Prominent Rabbi Backs Vinter Amid Netanyahu's Withdrawal Push

Rabbi Eli Sadan, head of the Bnei David Military Academy in the West Bank settlement of Eli, has declared his support for Ofer Vinter, leader of the Amcha Israel party. This endorsement comes just two days before the Knesset elections and directly contradicts efforts by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich to persuade Vinter to withdraw from the race.

Sadan's public backing follows a visit by Netanyahu and Smotrich to the Eli academy the previous week. During the visit, they met with Sadan at his home as part of their campaign to pressure Vinter. Their objective was to prevent a split in right-wing votes, fearing Vinter's party might not pass the electoral threshold.

Sadan stated he decided to speak out after reports falsely attributed statements to him suggesting people should not vote for Vinter due to his party's low polling numbers. "I did not say that, of course," Sadan asserted. "I wish Ofer to pass the electoral threshold, and then Netanyahu will have a complete right-wing government."

Also present at the earlier meeting were Rabbi Yigal Levinstein, Yehuda Sadan, leaders of the Religious Zionism movement, Netanyahu's chief of staff Ido Norden, and Smotrich's campaign manager Omer Rahamim, both alumni of Eli's settlement-military educational institutions.

Vinter, known for his close ties to Sadan and frequent consultations, has previously stated he consults rabbis but makes his own political decisions. He has criticized Netanyahu for the pressure, warning that the Prime Minister would be responsible for the right-wing bloc's potential failure if his party doesn't pass the threshold, accusing Netanyahu of attacking a right-wing party instead of supporting it.

Recent opinion polls released Friday, before the survey blackout, showed Vinter's party close to, but still below, the electoral threshold, underscoring the significance of Sadan's public support amidst the withdrawal campaign.