Netanyahu Accuses Winter and Lieberman of Plotting to Prevent Right-Wing Government

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu released a sharp video Sunday, alleging a secret pact between Ofer Winter, chairman of the 'Am Israel' party, and Avigdor Lieberman, chairman of 'Yisrael Beiteinu'. Netanyahu claims that despite their public criticisms of each other, Winter and Lieberman are secretly coordinating a plan to prevent him from forming a right-wing government.

According to Netanyahu, Winter has been largely refraining from attacking Lieberman, focusing his criticism instead on Netanyahu and the Likud party. Netanyahu pointed to Winter's recent statement that he regretted recommending Netanyahu for prime minister, suggesting this was a ploy. "Now, a few days before the elections, he and Lieberman are attacking each other for appearances. But in reality, they are in cahoots," the Prime Minister asserted.

Netanyahu stated that the alleged plan aims to install Lieberman as prime minister and Winter as defense minister, or to force repeated elections until this goal is achieved. He compared the current situation to past political maneuvers, citing Lieberman's actions in 2019 that led to repeat elections and Naftali Bennett's 2021 move to form a government with only six mandates.

In his video, Netanyahu urged voters not to fall for this alleged "ploy." He called on them to vote for Likud (Mahl) instead of Winter or Lieberman, stating that this would help stop their plan and, alongside "President Trump," remove the perceived Iranian nuclear threat. The video comes as Winter's 'Am Israel' party is polling below the electoral threshold in some surveys, and as pressure mounts from other right-wing parties for him to withdraw from the race following Benny Gantz's departure from the upcoming elections.