Smotrich Understood What Ben-Gvir and Winter Missed in Election Strategy
In the recent election, Itamar Ben-Gvir and Ofer Winter pursued strategies to be the "subject" of political movements rather than "connectors," leading to their respective parties' failures. Ben-Gvir's attempt to appeal to Shas's base and Winter's pan-Israeli approach both collapsed. Bezalel Smotrich's strategy, which focused on the Religious Zionist sector's roots, is presented as more successful. The analysis suggests that challenging sectorial identity led to failure, while adhering to it brought success.
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- Itamar Ben-Gvir and Ofer Winter failed by trying to be political "subjects" instead of "connectors."
- Ben-Gvir's strategy to appeal to Shas voters and differentiate from Likud collapsed.
- Ofer Winter's new party, Am Israel, failed to gain traction despite his popularity.
- The article suggests success in the Religious Zionist sector came from adhering to its roots.
- Bezalel Smotrich's approach is implicitly contrasted with the failures of Ben-Gvir and Winter.
In the recent election cycle, leaders within the Religious Zionist sector pursued different strategies, with some aiming for unity and others for differentiation, leading to varied outcomes. Itamar Ben-Gvir, heading Otzma Yehudit, initially resisted merging with Bezalel Smotrich's Religious Zionism party, believing in his own strength and frequently clashing with the Likud. His campaign later adopted the slogan "Netanyahu needs a strong Ben-Gvir," mirroring an earlier Shas campaign. However, this strategy was undermined when Netanyahu and Smotrich excluded Ben-Gvir from a joint event with rabbis, highlighting his satellite party status.
Ben-Gvir's ambition was to transition from a satellite party to a main party, targeting traditional Sephardic voters, a base also relied upon by Shas. This approach involved not only confronting the Likud but also Shas, despite both being part of the same bloc. The article argues this strategy failed, as Ben-Gvir sought to be the "subject" rather than the "connector" ('vav' of connection), a move that ultimately collapsed.
Former Brigadier General (res.) Ofer Winter entered the political arena with his new party, Am Israel, aiming to leverage his popularity among Religious Zionists and form a significant centrist party. Throughout the election, Winter rejected proposals to join existing parties or secure spots for his candidates, insisting on his party's pan-Israeli appeal. This strategy also resulted in a complete collapse, with Am Israel failing to gain traction.
Winter, like Ben-Gvir, chose to be the "subject" rather than the "connector," a gamble that did not pay off. The author suggests that the diverse Religious Zionist sector struggles to act as a unified bloc. Success, according to the analysis, came to those who returned to the sector's roots and did not challenge its core identity, while those who attempted to move beyond sectorial politics and replace statehood failed.
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