Ofer ভিটner and Likud Trade Barbs Amidst Political Tensions

A sharp escalation in political accusations occurred Tuesday evening between retired General Ofer ভিটner and the Likud party. ভিটner accused Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's inner circle of being out of touch with the field reality, relying on "false opinion polls," and conducting a political campaign detrimental to the right-wing bloc.

During a rally to launch his new party, ভিটner alluded to private investigators being sent to track him at his home. In response, the Likud party swiftly denied the claims, labeling them "absolute lies," and threatened a defamation lawsuit.

Following the Likud's threat, ভিটner clarified that he had not stated that the Likud party was the entity that sent investigators. He directly criticized Netanyahu's advisors, stating they provide "bad advice" and are "detached from the street," living under the illusion of guaranteed victory based on "false polls" from self-interested parties.

Reports indicate Netanyahu has decided to escalate the campaign against ভিটner. Likud's concerns stem from the possibility of ভিটner's party not crossing the electoral threshold and a potential future alliance with Avigdor Lieberman to form an alternative government, possibly with ভিটner securing the security portfolio. To counter this, ভিটner also attacked Lieberman.

Some within ভিটner's party expressed frustration with the Likud's campaign, believing it forces them to "veer right" and hinders efforts to attract opposition voters and surpass the electoral threshold. The Likud, in a strong statement, demanded ভিটner retract his accusations or face a defamation suit, criticizing him for attacking the right-wing bloc instead of the left.