Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu issued a stark warning on Sunday, sharing an AI-generated image depicting a nuclear explosion over Tel Aviv. With elections just two days away, he cautioned that voting for any candidate other than himself could jeopardize the safety of Israelis, potentially exposing them to the risk of a “second Holocaust,” according to reports.
Netanyahu referenced the words of Yuval Bloomberg, a right-wing activist with a background in technology, who previously wrote a book opposing the Oslo Accords. Bloomberg’s post, shared last week, featured an AI-generated mushroom cloud rising above a burning Tel Aviv after a nuclear blast.
AI Image Depicting Nuclear Attack on Tel Aviv
The post shared by Netanyahu emphasized that Israel faces a “real and tangible existential threat,” warning that if Iran were to acquire nuclear weapons, nothing else would matter. “Everything becomes insignificant in the face of the existential threat posed by Iran and the Shiite axis,” it stated.
Amid ongoing government controversies, including the “Qatargate” scandal and efforts to exempt ultra-Orthodox citizens from military service, Netanyahu’s post argued these issues are mere distractions from the far graver threat of an Iranian nuclear capability. “If two atomic bombs fell in the center of Israel, who would care about these meaningless controversies?” it added.
The message also claimed that Israel has a limited window of opportunity to confront Iran while U.S. President Donald Trump remains in office, warning that future generations “will not forgive us if we miss this historic opportunity.”
Netanyahu asserted that voters risk exposing their families to the “danger of a second Holocaust” if they choose a leader incapable of handling the Iranian threat, implying that only he is fit for the role.
Iran War as a Major Election Theme
According to reports, Netanyahu’s post contradicts his earlier assertions that Israel and the U.S. had destroyed Iran’s nuclear program during conflicts in 2025 and 2026. Last month at the United Nations, he claimed, “We have destroyed Iran’s nuclear weapons” in the past year. Additionally, he stated in March that following Israeli strikes, Iran could no longer threaten Israel’s existence.
Recently, Netanyahu faced criticism for allegedly pushing for a renewed conflict with Iran to influence or delay the election scheduled for October 27—a claim he denied. Reports indicated that IDF Chief of Staff Lieutenant General Eyal Zamir recently expressed in a private meeting that he does not see an operational necessity for an attack on Iran before the elections.
Opposition Leaders Respond Strongly
In response to Netanyahu’s post, Gadi Eisenkot, president of the Yashar party and electoral frontrunner, strongly criticized him, accusing him of inciting panic ahead of the upcoming vote. “Netanyahu, you are hysterical,” Eisenkot wrote on social media. “As in every electoral campaign, it’s the same method based on lies and intimidation, this time threatening Israeli citizens with mass destruction. You have failed to achieve your war objectives against Iran. Over the next two days, the people of Israel will show you this at the polls,” he added.
Yair Golan, head of the Democratic Party, also reacted, calling for Netanyahu to be banned from social media for posting the image of a nuclear bomb over Tel Aviv. He stated, “This man and those around him have lost their minds. Pressure is rising. On Tuesday, we will replace those who sow panic and restore security and common sense in Israel.”
Naftali Bennett, president of the B’Yachad party, criticized Netanyahu for suggesting that only under his leadership could Israelis continue to live. “This is a lie. The State of Israel was established long before him and will continue to exist long after him. The Israeli people are stronger than any politician,” Bennett said. “However, he is right about one thing: his government is truly leading us toward economic, social, political, and security destruction.”
Opposition leader Yair Lapid, Bennett’s second-in-command on the B’Yachad list, remarked that Netanyahu essentially tells citizens that Israel “is in danger of destruction, which is why [he] decided to forfeit American security assistance, submit to sanctions that will destroy the economy, and keep all agents from Qatar in [his office]. All in all, it makes sense,” Lapid quipped.
