Ofer Winter Urged to Form New Party to Secure Stable Right-Wing Government
Recent polling averages place the Israeli right-wing bloc at around 57 to 60 Knesset seats, a narrow margin that threatens government stability. Current right-wing parties include Likud with approximately 26 to 28 seats, ultra-Orthodox parties with 16 to 18 seats, Otzma Yehudit with about 8 seats, and Religious Zionism with around 5 seats. Despite strong leadership and ideological foundations, Religious Zionism has struggled to expand beyond its base, falling short of an expected 12 seats. This limits the bloc's ability to grow and attract voters from the moderate right, security-focused centrists, and traditional public.
The article argues that establishing a new party led by Ofer Winter could address this challenge by appealing to these untapped voter segments. Winter, seen as an outsider to the established political system and untainted by past controversial decisions, could present a fresh alternative. The new party would aim not to cannibalize existing right-wing votes but to add 7 to 8 new seats by uniting right-wing, traditional, religious-nationalist, and security-minded secular voters. This approach could transform a fragile majority into a stable government.
The author notes that some members of Religious Zionism might be integrated into Likud to maintain their parliamentary presence, while the new party would attract voters currently dispersed among smaller parties or abstaining from voting. Given the post-October 7 political climate, many seek deep change but find no clear alternative to Netanyahu or Religious Zionism leader Bezalel Smotrich. Winter’s leadership could fill this gap.
The piece emphasizes the need for a strategic shift from internal vote redistribution to expanding the right-wing base. It highlights that most new voters in recent years lean right, except for ultra-Orthodox and Arab populations, suggesting potential for bloc growth if new political frameworks emerge. A right-wing government with 64 to 65 seats or more is plausible if coordination improves and new voter segments are mobilized. The author, a former advisor to defense ministers including Moshe Ya'alon, Avigdor Lieberman, Benjamin Netanyahu, and Naftali Bennett, concludes that forming a new party under Winter is the only realistic way to secure a stable right-wing government rather than relying on uncertain gains from existing parties.
