Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and senior Likud campaign officials have decided to run an aggressive campaign against Ofer Winter's new party in an effort to weaken it, but the move is sparking fierce internal opposition within Likud itself, journalist Anna Barsky reported on Maariv's website.
Likud figures who oppose the decision to attack Winter are warning that attempting to push him below the electoral threshold could damage Netanyahu's bloc more than it helps Likud. According to their assessment, Winter commands a hard core of support worth approximately three Knesset seats that won't evaporate even under aggressive campaigning. The danger for Netanyahu, they argue, is that the attacks will drive Winter below the threshold, but those votes will be lost entirely rather than transferring to Likud.
Given the risk of wasted votes, these sources are proposing a strategic shift: sign a surplus vote agreement with Winter's "Amcha Yisrael" party and hope it crosses the threshold instead.
