Netanyahu Offers Ofer Winterman Guaranteed Seats to Prevent Right-Wing Split

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is reportedly offering Ofer Winterman four guaranteed Knesset seats in a bid to prevent him from running independently and to unify the right-wing bloc. The proposal, revealed by i24NEWS, would also see Winterman secure two additional seats within Bezalel Smotrich's party and two within the Likud party.

Netanyahu's plan aims to demonstrate his willingness to accommodate new candidates, while also securing spots for Winterman's associates, Yossef Haddad and Natalie Samtov. This comes as Smotrich and Moshe Feiglin announced their alliance earlier on Tuesday, with Feiglin slated for the second position on their joint list, contingent on Winterman's potential inclusion.

Despite the union, Smotrich intends to maintain his reserved seats, potentially displacing current Knesset members. Minister Smotrich had previously cut short a tour in southern Israel due to "significant political developments" before heading to the Religious Zionism party headquarters.

Winterman responded to the "reserved seat" offer within the Smotrich-Feiglin list, stating, "The people of Israel demand something new, not more of the same." He emphasized his commitment to integrating the ultra-Orthodox into the army and providing for soldiers and their families, asserting that his "Am Yisrael" (People of Israel) movement is the sole address for those seeking decisive action in Gaza and on all fronts. Winterman declared, "We will not be a shield for Gafni and Goldknopf at the expense of the soldiers. We came to bring a new message to the people of Israel. Something new must happen here. We mean what we say. This is the will of the people who want something else, and for them we are here. Friends, what was not will be."