MK Saada Claims Ofer Winter Will Back Liberman for PM

Member of Knesset Moshe Saada of the Likud party stated that Ofer Winter, chairman of the 'Am Israel' party, plans to recommend Avigdor Liberman as the next prime minister. Saada asserted in an interview with Channel 14 that this is not speculation but information he possesses, claiming Winter has not denied this intention. Saada elaborated that Winter's stated refusal to align with Arab parties is a pretext, suggesting Winter and Liberman's plan is to form a government if Benny Gantz (referred to as 'Eizenkot' in the text, likely a typo or misstatement for Gantz, who is currently tasked with forming a government) seeks to ally with Arab parties. In such a scenario, Liberman would propose himself as prime minister with Winter's support, thereby replacing a right-wing government led by parties like Otzma Yehudit, Religious Zionism, Likud, and Shas. Saada also expressed doubt about Winter's electoral viability, predicting his party will not pass the electoral threshold. He compared Winter's trajectory to that of Naftali Bennett, who began with a higher number of predicted mandates but ultimately saw a significant decline. Saada characterized the upcoming election as a crucial test for national leadership, framing it as a referendum between Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, with his extensive experience and ability to engage figures like Donald Trump, and Gantz, suggesting the public's preference is clear.