The prime minister's Instagram post, warning of Iran's nuclear threat, drew criticism from opposition leaders Yair Golan and Gadi Eisenkot, who accused him of using fear as an election tactic.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu shared an AI-generated image depicting a nuclear explosion over Tel Aviv on Sunday, just two days before Israel's October 27 election, prompting criticism from opposition leaders who accused him of attempting to frighten voters ahead of the polls.
The image, posted on Netanyahu's official Instagram account, shows a massive mushroom cloud rising over a densely populated city, with an enormous explosion engulfing the buildings beneath it.
Accompanying the image, Netanyahu warned that Israel faced an existential threat from Iran and that the country's security depended on the outcome of Tuesday's election.
"The State of Israel is in existential danger that Iran and its proxies threaten us with. It is astonishing that nothing has changed, and more than that, everything has become more dangerous because of the existential danger posed by Iran and the axis of evil," he shared.
Netanyahu added that the developments and new findings required the public to "put aside the disputes and think only about the most important issue: ending the work in Iran."
The post did not explicitly identify the city in the image, though it appeared to show Tel Aviv.
Golan calls for Netanyahu to be kept off social media
Democrats chairman Yair Golan responded to the image on X, accusing Netanyahu and those around him of losing control as election day approached.
"The prime minister of Israel published an image of an atomic bomb over Tel Aviv," Golan wrote. "I ask that he be kept away from social media. The man and those around him have lost it. The pressure is mounting."
"On Tuesday, we will replace those spreading panic and restore security and sanity to Israel," he added.
Golan's response came amid a broader dispute over Netanyahu's handling of the Iranian threat, which has become a central issue in the final days of the election campaign.
Eisenkot accuses Netanyahu of using fear to win votes
Yashar chairman Gadi Eisenkot also condemned the publication, accusing Netanyahu of resorting to familiar election tactics.
"Another fearmongering video from Netanyahu," Eisenkot wrote. "You are hysterical. As in every election campaign, once again the same method of lies and fearmongering."
Eisenkot accused Netanyahu of threatening Israelis with mass destruction after, he claimed, failing to achieve the objectives of the war against Iran.
"You have failed. In two days, the people of Israel will show you that at the ballot box," Eisenkot wrote.