Amid Right-Wing Tensions, Amir Winter's Entry Could Propel Eisenkot to Prime Ministership

Political tensions are rising within Israel's right-wing ahead of retired Brigadier General Amir Winter's expected announcement to enter politics. Political analyst Amit Segal highlighted concerns within Prime Minister Netanyahu's office, identifying Winter and former party leader Moshe Feiglin as the main strategic threats. Segal described Feiglin as an unpredictable figure whose 2019 run cost the right-wing three Knesset seats and contributed to the failure of Bennett and Shaked to cross the electoral threshold, though his influence has since waned.

Segal emphasized that the greater challenge comes from Winter, the former commander of the Givati Brigade, who plans to run on a distinctly right-wing list targeting voters between Likud and Religious Zionism. The main political fear is a severe vote split within the religious-nationalist and right-wing sectors, potentially causing critical vote losses. Segal concluded that the likelihood of both Winter and Bezalel Smotrich passing the electoral threshold is slim, which could result in at least 100,000 votes being lost and pave the way for Benny Gantz to become prime minister.