From the Liveblog of
Tuesday, October 20, 2026
Netanyahu, Smotrich meet with Winter’s rabbi in bid to pressure him to quit race
Add ToI as a Preferred Source on GoogleAriela Karmel is a political correspondent at The Times of Israel. She previously reported for Calcalist and Haaretz. She holds an MA in Middle Eastern and African History from Tel Aviv University and a BA in Political Science from the University of British Columbia.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Religious Zionism chairman and Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich meet with Rabbi Eli Sadan, the spiritual mentor of People of Israel chairman Ofer Winter, in an effort to pressure the former IDF general to withdraw from next week’s election, according to a statement from the party.
In response, Winter says, “Guys, get it through your heads. The people of Israel want a different kind of politics. The people of Israel are fed up with the ugly, unprincipled campaign you have led and the dishonest methods you employ.”
“We came to offer an alternative, a different kind of leadership for the right,” he declares, calling for leaders who take responsibility and work to unite Israelis.
“Smotrich, this is the way of the Torah of Israel,” he adds. “You may have plenty of resources, but we have our inner conviction. We are here solely for the people of Israel, and we are going all the way, with all our strength.”
The meeting comes amid an aggressive campaign by Likud and its allies to pressure Winter’s party to withdraw, despite his pledge to join only a Netanyahu-led government. With the party hovering around the 3.25% electoral threshold in recent polls, they fear it could waste critical votes if it fails to enter the Knesset.
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