Right-wing activist Baruch Marzel launched a sharp attack Thursday against figures on the right who, he says, have turned on reserve colonel Ofer Winter since he announced his entry into politics. In a post on X, Marzel went after those trying to brand Winter as a leftist after the same people had praised him in the past.
"Tell me, have you lost your minds???? Have you gone completely off the rails?!" he opened, before continuing his assault on those who he says have reversed their position on the former senior officer.
"Since when did Ofer Winter, who not long ago you yourselves called 'a hero of Israel,' suddenly become a leftist? So what if you're worried he'll give an alternative to people who don't want to vote for you --- and rightly so," he wrote.
He argued that the shift in attitude toward Winter has nothing to do with any change in the former colonel's positions, but stems from political figures' fear that he might offer voters an alternative to their own parties.
"Just a year ago you praised him and called him a hero of Israel, and today you're trying to paint him in political colors just because he chose to run in a way that's uncomfortable for you," he wrote.
Marzel's criticism focused on the gap he identified between the positive reception Winter received in the past and the current attempts, he claims, to tag him politically. He did not name the specific figures he was addressing in his post, but said the fear of a political alternative is what lies behind the change in attitude.
He closed the post with another pointed message: "Seriously, come down from the tree for a minute. You've simply gone off the rails."
