Analyst Slams Ofer Winter's Party as 'Biggest Mistake' in Election Race

Political commentator Emanuel Shilo stated on Wednesday that Ofer Winter's decision to run independently with his "Am Echad Yisrael" party represents a "big mistake." Shilo argued on "Galei Yisrael" radio that Winter could have bolstered the Likud or Religious Zionism lists instead of pursuing what he called a "savior of the right" approach.

Shilo drew parallels between Winter's current strategy and that of Naftali Bennett in 2019, when Bennett left the Jewish Home party to form the New Right, a move that ultimately failed. Winter's party initially saw a surge in polls following a "well-planned opening show," according to Shilo, but is now reportedly losing momentum and hovering around the electoral threshold.

"This is a very dangerous situation," Shilo warned, highlighting the risk of the party failing to pass the minimum vote requirement to enter the Knesset. The commentary comes as the Religious Zionism party, led by Bezalel Smotrich and Itamar Ben-Gvir, has agreed to run on a joint list, a move welcomed by many of their supporters concerned about crossing the electoral threshold.