Winter launches campaign: Netanyahu hasn't changed since Oct. 7

Brig.-Gen. (res.) Ofer Winter, chairman of the Amcha Yisrael party, is escalating his confrontation with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, launching a new campaign under the banner "The Conception Is Still Here." The first video in the campaign is narrated by actor Danny Steg, known for his role in the series "Fauda."

The campaign will level criticism at government policy, arguing that nearly three years after the October 7 massacre, Israel still operates from the same mindset. The party plans to argue that alongside military and security achievements on various fronts, Netanyahu has still not brought about a decisive outcome in the Gaza Strip.

Amcha Yisrael seeks to place at the center of the election campaign the question of whether Israel has truly changed its conception following October 7, or whether, as they claim, the language has changed but the pattern of decision-making remains similar.

The party points, among other things, to the situation in Gaza, arguing that nearly three years after the massacre, a clear decision has still not been achieved. Another issue that will be central is encouraging voluntary emigration from the Strip, a policy Winter has long presented as one of his main solutions for Gaza's future.

But the new campaign is not expected to focus only on what is happening in Gaza. Winter's people intend to connect under the message "The Conception Is Still Here" also the issues of governance and personal security, including crime, the scope of illegal weapons, and the claim of loss of control over borders and certain areas within the state.

The party intends to focus criticism also on the security issue. The message Winter seeks to present is that tactical military achievements are not enough if, in the end, Israel does not reach what he calls a "decision."

According to party sources, internal data in their possession indicates, they claim, public demand for "bolder and more determined" leadership that sets clear goals and seeks to reach a decision rather than settling for ongoing management of threats.

The new campaign sharpens the line Winter presents against Netanyahu. The Amcha Yisrael chairman has already made clear that after the elections he will recommend Netanyahu for prime minister, but at the same time he is leveling criticism at the way the war is being conducted and at government policy.

Now Winter seeks to turn the criticism into a real election campaign, with his party's central message being that October 7 should have brought about a deep conceptual change. According to Amcha Yisrael, if nearly three years after the massacre Israel is still managing threats instead of deciding them, "the conception is still here."