Far-Right Candidate Criticized for Anti-Haredi Remarks

Ofer Winter, a candidate representing the "Am Israel" party, has drawn significant criticism from within the right-wing camp following a speech where he used the term "meshmattim," meaning draft dodgers, to describe Haredi (ultra-Orthodox) men who do not enlist in the IDF. This term is typically associated with the left-wing and anti-Haredi rhetoric, making its use by Winter, who is described as a Torah-observant Jew, particularly jarring to many.

The use of the loaded term has caused discomfort among those who expected more from Winter, given his background. The article suggests that this rhetoric, while potentially appealing to a segment of the electorate, is seen by many on the right as counterproductive and alienating. The implication is that such statements, often attributed to the political left, are being adopted by figures on the right, potentially for electoral gain, but at the cost of alienating traditional allies.