Am Israel Chairman Takes Responsibility for Election Failure, Calls for Unity Government
Translated & summarized from Arutz Sheva by baba
Ofer Winter, chairman of the Am Israel party, took responsibility for his party's failure to pass the electoral threshold. He urged Naftali Bennett and Avigdor Lieberman to end their boycotts on Benjamin Netanyahu and Likud to form a broad Zionist government. Winter stated that his party's voters were not to blame for the right-wing bloc's difficulties. He vowed to learn from the mistakes and continue building his political movement.
The story in 6 lines · by baba
- Ofer Winter accepted responsibility for Am Israel's failure to pass the electoral threshold.
- Winter urged Naftali Bennett and Avigdor Lieberman to end boycotts on Benjamin Netanyahu.
- He called for the formation of a broad and stable Zionist government.
- Winter rejected claims that his party's voters caused the right-wing bloc's struggles.
- He vowed to learn from mistakes and continue building his political movement.
- Am Israel was founded after October 7th to address security and unity.
Ofer Winter, chairman of the Am Israel party, has accepted responsibility for his party's failure to pass the electoral threshold in the recent elections. In a post following the final results, Winter acknowledged mistakes were made, stating, "We didn't succeed in passing the electoral threshold. We erred, I erred, I am not running from responsibility." He drew a parallel to his military experience, noting that leadership is tested in moments of failure, and emphasized the need to analyze, learn, correct, and move forward.
Winter pushed back against claims that his party's voters were responsible for the right-wing bloc's potential inability to form a government. He argued that many of his voters felt they lacked a political home and that his party's aim was to broaden the right-wing camp. Winter asserted that if Am Israel had entered the Knesset, the chances of forming a strong, broad, and stable right-wing government would have been greater.
Following the election results, Winter urged Naftali Bennett and Avigdor Lieberman to lift their boycotts on the Likud party and Benjamin Netanyahu. He called on them to work towards establishing a broad and stable Zionist government, emphasizing that Israel's challenges are too significant to be hindered by personal disputes and boycotts. Winter clarified that his call does not negate his own criticisms of Netanyahu, but stressed that the nation's well-being is paramount.
Winter explained that Am Israel was founded after October 7th with the goal of offering a path that combines decisiveness and security, responsibility for soldiers, and unity. He described the party as an attempt to address the personal conflicts he believes have dominated Israeli politics and to refocus the discourse on security, the future of children, and shared responsibility. He noted that nearly 100,000 Israelis supported his party, and he pledged to learn from the mistakes and continue building a political home for those who share his vision, stating, "Our path did not end on election night. It has just begun."
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