Minister Benny Begin blasted "former senior members of the security establishment" who he said are creating the public debate, without naming them. The discussion in the press "is insane anarchy, an evil deed that results from some people's egomania," he said.
A daily column in Yediot asks, "Should Israel attack in Iran?". While the headline is followed by both pro and con columns, media watchdog "The Seventh Eye" explains that the newspaper's answer is obviously "no."
Other newspapers and press organizations have followed Yediot Acharonot's lead and have begun hosting a public debate on the possibility of an attack. As a result, the Knesset, too, has started talking about the matter. MK Shelly Yechimovich, head of Labor, is quoted as saying "I am warning against a megalomaniacal adventure in Iran."
Yediot Acharonot is ferociously opposed to Binyamin Netanyahu, as are most press outlets. Only Yisrael Hayom is considered respectful toward Netanyahu – and is therefore mocked as his lapdog. Yisrael Hayom quotes Education Minister Gideon Sa'ar who says: "stop blabbing about Iran." A senior diplomatic source quoted by the paper says that the public debate endangers state security.