Filmmaker Ofer Winter blocked after satirical withdrawal post

Ofer Winter, a director and animator from Kfar Adumim, decided to have some fun with the political storm swirling around the man who shares his name, Res. Col. Ofer Winter, chairman of the Amcha Yisrael party. But the joke backfired: automated systems on Facebook and TikTok flagged his post as impersonation and immediately suspended his accounts.

As calls mounted within the Netanyahu camp for Res. Col. Winter to withdraw from the race, the filmmaker posted a tongue-in-cheek announcement on his social-media accounts. "After much deliberation, I have decided not to run in the elections. I will continue to serve Am Yisrael from my own place," he wrote, according to Ynet.

The post may have amused his followers, but the platforms' automated moderation systems saw it differently. Both Facebook and TikTok classified the message as fake news and impersonation of a public figure, and shut down his accounts on the spot.

"I am not him"

In a clarification video posted to his WhatsApp status, Winter held up his identity card to prove he is a real person who has carried that name for 40 years. "A lot of people confuse the original Ofer Winter --- me --- with the other Ofer Winter," he said with a smile. "I know, it's confusing, because we both have deep, authoritative voices and distinguished military records... I was a sergeant in field intelligence, and he also did something in the army, but we are not the same person. I'm a director and animator, and he's a discharged soldier."

Winter ended with a plea to followers and the media: "Stop sending me PR messages or press releases, because I'm not him. And just open my Facebook so I can read long things."

For now, while his appeal to the platforms is pending, if it is accepted at all, the filmmaker is making do with his Instagram account, which has not yet been blocked, and hoping the automated systems don't reach there as well.

In recent days, heavy pressure has been applied to Res. Col. Ofer Winter, chairman of the Amcha Yisrael party, to withdraw from the Knesset race. Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu released a sharp video today in which he exposed what he called the "plan" of Winter and Yisrael Beiteinu chairman Avigdor Lieberman. According to Netanyahu, the two politicians are "locked together" despite the public attacks they direct at one another.

Finance Minister Betzalel Smotrich also offered Winter a position as minister in the Defense Ministry from the Religious Zionism party's quota, along with full authority to establish a voluntary emigration administration from Gaza and an administration for haredi enlistment and integration, in exchange for withdrawing from the race. Winter rejected the offers and declared he would continue running until the end.