Netanyahu Urges New Party Leaders to Withdraw or Unite to Avoid Splitting Votes

Following the launch of a new political party by retired Brigadier General Ofer Winter, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu criticized Winter and other new candidates during a visit to a conference in Binyamin on Tuesday evening. Netanyahu specifically mentioned Winter alongside Moshe Feiglin and Avi Maoz, urging them to withdraw from the Knesset race to prevent the risk of not passing the electoral threshold. He warned that failing to cross the threshold would waste votes, while those who do pass could undermine existing parties, potentially causing significant political damage. Netanyahu emphasized the national stakes, stating, "There is no personal issue with any of them, there is a national problem." He called on the new parties to either withdraw or unite with established parties, saying, "If you care about the Land of Israel and the people of Israel, this is what you must do."