Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has shared an AI-generated image depicting a nuclear explosion over Tel Aviv, warning that Iran obtaining nuclear weapons could threaten Israel's survival. Published on Oct. 25, two days before Israel's Oct. 27 election, the post drew criticism from opposition leaders who accused him of fearmongering.

The image shows a mushroom cloud rising over a city as an explosion engulfs buildings below. Netanyahu shared a message by right-wing political commentator Yuval Bloomberg, which argued that Israel faced an existential threat from Iran and warned of a "second Holocaust" if the country failed to confront it.

The message also argued that Israel had a limited window to address the threat while US President Donald Trump remained in office. The image is AI-generated, not a photograph of an actual attack.

Gadi Eisenkot, leader of the Yashar party and a former Israeli military chief, criticized the post. "Another fearmongering video from Netanyahu. You are hysterical. As in every election campaign, once again the same method of lies and fearmongering," Eisenkot wrote, according to The Times of Israel. He also accused Netanyahu of failing to achieve the objectives of Israel's war against Iran.

Yair Golan, chairman of the Democrats party, also called for Netanyahu to be kept off social media. "The prime minister of Israel has published an image of an atomic bomb over Tel Aviv. I ask that he be kept away from social media. The man and those around him have lost it. The pressure is mounting," Golan wrote.

The accusations reflect the opposition's interpretation of Netanyahu's motives; they do not establish why he shared the image. However, its timing placed the post squarely in the final stage of the election campaign.

The image also draws attention to Netanyahu's earlier claims about Iran's nuclear programme. On June 24, 2025, after Israel's 12-day military operation against Iran, he said his government had removed two existential threats.

"We removed two existential threats: The threat of annihilation by nuclear weapons and the threat of annihilation by 20,000 ballistic missiles," Netanyahu said in a statement issued by his office. He described the operation as a historic victory while also warning that Israel would act if Iran tried to revive its nuclear programme.

Netanyahu's earlier claim and his latest warning are therefore not necessarily incompatible: he can claim to have removed an immediate threat while arguing that it could return. Still, the latest post reinforces the central role Iran's nuclear ambitions continue to play in Netanyahu's security message.

A mushroom cloud over a recognizable city makes nuclear destruction feel immediate, even though the image provides no evidence that an attack is occurring or imminent. By pairing the image with a warning about Iran, Netanyahu's post connects a hypothetical future threat to a specific city and frames the election as a question of national survival.

There is no evidence yet that the image has changed voting intentions or turnout. The election may show whether his security-focused message resonates, but the post alone cannot establish its effect.

Israel votes on Oct. 27. Netanyahu's post puts Iran's nuclear threat at the center of his final election message, using an AI-generated image to make the danger more tangible. Whether that warning resonates with voters or fuels further criticism remains to be seen.