Concern Netanyahu is playing up Iranian threat to rally political base

Israeli government officials are talking very publicly about how prepared they are for any attack from Iran on Israeli territory – from the prime minister, to the defence minister, to the military spokesperson. Benjamin Netanyahu, over the last 20 years, has been very vocal on the threat from Iran. It plays well to his base, it allows him to act like a tough guy and it’s very popular with the hard right of his political party. But this latest round was actually sparked by the Israeli attack on the Iranian consulate in Damascus. A lot of people wonder how much of this is simply political – to keep the prime minister popular among his base.engthen our reputation as one of the world's most respected news and current affairs channels.