Smotrich Criticizes Winter's Independent Run in Elections

Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, who chairs the Religious Zionism party, issued a sharp rebuke Monday to retired Brigadier General Ofer Winter after Winter submitted his Amcha Yisrael party's candidate list to the Knesset without forming a union with other nationalist parties.

"We are deeply troubled by Ofer Winter's decision to run independently and to gamble with the future of right-wing governance and the State of Israel," Smotrich said in a statement. He warned that "the only ones who stand to benefit from Winter's refusal to unite with the national camp are Gali Baharav-Miara and Yitzhak Amit and their colleagues on the left", referring to Israel's Attorney General and a prominent opposition figure.

The finance minister continued his criticism, saying Winter's "stubborn refusal of every proposal for unity in the national camp is deeply disappointing and casts serious doubt on his judgment and on the credibility of his promise to recommend Netanyahu for prime minister and to go only with the national camp." Smotrich concluded with an appeal to voters: "A true right-winger doesn't take risks this time. Vote Religious Zionism."

The Amcha Yisrael party responded to Smotrich's attack by rejecting what it called fear tactics. "The people of Israel are asking to refresh the ranks. We appreciate your work but won't descend into the discourse of intimidation," the party said in a statement. "You too must recognize and acknowledge that the public wants new people—those who were not part of the events that led us to October 7th, those who can lead to a decisive outcome in Gaza, to integrating the ultra-Orthodox into the IDF, and to addressing the variety of challenges that were not handled in the previous term."

The party added: "The time has come to bring fresh air into the right-wing camp and into the Israeli Knesset."

Amcha Yisrael submitted its list for the 26th Knesset Monday without joining forces with other parties, despite heavy pressure from various figures in the nationalist camp. Winter requested the Hebrew letter "ך" for the ballot. The list includes, among others, Yoseph Haddad, a Christian Arab Israeli activist; Natalie Shem Tov; and Eran Ben-Ari.

Ofer Winter (צילום: Avshalom Sassoni/Flash90)

Upon submitting the list, Winter said: "The Amcha Yisrael party was launched just two weeks ago and has already become a significant player on the political map, and there's a reason for that: it brings fresh air that represents the entire spectrum of the population and leads a policy of true right-wing values and military decisiveness in all sectors, alongside integrating the ultra-Orthodox into the IDF and giving full backing to fighters, without compromises and without willingness to serve as a political punching bag for Goldknopf at the expense of those serving." The reference to Goldknopf appears to be aimed at ultra-Orthodox political leaders.

The tension between Smotrich and Winter comes against the backdrop of repeated attempts by the finance minister to unite right-wing parties. About a week ago, Smotrich and Moshe Feiglin signed an agreement to run together within a technical bloc, with Smotrich declaring: "This is the first connection and not the last. At a moment like this, one must take responsibility."

Additionally, dozens of rabbis from the Religious Zionism movement sent an urgent letter to Winter Monday morning calling on him to unite with right-wing parties. "This week will determine whether the right goes into the upcoming elections with joint forces or, heaven forbid, divided," the rabbis wrote, adding: "Ofer, a certainty is preferable to a doubt. One must not take risks when it concerns all of Israel."