Ofer Vinter Party Candidate Slams Arab Parties, Vows Knesset Ouster

Yosef Haddad, the second-ranked candidate on the "Am Israel" party list led by Ofer Vinter, launched a sharp attack on Arab political parties on Monday, stating he would never cooperate with them. "Is there any doubt that I would cooperate with Mansour Abbas, who cannot say Hamas is a terrorist organization?" Haddad asked rhetorically in an interview with Radio Kol Yisrael. "I despise these people," he declared. "I am here to replace them. I am here to throw them out of the Knesset. I want to represent the Arab-Israeli voice. I want to work for Shfaram and Nazareth, not for Gaza and Jenin. I don't care about them, I care about here."

Haddad's remarks come amid public discussions about political cooperation ahead of the elections. The "Am Israel" party, launched weeks ago, positions itself as a new voice in Israeli politics, emphasizing the importance of integrating all segments of the population. Haddad, who has gained significant public attention for his stances, is considered a key asset for the new party.

According to previous reports, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office exerted heavy pressure on Haddad until the last moment before list submissions, attempting to persuade him to leave Vinter's party and join the Likud. However, Haddad rejected all offers and chose to remain with his party.

The "Am Israel" party submitted its Knesset list independently, despite pressure from the Religious Zionism party, led by Bezalel Smotrich, to merge. Smotrich criticized Vinter's decision to run alone, claiming that "the only ones who might benefit from Vinter's refusal to unite the national camp are Gali Baharav-Miara, Yitzhak Amit, and their friends on the left."

A Channel 12 poll released after the list submissions indicated that the "Am Israel" party is projected to win 5 seats, with both Vinter's party and Smotrich's party expected to pass the electoral threshold, contrary to earlier polls. Other notable candidates on the "Am Israel" list include Netali Shem Tov, Eran Ben-Ari, Pler Hassan-Nahum, and Lali Darai. The party has set clear conditions for joining a coalition, emphasizing the importance of integrating the Haredi population into the military and achieving military victories on all fronts.