Ben Gvir rules out surplus-vote deal with Winter, calls him ‘Bennett 2’

Far-right Otzma Yehudit chairman and National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir said on Tuesday his party will not sign a surplus-vote agreement with former IDF general Ofer Winter’s right-wing People of Israel party ahead of the October 27 election, amid speculation that the two parties were preparing to strike a deal.

Winter’s People of Israel party lashed out at Ben Gvir in reaction to the comments, telling him to “grow up” and accusing him of throwing away votes in Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s political bloc.

“Winter is Bennett 2, and therefore Otzma Yehudit will not sign a surplus-vote agreement with him,” Ben Gvir said, referring to former prime minister Naftali Bennett, a Netanyahu ally turned rival who partnered with Yair Lapid to form a government after the 2021 election.

Similarly, Netanyahu last week also called Winter “fake right” and compared him to Bennett.

The comparison comes despite Winter’s repeated insistence that he will only recommend Netanyahu to form the next government and has ruled out serving in a government led by one of the current opposition parties.

But he has also said that he will not join a Netanyahu government unless it passes legislation mandating universal military service, something Netanyahu’s longtime ultra-Orthodox partners staunchly oppose. In a recent TV interview, Winter said that if Netanyahu opts for the Haredi parties over People of Israel, he can “take a hike.”

Surplus-vote agreements allow parties to pool leftover votes in the allocation of the Knesset’s final seats, potentially helping one gain an additional seat, provided both independently cross the 3.25 percent electoral threshold.

Otzma Yehudit is polling at around six seats, while People of Israel has been hovering around the electoral threshold. Parties have until October 16 to submit their agreements.

People of Israel slammed Ben Gvir following his statement.

“Itamar, grow up. People are fed up with the gimmicks, the rhetoric and this way of doing things,” the party said.

“Just a moment ago, you said these elections were fateful and now you’re announcing that you’ll throw votes in the trash,” it added, accusing Ben Gvir of running a “dishonest campaign” against a fellow right-winger.

“Instead of defeating our enemies, you’re busying yourself with an unsuccessful attempt to destroy your brothers,” the party said, arguing that Ben Gvir’s approach will only harm the right-wing camp.

Both Netanyahu’s bloc and the Jewish-led parties supporting him are projected to fall significantly short of a 61-seat majority in the Knesset. Arab-led parties, which have generally not joined governing coalitions, are expected to win most of the remaining seats.

Winter earlier this week said Netanyahu is “responsible for the right’s collapse,” following repeated attacks by the premier and Likud against him and his faction.