Ofer Winter Launches Party to Support Lieberman's Bid for Prime Minister

Ofer Winter has launched a new political party called "Amcha Yisrael," which is widely seen as a satellite party designed to advance Avigdor Lieberman's ambition to become Israel's prime minister. The party's main goal is to help displace Benjamin Netanyahu from leadership. Despite recent calls from right-wing figures urging Winter to unite with Bezalel Smotrich, Winter has firmly refused, as the plan is not to merge but to serve Lieberman's interests.

Winter, who previously served as Lieberman's military secretary during his tenure as defense minister, aims to attract votes from the religious Zionist and ideological right-wing sectors. These votes would then be funneled to a government led by Lieberman, potentially positioning Winter as defense minister in such a coalition. Lieberman himself has recently released a video signaling his readiness to lead the country.

Political commentators and insiders, including journalist Ben Caspit, acknowledge that Winter's party will adopt a hardline right-wing stance but remain open to sitting under Lieberman's leadership. This strategy reflects Lieberman's long-standing effort to form a government without Netanyahu, even if it means partnering with parties like Mansour Abbas and Meretz, as seen in the previous coalition under Naftali Bennett.

The key questions for Winter remain whether he will commit to joining a government led by Lieberman or Netanyahu, as right-wing voters predominantly support Netanyahu. Critics demand clear answers from Winter to avoid misleading the right-wing electorate about the post-election coalition possibilities. Winter's party launch is thus interpreted less as a new political force and more as a tactical move to realize Lieberman's prime ministerial aspirations.