20.08.2026 16:00
Following Israel's attack on the Abu Zuhur military airbase in Syria, Netanyahu faced harsh criticism from his own country. Former Chief of Staff Moshe Yaalon stated that Netanyahu caused tensions with Turkey and called on the opposition to remove him from power to 'prevent destruction'.
The repercussions of Israel's attack on the Abu Zuhur Military Airbase in Idlib, Syria, continue to reverberate in domestic politics. Former Israeli Chief of Staff and Defense Minister Moshe Yaalon harshly criticized Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu over the attack, arguing that it created unnecessary tension with Turkey.
"CAUSED TENSION WITH TURKEY, ANGERED THE US"
In a comprehensive statement published on the social media platform X, Yaalon blasted Netanyahu's regional policies. Yaalon stated that the Israeli Prime Minister raised tensions with Turkey through the air operation on the dormant Abu Zuhur Military Airbase, emphasizing that this hasty move also drew a reaction from the US. According to the former minister, Netanyahu thus squandered a strategic opportunity that emerged in Syria at a time when Hezbollah's and Iran's influence in the region had relatively diminished.
EFFORT TO ESCAPE THE ACCOUNT OF OCTOBER 2023
At the center of Yaalon's criticisms is the claim that Netanyahu deliberately keeps the country in a spiral of conflict for his political survival. Yaalon accused the Prime Minister of fleeing the political and military cost of the "Al-Aqsa Flood" attacks in October 2023, arguing that Netanyahu deliberately kept the war fronts open by creating new crisis areas. Yaalon stated that the Prime Minister himself is the sole responsible party for the recent crises Israel has been dragged into and the current destruction.
DISREGARDED TRUMP'S "RED CARD"
In his statements, Yaalon also drew attention to the disagreements between US President Donald Trump and the Israeli administration, noting that Trump imposed a "Peace Council" including Turkey and Qatar, and a 15-point document for the Gaza Strip, which created a picture against Israel's interests. According to Yaalon, Netanyahu avoided an arrangement in Lebanon that could have been in Israel's favor, while regarding Iran, he pursued regime change to "atone for his own sins," causing a major crisis with Trump. It was stated that Netanyahu ignored Trump's diplomatic "red card" shown to Israel and the US warnings against intervening in the US' stance worldwide.
HISTORIC CALL TO THE OPPOSITION
At the end of his message to the public, Yaalon addressed Israeli opposition leaders, stating that they must take action to prevent the country from being dragged into further destruction. He emphasized that the only way to save the lives of soldiers and civilians is to unite all political efforts and focus on removing Netanyahu from power.
WHAT HAPPENED?
Warplanes belonging to the Israeli army had carried out an attack on the dormant Abu Zuhur Military Airbase, located in the east of Idlib province in northern Syria.