Religious Zionism Candidate Urges Rival to Quit Knesset Race
Translated & summarized from Now 14 by baba
Itamar Eitam, a Religious Zionism candidate, urged Ofer Winter of the Am Ech Israel party to withdraw from the Knesset race, citing poor poll numbers. Prime Minister Netanyahu and Finance Minister Smotrich also pressed Winter to quit, fearing a split in the right-wing vote. Winter, however, vowed to continue his campaign, stating his party has "inner truth" despite lacking resources.
The story in 5 lines · by baba
- Religious Zionism candidate Itamar Eitam urged Ofer Winter to quit the Knesset race due to low poll numbers.
- Prime Minister Netanyahu and Minister Smotrich also pressured Winter to withdraw, fearing a right-wing vote split.
- Winter's party, Am Ech Israel, polled at 2.2%, below the 3.25% electoral threshold.
- Ofer Winter stated he would not withdraw, asserting his party's "inner truth" despite resource limitations.
- Netanyahu warned that smaller parties could cause a "disaster" and bring the "left-wing bloc" to power.
Itamar Eitam, a candidate for the Religious Zionism party, publicly called on Ofer Winter, chairman of the Am Ech Israel party, to withdraw from the upcoming Knesset elections. Eitam and Winter are both alumni of the Eli pre-military academy, and Eitam made his appeal from the institution, addressing Winter as a fellow graduate. Eitam argued that Winter's party is not passing the electoral threshold in any polls, citing a recent Channel 14 poll that showed Am Ech Israel with 2.2% of the vote, below the 3.25% threshold. "National responsibility also means knowing when to give up," Eitam stated.
Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu and Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich visited the Eli academy to enlist its head, Rabbi Eli Sadan, in persuading Winter to withdraw. Netanyahu had previously urged smaller parties on the right to "show responsibility and not bring down the right-wing bloc," warning of a potential "disaster" if the left-wing bloc were to win. He noted that Winter's party is short of approximately 60,000 to 70,000 votes and has no realistic path to entering the Knesset.
Smotrich echoed these sentiments, particularly after Benny Gantz, chairman of Blue and White, announced he would not run in the elections, suggesting the left is now more organized. Smotrich implored Winter and other small right-wing parties to withdraw, stating, "We are not gambling with a Palestinian state, not gambling with the Jewish identity of the State of Israel, not gambling with the security of Israel." Itamar Ben-Gvir, chairman of Otzma Yehudit, also stated that Winter "should pull back if he has an ounce of responsibility."
However, Winter declared that he would not withdraw from the race. He acknowledged that Netanyahu and Smotrich were heading to Rabbi Sadan to pressure him but criticized their campaign tactics. "We are going all the way with all our might. You have a lot of resources, but we have the inner truth," Winter said.
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