the Israeli elections, amid escalating internal debate over the use of security files in the election campaign.
Netanyahu warned last Monday of the possibility of Israel being attacked before the elections, before holding consultations with senior security officials the next day to discuss developments.
On Friday, Netanyahu threatened to respond to any party found to be behind the incident involving the Fly Dubai flight FZ 1073 from Dubai to Tel Aviv on September 30, 2023.
Netanyahu said the investigation is ongoing to determine if the perpetrator was acting on behalf of another party, adding that "those who sent him will pay a very high price," without providing evidence of a specific country's involvement in the incident.
The Fly Dubai incident has also become a subject of political debate in Israel before the elections, amid accusations from Netanyahu's opponents of exploiting security issues to strengthen his position in the campaign, which his camp denies.
Barak's statements on Friday come as Israeli military attacks continue on several fronts, including Gaza, Lebanon, and Syria, as the voting date approaches.
In August 2023, Barak previously accused Netanyahu of seeking to reach the elections in an atmosphere of security tension and fear, considering his escalation in some regional files to be linked to the elections, according to previous statements.
The Israeli elections are scheduled for October 27, 2023, the first since the attack of October 7, 2023, while opposition parties have intensified their coordination in recent days to replace Netanyahu's government through the ballot box.
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