Netanyahu's Tactics Against Rival Winter Criticized as Ineffective
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's strategy against Ofer Winter, chairman of the 'Am Israel' party, is faltering, while Winter's own campaign struggles to articulate post-election plans. Netanyahu recently claimed at a Likud event that Winter would switch allegiances after the election to join Avigdor Lieberman's Yisrael Beiteinu party, warning voters against supporting parties that might not pass the electoral threshold or would transfer votes to Lieberman. The "Am Israel" party quickly retorted that Netanyahu's claims were false and that such a scenario would not occur.
This internal conflict within the right-wing bloc echoes Netanyahu's past aggressive campaigns against political rivals, notably Naftali Bennett since 2013. Allegations surfaced then of deals between Netanyahu and "Yedioth Ahronoth" publisher Noni Mozes, where the newspaper would allegedly run negative stories against Bennett in exchange for Netanyahu promoting the "Israel Hayom" law to limit the free newspaper's circulation. Further revelations included a 2013 smear document allegedly prepared by Sara Netanyahu against Bennett's wife, Gilat.
Despite Netanyahu's attacks, Winter continues to present Netanyahu as the undisputed leader of the right-wing bloc and intends to recommend him for prime minister. However, Netanyahu's call to Likud members not to vote for Winter appears to be backfiring to some extent, with "Am Israel" polling above the electoral threshold in some recent surveys, contrary to Netanyahu's prediction of its collapse.
Winter's campaign faces its own contradictions. While pledging not to include individuals responsible for the October 7th failures, they simultaneously endorse Netanyahu as the bloc's leader. Furthermore, their proposed "Servants Law" for conscription clashes with the reality of potentially sitting in a coalition with Haredi parties like Shas and United Torah Judaism, which oppose such measures. A party representative, Netaly Shem Tov, suggested Netanyahu could either persuade the Haredi parties to accept the law or form a broader national government excluding them, a scenario deemed politically unfeasible by analysts.
The article suggests Netanyahu prefers compliant partners and fears strong, independent right-wing leaders. Winter's party, despite its internal inconsistencies, is gaining traction in some polls, potentially at the expense of the Likud and Itamar Ben-Gvir's Otzma Yehudit party. However, the overall right-wing bloc strength is currently seen as benefiting Netanyahu.
