Smotrich accuses Winter of ‘boycotting’ him for six months as election feud continues

Religious Zionism party leader Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich accuses People of Israel head Ofer Winter of having refused to speak with him for six months, amid their increasingly bitter public feud over the former IDF general’s refusal to withdraw from next week’s election.

The latest exchange follows Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Smotrich’s meeting yesterday with Winter’s spiritual mentor, Rabbi Eli Sadan, in an apparent effort to pressure him to drop out. Winter responded by accusing the two of employing “ugly” and “dishonest” political tactics and vowed to remain in the race.

In a video responding to Winter, Smotrich complains, “You’ve been boycotting me for six months now. I’ve become radioactive. You refuse to meet, refuse to talk, refuse to consult and think things through together.”

Insisting that he has criticized Winter only for the “irresponsibility” of his independent election bid, Smotrich accuses his rival of running a campaign of “mudslinging and smears” against him and Netanyahu, despite professing to champion a more principled kind of politics.

Smotrich also laments Winter’s refusal to join forces with him before the deadline for submitting electoral lists. After months of polling below the electoral threshold, Smotrich instead teamed up with Zehut leader Moshe Feiglin, with their joint list now polling above the threshold.

Likud and its allies have been pressuring Winter to withdraw despite his pledge to join only a Netanyahu-led government, fearing his party, which is hovering around the 3.25 percent electoral threshold, could waste crucial right-wing votes if it fails to enter the Knesset.