Netanyahu warns Winter’s party could ‘bring down’ his coalition; Winter: ‘Real threat is current government’

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu declares that Ofer Winter’s People of Israel party could cost the outgoing right-wing coalition seats if it runs alone in the upcoming election, urging Winter to meet with him and address the issue.

“I’m concerned that this party could do one of two things: either waste votes or cause one of the parties I mentioned to fall [below the electoral threshold],” the premier says during an appearance on the pro-Netanyahu Channel 14.

Netanyahu asserts Winter is drawing almost no support from voters backing rivals Naftali Bennett or Avigdor Lieberman and urges him to coordinate with the broader right-wing camp.

“I say to Winter: Let’s meet, let’s talk. Immediately. To prevent a situation in which a party like this brings down the bloc,” Netanyahu says, while also confirming reports that the two have already met to discuss the issue. According to those reports, Winter refused the premier’s request to coordinate.

Winter rejects Netanyahu’s comments, saying in a statement that his party is “part of the right-wing camp” but “doesn’t work for anyone — only for the people of Israel.”

He says “what endangers the right-wing camp and the entire people of Israel” are policies of the current government, which Winter views as evidence of poor security leadership, including what he describes as failures to confront Hamas, the entry of hundreds of aid trucks into Gaza and the failure to draft Haredim.

“There is only one genuine possibility for change in the right-wing camp and in general — new people who had no part in the failures of October 7,” he says.