Iran is without a doubt a grave threat to the State of Israel. Its pursuit of nuclear weapons and development of ballistic missiles capable of striking in the heart of our country cannot be allowed to continue. But does that mean Israel needs to attack right now, less than a week before an election? The answer is that none of us really know. Only a handful of people have access to the intelligence needed to determine whether the threat is immediate or whether an attack can wait. If Iran is building a nuclear bomb right now, Israel obviously needs to act, regardless of the election. But if the threat will be no different a week from now, the government needs to exercise extreme caution for two reasons. The first is obvious: A military operation could disrupt the election and politicians have a responsibility to protect the democratic process and must be careful when taking action that could undermine it. The second is more complicated and potentially just as damaging. Whatever Netanyahu decides, a significant percentage of Israelis will suspect that his motives are political. Even if an attack is entirely justified, many will believe it was designed to influence the election. This is the reality of the deep crisis of trust in Israel today. If Netanyahu orders an attack, he will need to make a compelling case to the Israeli public, knowing that much of the country may not believe him regardless of the evidence. And that is the danger. An operation meant to strengthen Israel’s security could end up eroding public trust in the government and the IDF. Iran is a threat that Israel cannot ignore. But the timing of military action matters, especially when the country is just days away from an election.