Winter Party Right-Wing Identity: No Political Rescue Mission

Sigal Kraonik-Atia, a new addition to the party list of reserve Lt. Col. Ofer Winter, appeared on Israeli radio this morning to clarify the political positioning of the emerging movement. In an interview with host Sharon Gal on Galei Israel radio, Kraonik-Atia offered unambiguous statements about where the party stands on Israel's political spectrum.

"We are a right-wing party, and currently the one leading the right-wing bloc is Benjamin Netanyahu," she stated during the interview. She emphasized consistency in the party's positions: "We don't waver in our views, we are the right-wing bloc."

When Gal raised concerns among right-wing voters about past experiences with new parties, referencing what he called "the Bennett trauma," (alluding to former Prime Minister Naftali Bennett's coalition with left-wing and Arab parties), Kraonik-Atia dismissed the comparison.

"Most people are preoccupied with traumas and not occupied with what actually happened," she responded. "We are the right-wing bloc. We connect with whoever is currently in the right, but we didn't come to save any party or any politician. We came to bring a different kind of leadership that speaks about decisiveness and speaks about bringing enemies to submission."

The comments appear as if they are designed to reassure right-wing voters wary of new political movements after Bennett's Yamina party joined a coalition that included left-wing and Arab parties, ending Netanyahu's long tenure as prime minister in 2021. Winter's party is positioning itself as a reliable right-wing alternative focused on military decisiveness rather than political maneuvering.