Netanyahu and Smotrich Pressure Party Leader to Withdraw from Election Race
Translated & summarized from Ynet by baba
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Bezalel Smotrich are pressuring Ofer Winter, leader of the 'Am Echad Yisrael' party, to withdraw from the election. Winter is reconsidering his pledge to only endorse Netanyahu, while Smotrich offered him a ministerial role to step aside. Winter has refused to change his core political stance despite criticism and pressure. The 'Am Echad Yisrael' party insists it will still endorse Netanyahu after the election.
The story in 5 lines · by baba
- Netanyahu and Smotrich are pressuring Ofer Winter to withdraw from the election race.
- Smotrich offered Winter a Defense Ministry role to convince him to step down.
- Winter is reconsidering his initial pledge to exclusively endorse Netanyahu.
- Winter reaffirms his commitment to the right-wing camp despite pressure.
- The 'Am Echad Yisrael' party insists it will endorse Netanyahu post-election.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Religious Zionism Chairman Bezalel Smotrich are exerting significant pressure on Ofer Winter, chairman of the 'Am Echad Yisrael' party, to withdraw from the upcoming election race. Winter, however, has refused and is reportedly reconsidering his initial campaign declaration to exclusively endorse Netanyahu. Smotrich has attempted to persuade Winter to step aside by offering him a ministerial position in the Defense Ministry, along with full authority to establish an immigration administration for Gaza and a unit for recruiting and integrating the ultra-Orthodox community.
Winter, in a recent interview, questioned the wisdom of his early pledge to only back Netanyahu, stating, "Sometimes I consider and think if it was right" to make that declaration at the campaign's start. Despite this, he asserted his commitment to the national camp and the right-wing ideology, vowing not to change his stance on the Land of Israel, the People of Israel, and the connection to the Torah of Israel, even if subjected to slander.
The Likud party criticized Winter's remarks, interpreting them as an admission of error and warning that his votes could be diverted to a left-wing government. Netanyahu echoed this sentiment on X, urging Winter to withdraw to "save the right" and prevent a "dangerous left-wing government." Yosef Haddad, Winter's second-in-command, refuted these claims, reaffirming the party's commitment to endorsing Netanyahu and stating that their position has not changed despite external pressures and negative campaigns.
Smotrich also addressed Winter directly, emphasizing the risk of votes falling below the electoral threshold and potentially leading to a left-wing victory, drawing parallels to the 1992 elections and the Oslo Accords. He reminded Winter of a previous offer for a partnership and a respectable place on the list, suggesting that Winter's party is currently far from passing the threshold. Smotrich also accused Winter of boycotting him and stepping on both Netanyahu and himself throughout his campaign.
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