Israeli Minister Ben-Gvir Rejects Alliance With Ofer Winter, Citing 'Second Bennett'
Translated & summarized from Mignews by baba
Israeli Minister of National Security Itamar Ben-Gvir rejected a surplus vote-sharing deal with Ofer Winter's Amcha Yisrael movement, calling Winter a "second Bennett." Ben-Gvir's decision, announced on X, ends potential cooperation between the right-wing factions. Winter's party is struggling to pass the electoral threshold, while Ben-Gvir's party is polling well. The deadline for submitting surplus vote agreements is October 16.
The story in 5 lines · by baba
- Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir rejected a vote-sharing deal with Ofer Winter's party, calling him a 'second Bennett'.
- Ben-Gvir's decision ends potential cooperation between the right-wing factions ahead of the Knesset elections.
- Winter's Amcha Yisrael movement is polling near the electoral threshold, while Ben-Gvir's Otzma Yehudit is expected to win seats.
- The deadline for submitting surplus vote agreements is October 16.
- Winter had previously pledged support for Benjamin Netanyahu's premiership.
Israeli Minister of National Security and Otzma Yehudit party leader Itamar Ben-Gvir has officially announced his refusal to enter into a surplus vote-sharing agreement with the Amcha Yisrael movement, led by former IDF brigadier general Ofer Winter. Ben-Gvir declared on social media platform X that he considers Winter a "second Bennett," drawing a parallel to former Prime Minister Naftali Bennett, which he stated makes any pre-election agreement impossible. The announcement, reported by Ynet, effectively ends discussions about a potential alliance between the two right-wing factions.
Hours before his social media post, Ben-Gvir had been evasive when questioned by journalists at a conference, stating he had not yet considered the matter in detail. Winter had previously pledged to support Benjamin Netanyahu for prime minister and vowed his party would not join a coalition with the current parliamentary opposition.
The surplus vote mechanism in Israel allows two political lists to combine unused votes to gain an additional seat in parliament, provided both parties individually pass the 3.25% electoral threshold. Current polls indicate Otzma Yehudit is likely to secure around six seats in the Knesset, while Winter's Amcha Yisrael is precariously close to the threshold.
Political parties in Israel must submit all official documents regarding surplus vote distribution by October 16. Ben-Gvir's public rejection means his party will approach this deadline without a finalized agreement with Winter's movement.
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