Netanyahu Warns New Right-Wing Parties to Unite or Withdraw to Avoid Vote Splitting

Shortly after retired Brigadier General Ofer Winter announced the formation of the new right-wing party "Amcha Yisrael," Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu issued a stark warning against further fragmentation within the right-wing camp. Speaking at a council meeting in Binyamin, Netanyahu cautioned that splitting votes among multiple right-wing parties could lead to the loss of parliamentary seats and the downfall of a right-wing government. He recalled the 1992 elections, when several small right-wing parties ran separately, resulting in lost mandates that paved the way for Yitzhak Rabin's government and the Oslo Accords. Netanyahu emphasized that the main threat to right-wing rule comes from within the camp itself, not from left-wing parties, stating, "The left cannot bring down the right; only the right can bring down the right."

Netanyahu specifically named three new right-wing factions led by Moshe Feiglin, Ofer Winter, and Avi Maoz as potential risks for splitting the vote. He clarified that his concern was not personal but focused on preserving the right-wing bloc's strength. He urged the new parties to either withdraw or unite with existing right-wing parties to prevent electoral damage, saying, "If you care about Israel and the future of the state and people, this is what must be done."

In response, Ofer Winter, who launched "Amcha Yisrael" at a Jerusalem event, affirmed his party's clear place within the right-wing camp and expressed commitment to forming a broad right-wing government with as many Zionist partners as possible. Winter criticized previous security policies that preceded the October 7 massacre, calling the upcoming elections a "referendum" on Israel's security approach. He advocated for proactive security measures to neutralize threats before they materialize and pledged to prevent a repeat of past failures. Winter also introduced his party's candidate list, which includes public figures such as spokesperson Yosef Hadad, attorney Eran Ben Ari, and Shomron Regional Council deputy head David Ben Zion.

The political landscape ahead of the 2026 elections is thus marked by tensions within the right-wing bloc, with Netanyahu pushing for unity to avoid repeating past mistakes that could jeopardize their hold on power.