Ofer Winter Rejects Netanyahu's Pressure to Exit Knesset Race
Ofer Winter refused demands from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to withdraw from the Knesset elections, vowing to provide alternative leadership for the right-wing bloc.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich met with Rabbi Eli Sadan on Tuesday to pressure Ofer Winter, chairman of the People of Israel party, to withdraw from the upcoming Knesset elections. Government leaders expressed concern that Winter's party might fail to cross the 3.25 percent electoral threshold, which would waste votes for the right-wing bloc.
Winter rejected the pressure and condemned the campaign tactics used by Netanyahu and Smotrich. He vowed to remain in the race to offer alternative leadership for the Right, stating he would only join a Netanyahu-led government if legislation for universal military service is passed.
Netanyahu also attempted to persuade Moti Leitner of the Charedi Public party to withdraw via a phone call on Saturday, but Leitner refused. Amid these political maneuvers, Nissim Louk, father of hostage Shani Louk, announced his support for Winter's party. The endorsement followed an IDF announcement that the final member of the Hamas cell involved in his daughter's abduction was killed in Gaza.
