Ofer Winter Caught on Camera: What He Really Said About Likud Leadership
Amcha Yisrael party leader recorded telling activists that Likud has become consumed by wheeling and dealing, claims ruling party wants to dismantle his movement because it serves as an unpleasant mirror
The political clash between the ruling Likud party and Ofer Winter's Amcha Yisrael continues to intensify, with Likud maintaining its assault on the new party and branding it as potentially unwilling to join the right-wing bloc. This comes despite Amcha Yisrael's explicit declarations of support for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to lead the bloc and government.
According to a report published on Walla today, Winter was recorded speaking with activists at the conclusion of an event he held this week at Cinema City in Rishon LeZion. During the conversation, footage shows him launching sharp criticism at the current character of the ruling party.
In the discussion with activists following the conference, Winter presented his movement as a values-based and systemic alternative to the status quo, while challenging the conduct of the ruling party. "Likud should have been Amcha Yisrael, a party for everyone," he said, according to the Walla report.
He continued with an open attack on what is happening within Likud ranks, stating: "Today there's wheeling and dealing there. We're not busy with deals and combinations. They want to take us down because we're an unpleasant mirror."
Channel 13 News reported yesterday that Prime Minister Netanyahu's circle is currently examining the possibility of calming tensions and declaring a "ceasefire" with Amcha Yisrael chairman Ofer Winter and his people.
The emerging move, according to the report, stems not only from a desire to ease the media confrontation, but is designed to serve a central strategic goal of the camp: to reach a surplus-vote agreement between Winter and the Otzma Yehudit party led by Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, a step aimed at ensuring that precious votes in the right-wing bloc don't go to waste and disappear below the electoral threshold.
While some of the prime minister's advisers express support for this initiative out of concern for the electoral balance, Netanyahu himself continues to oppose the move at this stage. The initiative comes against the backdrop of long weeks of harsh attacks and serious exchanges of accusations between Likud and Winter and his party.
Recently, Likud sources claimed in closed conversations that Winter is acting as someone who could burn votes or even join forces with elements on the left after the elections. According to a Channel 14 report, in a meeting held at the Prime Minister's Office, it was determined that the Amcha Yisrael chairman poses a threat to the right-wing bloc, among other reasons due to the possibility that he will join forces in the future with Avigdor Lieberman and Naftali Bennett.
For his part, Winter did not remain silent and sharply attacked the conduct of the political echelon and the circle close to the prime minister at an activist conference. "We need to dismantle him, we need to take him down, the time has come to eliminate him — these are not quotes from cabinet members about Sinwar or Nasrallah, but from ministers, Knesset members or Knesset candidates in Likud against a man who a minute and a half ago they were pressing to secure a spot on their list," Winter said.
He went on to attack Netanyahu's inner circle: "Unfortunately, the prime minister's associates and advisers are giving him terrible advice. They're disconnected from the field! They don't understand the state of the right-wing camp and are intoxicated by fictitious polls presented to them by interested pollsters who are locking the right into a conception as if victory is in the bag."