Ultra-Orthodox Protesters Hurl Insults at Reserve Brigadier General Ofer Winter in Jerusalem

On August 4, 2026, ultra-Orthodox protesters gathered outside a recruitment event in Jerusalem and verbally attacked Reserve Brigadier General Ofer Winter as he passed by. The protesters shouted accusations such as "traitor," "inciter," and "you have no part in Judaism," condemning Winter for his stance on integrating ultra-Orthodox men into the Israeli military. One protester called him a "despicable traitor" and said, "You harm the Torah. God will repay you. Shame on you, heretic."

In a separate incident near the same event, ultra-Orthodox demonstrators chased another ultra-Orthodox man suspected of encouraging enlistment. Ofer Winter, a former commander of the Fire Brigade, military secretary to the defense minister, head of Central Command staff, and commander of the Givati Brigade, is known for advocating a balance between Torah study and the enlistment of ultra-Orthodox individuals who are not full-time yeshiva students.

Winter has been considering entering politics in the upcoming elections. Last month, he reportedly held talks with retired Major General Amir Avivi, founder of the "Security Activists" movement. Over the past year, Winter has been organizing meetings and home gatherings but has not yet officially declared a political candidacy. Recently, he released videos criticizing the government and opposition leaders, and his name has been mentioned as a potential candidate alongside Bezalel Smotrich, although he may run with a new party of his own.