Ronen Tzur Announces Bid for the Democrats Primary

Ronen Tzur, founder of the "Winning Machine" organization, communications consultant, former Knesset member, and current chairman of the "Flag of Israel" movement, said on Sunday evening that he intends to run in the primaries for the Democrats party list ahead of the next election. He made the announcement at an activists' conference for his organization, attended by more than 1,500 people.

Tzur, who in recent years has become one of the sharpest critics of Netanyahu's government and the right-wing camp, used the stage to launch a fierce attack on the current leadership and present a combative tone for a possible entry into politics. He said, "When I founded the Hostages' Families Headquarters, I did not imagine how low the state would be taken by a cluster of traitors, whom I will see brought to trial after I enter the Knesset. When I founded the Winning Machine, I did not imagine how quickly and how determinedly thousands of members and supporters would follow me to defeat the satanic machine of poison."

He then laid out the kind of slate he believes the left-wing party needs. "These elections are not about who is more statesmanlike or nicer. They are not for people with soft language, people with an extreme agenda or professional mandate killers. The Democrats' list should consist only of fighters with strength, energy, rage, love of country, hope in their eyes and a knife between their teeth. And that is me," he said.

Tzur also said the Democrats should be a party of at least 17 seats, that Yair Golan should become defense minister, and that the list must be balanced and made up of leaders who are not fringe figures, not suspected of corruption, and not competing to voice extreme views that drive away many voters to other parties.