Netanyahu Shares Nuclear Blast Image Before Israel Election

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu shared an AI-generated image of a nuclear explosion over Tel Aviv on October 25, two days before Israel’s October 27 election, alongside an argument that the country should prioritize the threat from Iran. The image depicted a hypothetical attack, not an actual explosion. Netanyahu’s post amplified commentary by Yuval Bloomberg, who described Iran’s nuclear ambitions as an existential danger and characterized domestic political disputes as distractions. Bloomberg argued that Israel had a limited opportunity to address the threat during the remaining two years of U.S. President Donald Trump’s term, and that the state should devote the necessary resources to the effort. The post’s timing and message drew criticism from political opponents. Gadi Eisenkot, leader of the Yashar! party and a former chief of staff of the Israel Defense Forces, accused Netanyahu of using fear during the election campaign and said his government had failed to achieve the objectives of the Iran war. Democrats party leader Yair Golan also criticized the image and said Netanyahu should be kept away from social media. The post renewed scrutiny of Netanyahu’s...