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Ex-General Ofer Winter Takes Responsibility for Election Failure
The Amcha Israel party, led by retired Brigadier General Ofer Winter, has failed to cross the 3.25% electoral threshold in the elections for the 26th Knesset. According to the Central Elections Committee, with vote counting still ongoing on Wednesday, October 28, 2026, the party had garnered 78,377 votes, representing approximately 1.6% to 1.61% of the valid ballots. This left the party about 80,000 votes short of the roughly 158,000 votes required to secure Knesset representation.
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What happened
- 01The Amcha Israel party failed to cross the 3.25% electoral threshold in the Knesset elections, receiving 78,377 votes, or about 1.6% of the total.
- 02Amcha Israel fell approximately 80,000 votes short of the 158,000 votes required to secure four Knesset mandates.
- 03Party chairman Ofer Winter took personal responsibility for the failure and admitted to making mistakes during the campaign.
- 04Winter entered politics after the October 7, 2023 Hamas terror attack, citing a need for new, unifying leadership in Israel.
- 05Despite the electoral defeat, Winter announced he has no intention of leaving politics and vowed to continue his public service.
- 06Winter faced pressure from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich to withdraw his candidacy before the election.
- 07Netali Shem Tov, ranked third on the party's list, also accepted responsibility for wasting votes that could have helped the right-wing bloc.
In a statement on Facebook, Winter took personal responsibility for the electoral failure and admitted to making mistakes during the campaign. He explained that he entered politics following the October 7, 2023 Hamas terror attack because he believed Israel needed a different, unifying leadership that could make decisions and take responsibility. Despite the defeat, Winter vowed to remain in politics, thanking his supporters and stating that he and his team are here to stay for a long journey ahead.
Before the election, Winter had faced significant pressure from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich to withdraw his candidacy. On Tuesday evening, Winter blamed an "ugly campaign" against his party for the loss, asserting that without it, a strong right-wing government would have been established. Netali Shem Tov, who was ranked third on the Amcha Israel list, also accepted responsibility for the wasted votes that could have aided the right-wing bloc, while calling on party leaders to quickly convene and form a government.
Summarized by baba from the reports of 5 newsrooms. Updated
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Ex-General Ofer Winter Takes Responsibility for Election Failure
