Political Tensions Peak as Israel Heads to 26th Knesset Elections

Attorney Daniel Cohen, former legal adviser to the Labor Party, appeared on an election broadcast and launched a sharp attack on Yisrael Beytenu leader Avigdor Lieberman, claiming he would not enter the next Knesset. Cohen alleged that Lieberman had transferred billions of shekels to Mansour Abbas, asserting that funds had reached Hamas and endangered soldiers. In response, Yisrael Beytenu dismissed the remarks as malicious lies propagated by a propaganda channel.

Against the backdrop of high political stakes ahead of the 26th Knesset elections, Yashar party leader Gadi Eisenkot cast his ballot at a polling station in Herzliya, accompanied by his wife Hanna and family members. Prior to voting, Eisenkot visited the grave of his late son Gal, who fell in combat during the war in Gaza. Calling for a new path for Israel, Eisenkot urged citizens to vote and dismissed Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's campaign tactics, urging the public not to be intimidated by alarmist rhetoric.

Meanwhile, security forces detained a Jerusalem resident in his 20s near HaMesila Park in Tel Aviv after a knife was found in his possession close to HaDemokratim leader Yair Golan. The Israel Police swiftly dispelled rumors circulating on social media, clarifying that no assassination or stabbing attempt had taken place. Plainclothes and uniformed officers providing security for the public figure noticed a suspicious object protruding from the suspect's coat and immediately intervened to detain him for questioning.

According to an official statement by the Israel Police, officers from the Lev Tel Aviv station acting within the Yarkon region apprehended the suspect during routine security operations. The individual was taken into custody for urgent interrogation at the Lev Tel Aviv police station as authorities continue to investigate the circumstances surrounding the incident.