Bereaved Families Urge Ofer Winter Not to Risk State's Future

Hours before the Knesset candidate lists were due, bereaved families and terror victims appealed to retired Brigadier General Ofer Winter, head of the 'Am Yisrael' party, to prevent a potential loss of right-wing votes. They warned that Winter's candidacy could lead to the election of a left-wing government, citing the 1992 elections as a cautionary tale where a split on the right paved the way for the Oslo Accords.

The families, whose loved ones were killed in terror attacks following the Oslo Accords, stated they were not speaking theoretically but from personal experience of loss. They described the Oslo Accords as a national disaster and a betrayal that resulted in thousands of deaths and injuries, including from an Arab police force armed by the agreement itself.

They implored Winter not to "play roulette with the lives of our country" and argued he had no right to risk millions of Jewish lives to test his political strength. They urged him to form a technical bloc with other right-wing parties, suggesting that factions could split after the election if necessary. They warned that if his venture failed and the right-wing bloc fell below the electoral threshold, he would be solely responsible for the consequences, including the potential establishment of an Arab state in the heart of Israel.

The letter was signed by numerous prominent bereaved families, including the parents and widow of Rabbi Achiad Ettinger, parents of Yehuda Dimantman, mother of Danny Gonen, parents of Hillel and Yagel Yaniv, parents of Rena Schnerb, widow of Baruch Mizrahi, father of Shlhebhet Pas, and father of Ron Kokia, among many others.