Netanyahu's Attack on Winter Could Spark New Right-Wing Party, Analyst Claims

Political analyst Eliraz Sade suggested on Thursday that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's recent criticism of MK Tally Gotkine (Winter) could inadvertently lead to the formation of a new right-wing party that would challenge Netanyahu's leadership. Sade argued that center and left-wing parties are failing to attract right-wing voters, whose political movement is trending further right within the existing bloc.

Sade explained that a proliferation of parties on the right does not necessarily harm the bloc, as a larger offering can cater to existing demand among right-wing voters. This contrasts with past efforts to consolidate political power solely around Netanyahu and the Likud party.

He characterized the current right-wing landscape as having the Likud shifting towards the center, while parties led by Itamar Ben-Gvir and Bezalel Smotrich represent a more practical right. Within this context, Sade believes Netanyahu's attack on Winter might create an opening for a new party to emerge and directly challenge the prime minister from his right flank.

Sade noted that voters prefer to exert influence from within the government rather than casting ballots for center-left parties that risk ending up in opposition and fading away, referencing Benny Gantz and Yair Lapid as examples. He concluded by posing several political questions to Gadi Eisenkot, questioning whether he would disqualify Arab parties, succeed in building a viable political "product" to gather votes, and ultimately share the fate of Gantz and Lapid in the opposition.